The Red Cloud chief., 1881-01-20
A THANKSGIVING DAY.

~ Fttisf Atf Inc strain
vi me 1oyaU"e of home. when fhc harvest
hsalhGrcd from hilI-sihc and plain.
-iia1orS BIzIr.
A THANKSGIVING DAY.
II the winter of 1874, the Hon.
uiIu Harley ably represented Bytown
ana IT'S surrounding country ia the Ohio
Senate and was one of It's Committee
on The Penitentlary. In his frequent
visits TO the prison his attention was
often attracted by young man. scarce
Iy more than a boy, with the rudy tints
and boylsn roundness not vet wholly
faded from hls face. and in sad contrast
with the dumb ~wistfulness of the lar 70
blue eyes and the weary. hopeless
droop OF the thin, flexible lips. He was
employed about n OF the railways.
and day by day stood aside to let them
pass, with a ~listless detection apparent
IN every line of his firm. strong form.
ii was "A figure that strongly impressed
Harley but he was ALWAYS in company.
always in a hurry. and his interest
never came 10 more than a fleeing feel
ing. and would no doubt have been
wholly forgotten had not business con-
necicd with his law practice called him
10 Columbus the following November,
II while there, making a visit TO the
{ I~enltcntlary. he cam upon this same
prisoner IN his old accustomed place.
lie was passing on as usual when,
stirred 10y a sudden impulse, touched,
perhaps. afrcsh by the worn lines on
the young face, he turned back and
spoke. The prisoner started al the
cordial, ringing tone, stammered, hest
rated: Sir, he exclaimed, half in apol-
ogy ii seemed, half to utter the pent-up
cry of MS heart, Il nave been i'm this
prison three wears, and except the oil
GERS, YOU are the first one that has ever
spoken 10 me. and il has seemed some
times that | was furnishing for the
sound of a kind word"
IL Mr. Harley was touched before he
was deeply moved now. Tell me
who you are and about yourself he
said kindly
WHO am IL" answered the Young
man, sadly, THAT i a question | some
times ask myself. Once in Massachu-
sets there was a Harry Brainard,
who's father was a good man. a deacon
in the church, who every morning and
evening rs long as he lived gathered
his children about him and prayed that
they might grow up 4 be good men
Land women. He was taught To keep
the sabbath, TO speak the truth. TO
shUn vice. Sometimes | think | was
that Harry Brainard. but now | am
John Fuller, No. 342, sentenced for
horse stealing"
Horse stealing,'
"les. They said my guilt WAS self
, evident, and yet | had no more thought
of taking the horse than YOU have. But
i will tell you the whole story. | was
the Youngest child and NV older broth
erS had all LETT home, and after father
died | grew TO thinking that farm work
Was slow and farm life dull; in short TO
fancy ing, rs many a foolish boy has
doac before, that l was a little too
smart for a farmer. So 1 grew restless
and disconnected, and nj last when a
friend who had come to Ohio wrote me
that there was a chance for teachers in
the southern part of the State, 1 left the
. old nome and the old mother. God for
give me for il. found a school in Bel
mont County, and in the spring got a
situation rs clerk in q drug store, where
/ could keep my hands white and nv
boots BACKED all the time; so much
more genteel YOU know than ~piowiug
or hoeing corn. Well, like all drug
stores. we sold liquor. and like so many
other drug clerks O handling | came
TO tasting. 4 knew mother would not
approve, bat she did not know the
y WAYS of the world. and there was no
danger for me. i should always know
where TO stop and not take too much.
But about this time | made a new ac-
q~uaintance, a runner from Chicago, n
gay. dashing fellow. He ridiculed nv /
church-go;ng. chaffed me for NV inno-
&ence, Knocked me for what true prin- .
ciple | had. and in short, made light of
everything | had been taught TO con-
slider sacred. i was completely fasci-
mated by him. proud of his notice, and
onl, too willing to follow where he led.
One Sabbath we took Z walk 10 a little
town some two or three miles distant
On the Ohio River. and when there
Ruedy proposed We get a horse and
buggy and go over to the Virginia side.
OF course | agreed. as l did to every
thing he proposed. and when he further
suggested that we have a bottle of
brandy added to complete the rio. 1
also aSsented. We had had something
before we left home. and now we treat
eQ lAit Slsib4C bUN oCAo4t LII III we I
treated the ferry man when we crossed
Me river, we treated the first mar we
met on the Virginia side, and then for
want OF some one else treated each
other. L wasn't hardened to that sort
of thing so that is about the last / have
auy distinct remembrance OF till / woke
I'D two days later te find myself At a
low tavern in a little town some twenty
Il -, ,Lo r-or .nl %k1-, .rl.In 4 ]
was irving 10 collect my rather bewil-
dered ideas and think what / had bet
fer do. the owner of the horse with a
Sheriff found and arrested me. The
horse was in INV possession. and the
landlord said | had called il mine.
Ruedy had disappeared, and nobody
Gould believe my story. while to make
matters worse that region had been suf-
fering for some time from a gang of
thieves, and they were anxious for some
one 10 make Al example of, 30 / was
taken back in irons. Court was in ses-
sion. and in less than q month i had my
fixl. nv conviction and a five years
sentence. At first my n thought had
been to keep it from mother and the
folks at home 1t would be happiness
for Them to think me dead rather than
10 know the truth, but when / found
myself locked up here. with even the
excitement of suspense over / thought
I should die 1 wa young, proud and
n an a boys wild hopes, and / al
most hoped l should die. But 1 have
lived through three years of it, of the
convict cell and convict dress and con-
.;ct silence. I-told you that / had 4
Christian training; that is something
cra cannot easily shake of The oil