The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-09-06
Warden, Keep a Place for Me.
AN INCIDENT OF PRISON LIFE IN THE rgNI-
TEETIALY.

TESTIALY.
Discharged again! Yes, am free,
But, warden, Keep = place for me;
For freedom means that must 60
Out in the wind and rain and snow,
10 fight with hunger, shame and oold-
woman gray and worn and old;
TO clothe myself in rags again,
And seek some wretched, narrow don.
And after that what must be done7
Steal? Beg? Hard lines for any one.
10 work is easier. / would try,
But there's no work for such as l.
A fine thing, truly, to be free
But, warden, keep 3 place for me;
For I'll come back. It's seven years
Since first entered here in tears.
"Drunk and disorderly came,
And felt the burden and the shame,
The prison taint, tie outlaws dread
When first behind his hopeless tread
The gates c!ang to with dreadful sound
And the dark prison walls close round.
But when went away said:
If can earn my daily bread
Ill work my fingers of before
I'll wear convicts dress once MORE"
Twas easy eaid-I meant it too
Work? Ia there work enough to do
For those who spend their weary lives
Like toiling bees in busy hives,
And starve at last? When willing hands
That never broke the laws commands
Are idle by the thousands, how
Can jsilbirds keep virtuous VOW?
No work lint all fha mn $onnd
The time for meals would como around;
No work, but time enough to think,
Aud that's the easy road to drink.
Who cared, who ores, that was then
"Drnnk and disorderiy "again3
Who cares that over with tho best
I was woman like the rest?
Who cares that ono day in my life
WAS happy, jo,ons wife2
Mono caro-, and caro- less than thoy,
And curse tho nsn and curse the day.
How did know that he would be
A drunken scoundrel, dragging me
Down i'll the mire? Alas, tho Iifo
He lod me! Oh, the bitter strife
'Twi1t love and hatet He went away
Aud left me with my little May
My little child My'little pearl!
My pretty brown eyed baby grill
Bahv-that was only childhood's grace!
Sho grow up with her fathers face,
Her fathers selfish, wicked hoart;
Grew up to take An evil part;
Grew up to soil her mothers name
And cover it with double shame.
But I've little baby dress
The one soft vein of tenderness
That's ran through all these hateful years -
I've wet it many time with tears,
And many a time at dead Of night
I've clasped it to my bosom tight
What for? Because it means for me
A simple sinless memory;
Because it means there was a time
When I, now gray with want and crime,
Old jailbird as am to-day,
Knew how to love and dared to pray.
What did do2 How could know
That things would go against me SO?
How could help it7 Did plan
The fate that bound me to that man?-
The hard, blind fate that dragged me down
Among the wretches Of the town.
That snatched away all hope, all chance,
anu SWiotoA cNoIy ClTCuW6CduC6
Against me, till at last stood -.
Stripped Of my very womanhooda -
could not dare to stop and think
Was it my fault took to drink?
No, I'm not fit for liberty;
1t amt wholesome thing for me-;
The Jail takes care OF mo too well.
Better to be locked up in a cell,
Whers all is clean and sleep is sweet,
: Than roam the misery haunted street;
Better the work they give us here
Than what awaits me when I'm clear;
Better tho silence we must keep
Than drunken cries and curses deop;
Better the dull days free from pain
Than shattered nerves and throbbing brain
Better the quiet, sober life
Than yondor city's desperate strife;
Better the prisons homely fare,
Better the PRISONS watehful caro-,
Better for me than liberty
30, warden, keep place for me.
-Peleg Ark,origu in Graphic