Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-07-28

A convict pressing his cheek agains
the iron bars Of cell. Did you ever Sc
that sight Did you ever hear the dis
NAL clank, clank, of rusty iron agains
mouIdering wood, or the regular tram
of six hundred men, all of them wearin
the badges of sin and disgrace? Did yo
ever feel the cold damp touch of tn
great fagstones look up to the dim roo
through the interstices of iron stairs -
feel that all that great space throbbe,
with human woe, aud were not ready t.
weep at the thought of all the bitter tear
that had been shed beside the hard pal
lets Some say that the most of such
congregation are given over to hardnes
Of heart. Yes, if one reads the stoliC
face and the dull eye carelessIy.
But this prisoner, with lantern jaws
fierce, hollow, death bright eye, his wide
white, scanned forehead, the gray hail
standing back as if the band had Otter
pressed it with some burning, feverist
impulse-What do you think his age
was
"Seventy."
A poor guess; not yet forty-three.-
Oh what hard, stony face it was.
"The man has no feeling said the
jailor: neither shame nor grief He
dares any glance; he sneers at sympathy
his heart is flint itself Monsters are
sometimes born-I think be is one"
"But his crime"
"Wife murder-at least he caused her
death. She was terrible woman and
neglected a little child, think, so that it
died, believe and he hated and finally
killed her"
A history to make one shudder.
"He has never expressed remorse, and
our chaplain sees him only for forms
sake it is impossible to keep up an in
terest in him"
And yet there were some remnants Of
nobility about him. Even this man had
been young and comparatively innocent
at his mothers knee he had loved be
bad known sorrow he did feel remorse,
perhaps. Who could tell
"Let her have it," said the jailor, as
my little Minnie picked a beautiful flower
from forbidden ground.
"Little Minnie is naughty to day p
said the child, with a subdued. look
Mama put Minnie in prison"
Such horrible revulsion passed over
me at those words Had not children as
beautiful grown in;o-what My very
soul shuddered. 1t was with an effort
hat entered the gloomy halls with some
friends, the child still prattling. And
yet thank God for that day of my ex-
stence.
The stony face was there; the great
hollow eyes looked out eagerly. Seldom
was child seen in that deathly gloom.
Man, do you want a pretty flower? p
cried Minnie, holding it up. She was
fitted to his level, To my astonishment
lie took it; his lip quiVered.
"Man, you want kiss 2" chirruped
he little bird voice.
A sob that was almost terrific was the
nswer. He withdrew from sight as if
lie had been shot. We all stood trans
xed. A chilo's voice had stirred the
Ocked up waters of his soul, and we end
d our visit silently.
The next day the warden came TO my
ouse. "Jenner hasn't been off his bed
ince yesterday" he said, "and he begs
bat you will see him"
In less than fifteen minutes | stood in
be cell. The mans face, no longer de-
ant, had grown death-like.
"Oh thank God thank God p he
ried fervently "tiII yesterday, thought ,
~ heart was dead-but that child-that
hiId," he choked again. :
"Would you like TO see her p
He passed bis hand over his face.
No; let me die with those SWEET
ords ringing in my ears. Oh my own I
tile one, my own little darling-your q
licked father will never see you-never =
never" 9
When the strong anguish had passed,
9 told me the history of bis lite-and @
lch a history! Deep pity was in my a
cart long before be finished. Y
The iron man was flesh again. He '
lly lived three months after defiant will v
as broken. Deeply did he repent, hum .
y pray for mercy: and when his wasted c
ce shone with the divine light of for n
he said to me-"You may bring "
n here-only once" p
So my darling frightened the dreary u "
'ur, and on bis dying lips her auttering a
SIS fell sohly-the last life throb that u
nched him as the soul went out, leaving
smile behind Watchman and Reflect