The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-20
rHE coNvICr,s CHRISTMAS EVE.

The term was done my penalty was past
saw the outside Of the walls at last.
When LEFT that stone punishment of sin,
Twas most as hard rs when l first went in.
It seemed at once as though the swift voiced al
Told slanderous tales about me everywhere
As If the ground itself was shrinking back
For fear 'twould get the Gains mark ofmy track
Women would edge away, with shrewd she'gue
ses,
As il my very glance would spoil their dresses.
Men looked me over with close, careless gaze,
And understood my downcast, jail-bred ways
My hands were so grim hardened and defled,
1 wouldn't have had the cheek to pet child
If had spoken to a dog that day,
He would have tipped his nose and walked away
And so l wandered in jail Of doubt,
Whence neither heaven nor earth would let m
out.
The world itself seemed to me every bit
As hard a prison as the one I'd quit.
II you are made OF anything but dirt,
If you've a soul that other souls can hurt
Turn to the right henceforth whoever passes
It's death to drop among the lawless classes
Men lose, who lose the friendship of the law,
A blessing from each breath of air they draw
They know the advantage of a good square face
When theirs has been disfgured by disgrace.
So trudged round appropriately slow
For one with no particular place to go.
The houses scowled and stared as il to say,
you Jail bird we are honest walk away -
The factory seemed to scream when came near
"Stand back unsentenced men are working
here Z"
And virtue had tn appearance all the Time
VI trying hard TO push me oack 10 cr'ine'
-..... ~, ...,. .u,,.. h,0,,h. ID
S'rueA Hi' S''"'se' 'i'' ''O' "''' S''0"
- way .,.,,.,,,.
~ ""''n '"e
All carving ouhu,es' U, al 'o''S VI S'N'''
Well dressed or poor, l could not understand
Why each one hugged bundle in his hand.
| | asked an old policeman what it meant.
He looked me over with eyes shrewdy bent,
While muttering in a voice that fairly froze,
"Its cause to-morrow's Christmas, l suppose"
And then the fact came crashing over me,
How horribly alone man can be 4!
For souls that have not run their rcckonings
straight
1t isn't fer mortal ignorance to say
What kind of night may follow any day
There NAV be pain for sin some time found out
That sin on earth knows nothing yet about
But don't think there's any harbor known
Worse for a wrecked soul than to be alone.
A word whose gloom is gloomier than that word
You who can brighten up your christmas JOYS
With all affections small but mighty toys.
who fancy that your gifts of love be rash,
And presents not worth their price in cash.
Thank God, with love and THRIFT no more AT war
That you've some one to spend your money for
A dollar plays very dngy part,
Till magnetized by some ones grateful heart'
So evening saw me struggling up and down
Within the gaily lighted, desolate town,
| A hungry, sad heart.hermt all the while,
Ny rough face begging for friendly smile.
ro'As 'aiAeu WIN '''N' !" "'" ''''''''
sc, .., ,-, ,,,,,. s,u ,,,o
pu' ho o"e hau "o'u VI 'oi> ~, nv
Love noWeu hke WAFER ou' " 'ouiu "o' ''"Ne
Inc "oriu iols'Ne "ie io' my o"e "''''""''
A., .,,,,..,, ,,,,,,, ,,,,, ,r ,,.o,,o,,o mora
= auo,,, T., 800 ond sat do,yr raor the door
r., .,,,,. saa, ,,,,r,,s, ms, ,,,,hannv roco
So many happy children in one place
l never knew how much hymn could bring
From Heaven until heard those children sing
never saw such sweet-breathed gales OF gee
AS swept around that fruitful Chrstmas'ree'
lou VINO nave u'ppeu through ''i''u"oou '''''''
,, u"!s