The Washington critic., 1888-02-18
opoon LrrTLr NIornrR. y
Her hoy Was had ana Went to Prisoi
But She Loved Him still.

But She Loved Him still.
Saturday Eron,Hg Herald; "Is this
the City Prison, sir?"
A sweet, trembling voice thus ad-
dressed me. ] turned and beheld n
little woman in a shabby black dress
and threadbare coat. A small rusty
bonnet covered q head Of soft brown
hair sprinkled with strands of gray.
a pair Of blue eyes like the heavens
above, so timid and sorowful, looked
appealingly in my face. There was
something so sweet and plaintive in
the little woman's face that / paused
for moment in spite of myself
before L answered her. She could
not have been more. than forty, yet
the lines on her face and little
pinched-up mouth denoted many q
hard struggle with poverty and some
deep hidden sorrow.
"rhe city prisonP This way, rll
show you."
/ led the way up n pair of stairs
into the building. "Who doyou want
to see?p
"ohl pardon me, sir; wish to go
into the prison, that's ALL" A slight
flush spread over the sad face.
Forgive me-" said, "here Is tn @
officer in charge.n But for the life Of
me / could not withdraw.
She approached the big, bluff guar
dian Of the prison and said:
Please, sir, want to see my son.
] was informed this morning that he
was here. His name is Edward Scott,
sir. can see him ?v
"What, Scott?" said the burly Of
ficer. THAT young tough? Yes, he
is here and he's good for five years,
and serves him right, too"
"Oh dear" came in trembling ac-
cents from her lips--but she was q
brave woman. This little mother
blest with the truest and noblest of
heroism-that which can endure and
suffer in silence. ....
The officer paused for moment,
then said:
is he your son, nam? for he's in
bad fix and deserves it, too"
Yes, sir" came from the little
mother, che is. Oh, hope it is not
so bad. l know he's wild, poor boy,
but If you only understood him, sir.
He can't help it; he takes his passion
from his poor father, who was killed
at Antietam, but he's been kind son
to me, and-and-- can't anything be
done for him ?" The sweet blue eyes
welled up with tears, but she was
brave and choked back the big lump
that was in her throat.
"You want to see him, do your"
eyes, sir, please; you must know,
sir, he is my only child, and he takes
care of me, and nicely too; but when
he meets some of his wild friends and
takes drink, it affects him, sir, but
he's not so much to blame for that
itlwas his poor fathers weakness and
he inherits it from him. Oh, my
poor boy; If you only knew him; he's
SO kind and handsome-and--" Here
the poor little mother broke down and
sobbed.
The big officer coughed and looked
sort of queer for q moment, then said:
"Forgive me, ma'am' didn't know
he was your son; hope for the best.
Come, I'll show you in"
THANK you, sir; oh thank you.
I'm sure you have mother, and that
you love her dearly;" and the little
woman placed her hand on the big
officers arm softly.
He turned around and looked down
on her. The hard lines on his face
softened, and he answered her in a
voice as low as if speaking to q little
child:
"Yes--I had a mother once, but she
is an angel now. such one as you
will he some day. Come in, poor lit
tie woman, come in"
A. L.
lisg9 - shining on the little
motheFs she walked down the
long passage to see her wayward and
foolish boy.
Oh men, you who have got a
mother to cherish, grasp erlove with
hoops of steel while yet you may.
Bask in her pure and unselfish love
before she leaves you and passes over
| the dark river into the sunlight Of
| futurity.