Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-09-04
The Iron Man

the iron bars of his cell-did you ever see
that sight Did you ever hear the dis
NAL clank, clank, of rusty iron against
moldering wood, or the regular tramp oi
six hundred men, all Of them wearing the
| badges of sin and disgrace Did you ever
feel the cold, damp touch of the great
fsg-stones look up through the dim roof
through the interstices Of damp stairs
feel that all the great space throbbed with
/ human hearts, tremble with the human
woe, and were not ready TO weep at the
thought Of the bitter tears that had been
shed beside the hard pallets Some say
that the most Of such 4 congregation are
given over to hardness Of heart Yes. if
one reads that stolid face and the dull eye,
carelessly.
But this prisoner with mis- lantern Jaws
his fierce, hollow, death-bright eye, his
wide, white scanned forehead, the gray
hair standing back as if the hand had Of
ten pressed it with some burning, feverish
impulse-what do you think his age was
A poer guess, not yet torty-tIree. Oh.
what hard, stony face it was.
The man has no feeling" SAID the
jailer neither shame nor grief He
dares any glance, he sneers at sympathy
his heart is flint itself Monsters are
sometimes born-[ think he Is one
But his crime 2''
Wife murderer at least he caused
her death She was a terrible woman, and
neglected a little child, / think, so that it
died, believe, and be hated, and finally
killed her
A history to make one shudder.
He has never expressed remorse, and
our chaplain sees him only for form sake
it is impossible to keep up an interest in
him
And yet there were some remnants of
nobility about him. Even this man had
been young and innocent at his mothers
knee; be had known sorrow, he did feel
remorse, perhaps Who can tell
3" Let her have it." said the jaiIer, as
my little Minnie picked beautiful flower
from the forbidden ground
" Little Minnie IS naughty to-day, said
the child, with 4 subdued look. " Mamma
put Minnie in prison 2'
Such horrible revuIsion passed over
me at those words Had not children as
beautiful grown into - what Nv
very soul shuddered 1t was with an
effort that l entered the gloomy halls with
some friends, the child still prattling.
And yet l thank God for that day Of my
existence.
The stony face was there, the great
hollow eyes looked eagerly. Seldom was
a child seen in that deathly gloom.
Man, do you want a pretty flower ~
cried little Minnie, holding it up. She was
lifted to his level. To my astonishment
he took it his lips quivered.
" Man, you want a kiss ?" chirruped
the little bird voice. A sob that was
almost terrific was the ansyer He
withdrew from sight as if he had been
shot We all stood transhxed. 4 childs
voice had stirred the locked up waters Of
his soul, and we ended our visit silently.
The next day the warden came to my
house.
"Jenner hasn't been off his bed since
yesterday" he said {" he begs you will see
him" In less than fifteen minutes l stood
in the cell. The mans face no longer
defiant, had grown death like.
Oh thank God-thank God - he
cried fervently, " till yesterday. | thought
my heart was dead, but that child, that
child he choked again.
Would you like to see her p
He passed his hand over his face
No, let me die with those sweet words
ringing in my ears. Oh my own little
own little darling, your wicked
father will never see ou-never-never.'
When the strong anguish had passed
he told me the history OF his life, and such
-
long before he finished
The iron man was flesh again He only |
Iiv ed three months after the defiant
will was broken. Deeply did he repent,
humbly pray for mercy, and when his
wasted face shone with the divine light of
forgiveness, he said to me, - You may
bring her--only once
So my darling frightened the dreary
hour, and on his dying lips a futtering
Kiss fell softly-the last life throb that
touched him as the soul went out, leaving
a smile behind.