Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-30
A QUEER PATRON.
fseigravial

,ro,ld ontside WAS sewing about HIM. his
sircors were hgiSy with the piece OF oid
ropo he wac making into oakum, out ms
mini was fun OF an imaginary report OF ms
own case At the Police Court; ne e'sn
borea some Of the papers unsght have oe-
voted a slsort leader TO him, for his offence
was strange one. -.
krvaycd in a tatSsred gown OF the cut
,,acnl;ar N Csmford Bachelors OF Arts, with
= hattrred cap upon his head. he had IN
broad caviichA walked down hegcnt street
breaking the lamps with q long sSck. tIv,
oecdins, cal.rly and without hurry, ana
followed nv a rapitily increasing crowd, ne
bad smashed soIno hah dozen before po-
i;ce,nan appeared and took him INTO Gus,
to6v AZ the Police Court he tolu
the Magistrate THAI he had once pen
an assistant master in school, out
hed lately got his hvIne on the turI, on
fra1n1A and mother moro or less dlsrsPu-
table ways. lie Was wing eno" s so
work. but cUsshd not get empioFInent, so
had broken the lamps by way OF adveTtise-
mont. HE had one little compliant 70
,nale AGAINST the polsce- He gave ms
name. Charles Micklerecd, 20 the inspect
or and thaA officer refused 70 furJnef ein-
beliish The oharge-sheet with ms prosPer
description- Bachelor OF Arts, ~ bohliace
College. CaxEfurd- Sentence tSen'S-ono
6ovs' Imprisonment with hard labor
No. IIS was quite Tieht in his sOrrnfses-
IL rolo US maxim a GOOD deal of scnsa-
tom outside the prison wSils. III WIS y
sisch lime AID editors were rather short OF
subjects. They dcened Charles Mlchie-
reeds cxpioit a good source OF cheap Copy
and they were not wrong. for i"tters ABOUT
81 poured in freely. some OF ms org coliese
friends even proposed 20 do something I0r
Nm when he cane ont, and. as three weeks
l. NOT long. tAore WAS Just chance they
1o;ebt moi have forgotten him by the time
As Inc prisoner was mus'ng his ccll-door
was thrown open. and Warder Sni'h III
official tones announced:
" No. 10. the chaplain TO see you.
The war,ior was NOT however, quite ac-
crrate in his assertion. for the clergyman
Nrbo entered the cell was not the regular
cbanl,iD of the Jail. but the curate OF n
pciobboripc church. who was visiting the
prisoners while their usual pastor recruit
ed himself at the seaside. ,,,,..;
The prisoner stood up and faced his VlSl-
tor who shut the ceil-dOor behind him; As
soon as the shccp GOT affair look at theshep-
herd he exclaimed:
WHY. Josh. old fellow, how are you d"
at the same time holding out has hand with
an evident expectation of friendly grasp.
The Hev. Joshua Bamlett recoiied little.
Il don't know, prisoner" began ne,
"whetbpr Won mean thIsas Joke. Let me
tell Won il Is hardly the way to
" OH stow it, Josh" interrupted the un-
.b,shed reprohate. do YOU mean to say
Won don't know me. It's my beard, | snip
nos PITY didn't get a spell long enough
f. have il shaved of. Pm Charley Mlckle-
What Miekloreod. my old Canford
friend Yes. now / see 1t Is. But oh,
Cbariev. Charley. what has brought you to
tbisy"
Troxirnahlv the Government omnibus
known as Black Maria ultimately that
common complaint want Of employment
Don't Won know why | was sent upf lou
don't mean 10 say Il isn't in the paper
said Nr. Mickiereed, seriously alarmed Ior
the success of his scheme.
II have been 10 bTisy too look at paper
these three DAYS" replied the clergyman.
They ought TO teal me what each prisoner
has d0neand the length of his sentsnce,
bpt my visits are so hurried they forget
sometimes"
prisoner. apparently immensely relieved
wed. took a leaf from the freshman s
book.and committed an outrage 10 call at
4eDe,on TO nv distress. Smashed some
lamns In Resent street. Shouldn't wonder
If they Inasds a lnIi<Ic-hail song out OF H.
Charley MTcklsreed smashed the lamps 10
find hlnrscf proVcnoier; with an accent on
lie 4en has "a GOOD ILL about 1t as mat
thing on the Other Charley snd the mix as
C,elsea anyhow. ,Inst look at the papers
when YOU go home and tell me-what they
saw when you call again" >,
Nv dear Micklereed, ft'sagainst alirules
10 tell q prisoner Whist lsln the papers. but
don't. pray don't, look - this serious thing
in thai liglrt way. You shock me terribly.
You soe1s, AS hard as"
"AD oid lpurs-shOe-nal. " interrupted the
prisoDer: and let me tell you IT'S good
nail that gets harder by much hammerlng.
Only the.bad ones break" -,
Il can STAY no longer now" SAID the
clergyman rs the w'Trder was heard coming
along the-corridor. 3" Will come again to
morrow. But do try, my. old friend, 10 look
NJ this matter in ITS true light"
well, don't you forget about the papers
them was the prisoners parting shot.
The Rev. Joshua Bamlett went straight
10 his lodgings and tired TO compose his
mind. lie sat down in his easy chair, ht
a pipe. and fell into revere. how Wei
he remembered the'Old Camford days when
he and Charley MScilereed had lodged IN
the same house and belonged 90 the same
set In was not in any way a distinguished
set. and Micklereed had been KIND OF
honorary nsrmber of it. That eccentric
vDnne man always seemed TO regard the
upiyersstysas.a.mo did the world-he was
In II. but nos of it. He was an orphan,
and had goTra&o CamfOrd against his own
father. His father had had belief
founded. il is needless TO say, on fgno-
rance-in the value of a Camtord
derre,e. which had induced him TO
make his sorSs inheritance Of his
little property depend upon the attain
Inent of that acsbdeInical distinction.
Charley fulfilled this condition as easily as
he could, and spent the money as quickly
"a possihle Then he took a situation, but
as he could NOS bring himself TO look upon
the uuwillingresS OF John Ball, DR., 70 &C
o1iiye useless hnOWfeClce as q serious crime,
1e soon lost il. From tta&'time Mr.. Bam-
LETT had Lost s,icht of hls friend, though he
had ofsen wondered what had become OF
him.
II happened that the wife and family OF
Msrder smith were members OF Mr.. bam-
l,ttNs CONGREGATION. The waxier himself
was. by the nature on has official duties,
ro1ufy.ned TO at1aEid the m1uistT1dlons on
the prison e4lss;,iasn, but as a private cit.
yen In the bosom OF hrs family he was well
known 10 tho.cJuzSte.. Mr.. Balnlett thought
il could do no harm 70 hicklereed to re.
commend him 10 the favorable nOice OF
his guardian, 50 he sent message 70 the
warbler, asking him 10 step round and see
him as soon a. hs was of duty,
Good evening, Smith" said he, when
that worthypu in anappearance; want
70 SPEAK TO YOU about No. 49,"
The set visage Of the warder reiaxedlnto
. kindly grim.
"When / took his work TO his cell this
morning, says he, as cool as you please
'Ahl my warder, ] suppose. Well, you
hook q decent sort Of fellow. and dare say
we shall get along well enough No. 119,
RAYS /; 'don't YOU know it's AGAINST the
rul.s to talk unnecessarily? Oh! blow
the rules says he; Pm only here fol
three weeks, and j mean to enjoy myself
I'm report you says |. No, you won't,
Bays he. you're not that sort BLESSED il
did report him. either Couldn't do it.
somehow"
II am afraid, Smith," said the clergy
uiau. "he does not realize his sad position
Will Try and awake him to it. Mean
while, bs-as lenient with him as you car
without neglecting your duty. / knew
him-that is l met him years ago, and lfee
an unusual interest IN him."
Just what he told me this afternoon
after you'd gone, sir; only he put 1t IL
rather queer wry." replied tho wardeT
"'War,ier,' says he, you know that gooC
gentleman? Yes said |. We'll, hei
An old college friend of mine. and woulC
al 4 L. /. i 4 l.