The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-12-03
THE STRAW

He had passed his first ten years in
prison without doinR anything, settling
himself and fitting himself to the habits
OF the place. Then. as there were yet 70
years Of prison life before him, he said
one fine morning that il was shameful to
lead SD idle a life, and that he must create
for himself some occupation worthy, not
of a freeman, since he was n prisoner, but
worthy simply of n man.
He devoted n year to reflection, to weigh
ing the different ideas which presented
themselves, to seeking u doflnite aim for
his existence. To educate a spider? An
old story, too we'll known. To copy Pei
lico, indeed! A pure bit of plagiarism.
To count with his fingers the rough places
ON the wall? A ridiculous amusement,
useless and without appreciable results.
81 must,' said he, "find something at
the same time novel. useful. and defyinR.
I must invent q task which shall occupy
my time, which shall he productive of
some good, and which shall have the
value of n protest." Another year was
employed i'm this search, and at last sue
II was u veritable dungeon, that in
whiclsthe prisoner lived, which the sun
entered but for one short half-hour daily,
and then by q single ray which was q
mere thread Of light. The bed on which
the unhappy man stretched his aching
"The very thing,' he cried with energy.
Nov 1 shall defy my jailers and cheat
n COURTS"
that made up his bundle. There were
La! straws. Ameagcr bundle!
out how long i would take TO dry a single
straw. Threetluarters Of an hour. IL
would require for them alizfor the 1,sO7
with n half-hour OF sunshine a day, 1,961
days. Calculating. that the sun would
shine mt least one day out of the three, il
would require III years, 1 month, I week,
and q days. That was within six months
Of the time of his sentence. He set To
Every day that the sun shone the prison.
er carried a straw and put il i'm The sum
shine. busying himself thus whenever
he kept warm under his clothes the straw
he had been able To dry.
Thus ten years PASSED. The prisoner
and he had stuffed i'm the bosom of his
blouse thc other two-thirds, which, one by
Fifteen years passed. Happiness un-
speakablei Only 126 damp straws re-
mained.
scarcely could contain himself. Proud of
his work, victor over circumstances. he
cried with voice Of an avenger, with u
hooking rebellious laugh:
"Ah! ah! You condemned mo to the
wet straw of dungeon. Well. weep with
rAxs. l .secp on dry straw" ,,,,;, ,,r
One night while the prisoner dreamed
Oh tte hkDkltieSS lii StDrt TOT DII1 III his
wild JOY he threw out his hands in speech |
less exultation, upset the water-jug, and
b water ran trickling down his breast.
All OF the straws were wet.
What to do now To begin again the
toll Of Sisyphus? To pass fifteen years
more putting straws To dry i'm the slender
Oh, the encouragement of it! You, ne
fortunate ones of the world, who give up
for it's acquisition, dare you cast at
him the first stone!
And do you count rs nothing wounded
pride. fallen hope? Think! This ma
would baye worked fifteen years to Siss E.
cIinging to his hair? Never! One is either
Eight days and nights he writhed in
agony, wrestling with despair, striving Tor
n foothold i'm the ruin which
him.
He finished by losing his hold, and by
acknowledging defeat. He had lost the
One evening he fell on his knees, de-
80 GodF" he cried in his tears, ''pardon
suffered for thirty years. 1 have felt my
Limbs waste. my skin mortify, and my
eyes grow dim. and my hair and teeth fail
me. I have resisted hunger. thirst, cold
and solitude l had a hope which sustained
my efforts. I had AN aim i'm my life. Now
the rs aim mp o. gone forever Z Pardon me that
I desert my post, that 1 quit the field of
bear Il no longer" Them. i'm n sudden
access of Indignation, he cried:
"No, no, a thousand times no! II shall
not be said that I have lost my life for
nothing. / will not desert. i am not a
coward. No, l will not sleep for a minute
more ON the damp straw of the dungeon.
No, they shall not defeat me-"
And the prisoner died during the night,
~onouered like Brutus, grand like Cato.
He died of an heroic indigestion. He
had eaton all his straw.-From the French
Of Jean Richepin.