New-York tribune., 1885-01-26
MICHAEL DAVITT7S BL4CKBTRD
From The Iau MAJ Gaze,t..

Mr.. Davitt, early in his opening lecture as
a inducemcnt to obtain from llm au attentive and
oblgingly personated both chairman aud audience"
that lie should be restored TO liberty the day after the
delivery the last lecture Df the scrcs yOu shall be
free" he declares though your liberation will leave
more to the fellowship of whewashed walls
and dTsary solitude" The hBur OF JDe'," relenSe
arrived lovely morning In the autumn of ISL" as
described in the pathetic passage with which the book
closes:
The nfirmary garden In Portland Prison was aglow
with the bloom of the late summer flowers which the
governor had kindly permitted to SOW I'm the early
portion of the year The English Channel which often
Ius the weary Portland Prisoner to sleep by the storm
chorus they dash against the rocks under
meath the walls, lay In unrn!ed calm. From the head
land upon which the great convict prison stands could
seen the picturesque shadows which the Dors.t.hIre
cliffs flung out upon the bosom OF the Away beyond
the coastne appeared harvest fields ana honesieads
melting into the distance and sadly sIrgestive of
what Imprisonment was noliberty. home and frends;
cSnang up that contrast M between the anacled ani
punishment OF penal serviilde. IL was a day which
wold MI ones whole being with yearnng be iber-
moment had arrived when resolution to give
to my little feahcr9h chum could no longer be sell
hand. when quick as hash OF lightning he rushed from
the cage with wild scream OF delight and In a moment
was beyond the walls OF the prson The instinct u,
freedom too powerful TO he resisted though bad in
dnged the fond hope that he would have remained with
unearned by either country, prisoner or blrdobat
Nature VIII not be denied ana that liberty more to be
The work takes tho form Of lectures to Mr. Davits net
oaenSrd od.sd TO %non theSs m prison ongs
hdng friend whose playful moods and loving familiarity
helped TO cheer the solitude of convict cell"
II rrnited TO Portland Prison." writes tho au,bor
in his preface "on the Sd OF February 1881 Shortly
afterward through the kindness Of the Goyernor a
young blackbird came Into my possession For some
months relieved the edium OF my solitude by eiorts 70
win the confidence OF my companion with the manifest
results lie would stand upon my breast as Law I'm bed
In the morning and awaken Inc from Sleep He would
perch upon the edge OF my plate and my
His familiarity was such that showing Ritu small
piece Of slate pencil apd then placing t my waiscoat
pocket, he would Immediately abstract It, He would
a, wa
tween knees and watching the course Of the pencil
as wrote would make the most amusing efforts TO peek
carry" a. faithfully as any well-rained dog Toward
evening he would resort 10 MS perchhe post OF the iron
ing OF another day, when his chlrrup would again be
heard like the voice o nature before the herald of VII
evening Joe sat upon his perch 1t occurred to me 10
constitute him chairman and audience OF course Of lac
tures and with him constantly before me as he renre
sentative Of my fellow creatures j0ted down what
have substantially reproduced In the following pagea"