Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-08-09
4 QUEER PATROM

4 OCEER IA HIHON.
In the quiet seclusion of his cell in one
Of the London short sentence PRISONS Prs
oner No 1l9 was wondering what the
world outside was saying about him. His
fingers were busy with the piece of old
rope he was making into oakum, but his
mind was full of an imaginary report Of
his own case at the police court. lie even
hoped some of the papers might have de
voted IA short leader to him, for his offence
was "A strange one.
Arrayed in "A tattered gown Of che cut
peculiar 10 Camford Bachelor Of Arts with
"A battered cap upon his head, he had in
broad daylight walked down Regent street
breaking the lamps with long stick. Pro
ceeding calmly and without hurry, and fol
lowed by a rapidly increasing crowd, he
had smashed some halfdozen before a po-
liceman appeared and took him into custo-
dy At the police court he told the magis.
trate that he had once been an assistant
master in school, but had lately got his
living on the turf, on tramp, and in other
more or less disreputabe ways. He was
willing enough to work, but could not get
employment, so had broken the lamps by
way of advertisement He had one little
complaint TO make against the police. He
gave his name, Charles Micklereed, to the
inspector, and that officer refused TO fur
ther embeish the charge sheet with his
proper description Bachelor Of Arts, St
Boniface College, Camford. Sentence,
twenty one days Imprisonment with hard
labor.
No. ll9 was quite right in his surmises
His case was making good deal of sensa-
tion outside the prison walls. 1t was a
slack time and editors were rather short
Of subjects They deemed Charles Mickle.
reeds exploit a good source Of cheap copy
and they were not wrong, for letters about
it poured in freely. Some Of his old col
lege friends even proposed to do something
for him when he came out, and, as three
weeks is not long, there was just chance
they might not have forgotten him by the
time lac was released
As the prisoner was musing his cell door
was thrown open, and Warden Smith in
official tones announced
"No. ll9, the chaplain to see you.
The warder was not, however, quite ac-
curate in his assertion, for the clergyman
who entered the cell was not the regular
chaplain Of the Jail, but the curate of "a
neighboring church, who was visiting the
prisoners while their usual pastor recruited
himself at the seaside.
The prisoner stood up and faced his Wis
itOr, who shut the cell door behind him
As soon as the sheep got II fair look at the
shepherd, he exclaimed
"Why. Josh, old fellow, how are you =
at the same time holding out his hand, in
AN evident expectation of friendly grasp
The Rev. Joshua Bamlett recoiled a little
Il don't know, prisoner" began he,
whether you mean this as a joke. Let
me tell you it is hardly the way to"
''Oh stow it, Josh, interrupted the un-
abashed reprobate. "Do you mean to say
you don't know me. Its my beard, sup
pose. Pity didn't get a spell long enough
to have it shaved off. I'm Charley Mickle-
reed
What! Micklereed, my old Camford
friend Yes, now | see it is. But oh,
Charley. Charley, what has brought you to
this =
"Proximately the government omnibus
known as Black Maria ultimately that
common complaint-want Of employment
Don't you know why was sent up You
don't mean to say it isn't in the papers =
said Mr.. Micklereed, seriously alarmed for
the success of his scheme.
IL have been too busy to look at paper
these three days replied the clergyman
They ought 10 tell me what each prisoner
has done and the length of his sentence,
but my visits are so hurried they forget
sometimes"
"Ah that accounts for it, said the pris
oner apparently immensely relieved "Well,
| took a leaf from the Irishman's book and
committed an outrage to call attention 10
my distress Smashed some lamps in Re
gent street Soouldn't wonder if they
made music hall song out of it. Char
ley Mcklereed smashed the lamps to fiud
himself provender, with AN accent on the
en-, has as good Tilt about it as that thing
ON the other Charley and the milk at Chel-
sea, anyhow. just look in the papers when
you 20 home and tell me what they say
when you call again"
My dear Micklereed, it's against all
rules to tell prisoner what is in the pa
pers. But don't, pray don't look at this Sc
rious thing in that light way You shock
me terribly. You seem as hard as"
AN old horse. shoe nail, interrupted the
prisoner; 'and let me tell you, it's good
nail that gets harder by much hammering.
Only the bad ones break"
Il can stay no longer now, said the
clergyman, as the warder was heard com
ing along the corridor Il will come again
tomorrow. But do try, my old friend, to
look at this matter in its true light"
"Well, don't you forget about the papers
then, was the prisoners parting shot,
The Rev. Joshua Bamett went straight
to his lodgings and tried TO compose his
mind. He sat down in his easy chair, lit a
pipe and fell into a reverie. How well he
remembered the old Camford days when he
and Charley Micklereed had lodged in the
same house and belonged to the same set
! 1t was not in any way a distinguished set
and Micklereed had been a kind of honora
ry member of it. He was an orphan anC
had gone to Camford against his own will
but in accordance with that of his father
His father had had belief-founded, it ii
needless to say, ON ignorance-in the value
of a Camford degree which had induced
him to make his sons inheritance of his lit
tie property depend upon the attainment o.
that academical distinction. Charley full
filled this condition as easily as he could
and spent the money as quickly as possible
Then he took situation, but, as he coulC
not bring himself to look upon the unwill
ingness of John Bull, junior, to acquire use
less knowledge as a serious crime, he soOI
lost it. From that time Mr. Bamlett hAC
lost sight of his friend, though he had of
ten wondered what had become of him.
1t happened that the wife and children o
Warder Smith were members of Mr.. BAN
lett's congregation. The warder himsel
was by the nature of his official duties com
PEELED 70 attend the ministrations of tn
prison chaplain, but as private citizen il
the bosom of his family he was well know
TO the curate. Mr.. Bamlett thought
could do no harm TO Micklereed to recon
mend him TO the favorable notice of hi
guardian, so he sent message to the war
der asking him to step round and see hin
as soon as he was off duty.
Good evening, Smith," said he, whel
that worthy put in an appearance ."
want TO speak TO you about No. ll9."
The set visage of the warder relaxed in
TO kindly grin.
Rum customer, sir, amt he y said he
when | took his work to his cell thi
morning, says he, as cool as you please
'Ah my warder. suppose. Well, yo
look decent sort of fellow and dare sa
we shall get along well enough No. ll9
saws l., don't you know it is against tn
rules TO talk unnecessarily 2 'Oh blow tn
rules, says he I'm only here for thre
weeks and mean 10 enjoy myself ~
report you, says l. No, you won't, say
he, you're not that sort BLESSED if | di
report him either Couldn't do it some
how"
~ am afraid, Smith" said the clergy
man, "he does not realize his sad position
| will try and awake him To it, Meanwhile
be as lenient with him as you can withou
neglecting your duty, knew him, that il
l met him years ago, and feel an unusuI
interest in him"
ssInst ,,hat ha told ma this aftarnoon aI