Sharp County record., 1881-02-03
LITTLE NELLIE ~ THE PRISON.

1ELLIE
The eyes of a child are sweeser than any hymn
we have sung,
And wiser than any sermon is the lisp of a
childish tongue!
Hugh Falcon learned this happy truth one
day;
t,Twas n fair noontlde in the month of May
When, as the ch splain Of the convlcts jail,
He passed its glOwerng arehway, sad and pale,
Beas ing his tender daughter on his arm.
A FIVE ears da ling she. The deWy charm
Cf Eden stlr-da Sn gistenodin her eyes;
Her dimpled ch 3eks were rich with sunny
dyes.
sPapa,'' the child that morn, while still abed,
DrAs him close to ward ner, snyly said;
PAPA. on. won't you let your Nellie go
10 see tho @ naughty men til It plague you so,
Down in the ugly prison by the wood?
Papa. l'l beg and pray them to be good.
"Wnat, YOU, my child!" he said, with half a
"why not, papa? III beg them so to try"
The chaplain with a fathers gentlest grace,
Kissed the small ruilled brow, the pleading
face;
"Our Of the mouths of babes and sucklings
Still,
Praise is perfected" thought he; thus his will
Blended with hers, and through those gates of
Sin,
Black even at noontde, sire and child passed
in.
Fancy the foulness of a sulphurous lake,
WherefrOm a lily's sr0w-white leaves should
break.
Flushed by the shadow Of an unseen rose!.
so, at the iron gates loud clang and close,
Shone the Grear twilight Of that place defled,
Touched 10y the tlower-like sweetness of the
child
Germany dismal vault, and stony floor,
Fhe chaplain walked from ponderous door to
rll now beneath stair-way's dizzy flight
He stood and looked up the far circling
height;
But risen of late from fever's torture-bed
low could he trust his faltering limbs and
head?
ust then, he saw, next to the mildewed wall,
man in prisoners raiment gaunt and tall,
f suilen aspect and wan, dOwncaSt face,
iloomed in the midnight of some deep dis
grace;
lie shrank as one who ycarned to fade away,
ike vague shadow on the stOne-wOrk gray,
Dr. die bcyOnd it, like q vieWlesS wind;
lis seemed a spirit faithlesS, passionless,
blind
% all fair hopes which light the hearts of
men
Adull, dead soul, never to wake again!
he chaplain paused half doubling what to do,
When little Nelly raised her eyes Of blue,
In6, no wise daunted by the downward stir
)fshaggy brOws that glOwered askance at her,
aid-puttng by her wealth Of sunny hair
Sir, will you kindly take me up the stair?
'apa is tired and I'm too small to climb"
rankly her eyes in his gazed all the time,
Ind olnethng to her chldhoOds instinct
known
worked within her, that her arms were
thrown
bout his neck. She left her sires embrace
ear thai sad convict-heart to take her place,
parking and truStful-mOre she did not
speak;
tut her quick fingers patted his swart cheek
aressingly YIN time to some old tune
Iummed her nurse, in summers drowsy
noon.
erforce he turned his wild, uncertain gaze
own on the Child! Then stole tremulous
haze
cross his eyes, but rounded not to tears;
Therethrough he saw faint gllmmerings of
lost years
nd perished loves A cabin by a rill
ose through the twilight on a happy hill;
nd ther1 were 1.-the Child-tigureS at their play
hat flashed and faded in the dusty ray;
, nd near the porch a gracious wife who
smiled,
ure as young Eve and Eden, unbeguiled!
iDuucu. Ntl luIIIltu, wv It's Dcuulllul W see
18th what deep reverence and how tenderly,
+ o claspei the infant frame so slight aud fair
, nd safely bore her up the darkenng Stair
he landing reached, in her arch, childish ease,
ur Nelly clasped his neck {. and pIn whispered:
'ont you be good, sir? For | like you so,
nd you are such big strong man you
: KNOW"
q 18th pleading eyes, her sweet face sidewse
! set
nen ensuddenly her furrowed cheek grew wet
ith sacred tears-in whose divine eclipse
pom her nesting head he pressed his lips
e ssoftly us d dreamy west-Wnd' sigh
O hat time a something, undetned but high,
'twere a new soul struggled to the dawn
, trough his raised eyelids. Thence, the gloom
e withdrawn
n .br0odng vengeance and unhOly pain,
!, efelt ne more the captves CALLING chain;
n 1t only knew a little child had come
ID ,smite Despair, his taunting demon, dumb;
: child whose marvellous innocence enticed
y white thoughts back, that from the heart
s. of Christ
or ydove-like earthward, past our clouded ken,
- ild-life to bless, or lives Of child-like men!
lv THUS he went his way,
- altered man from that thrice blessed day /;
"' Soultuned ever to the soft refrain
lg words once uttered in a sacred fame;
n. The little children, let them come to me;
r such as these my realm of Heaven must
~ be:''
ey t most he loved of one dear child to tell,
!. child whose trust has saved him, tender
y Neil.
Ilg p. II. Hdyne, in st. Nicholas.