The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-10-14
SELF-DENIAL.
A Convict Father Who Died TO
His Children.


year (ls92l- | was the guest Of friends
Ill the city of --. The home was SO
pleasant and the surroundings SD at
tractive that We forgot the perpetual
drilling rain that badc Us stay in
doors. Through the wide front win
dovs w. hooked across narrow street
% the beautiful park, where the snow
.alis and liiaCS were in bloom. Our
conversation was interrupted by ii
messenger who came in haste to cali
away my host, who il a physician. The
face of nv hostess. which had been full
oflife and aniuiat ion, suddenly changed
and Al look nf sadness Vas plainly Wis
Die. II was the first time had ever
seen her thus, and my eyes must have
asked = question which any lip> We're
700 courteous 10 utter. Some persons
are skilled in reading between the
ines. End others are Possessed of u
.ichcr power Of knowing y hat = friend
wants Ia ask. ana answering Il fully.
when you have not uttered word
Il was thinking" she said. -'of tie
many who are denied the pleasures oE
lie. the tho usanGS who cannot even see
icturcs If il, much less visit the great
worlds fair Your profession calls you
% CONSIDER the condition Of the sicl.
md the poor, but have you considered
.ae world of sorrow that is within tlie
~o.id walls Of the prison."
l was wondering at the sudden
change that had taken place in her
Inauner-yvondcring how she happened
% get On this theme. II must have
been because of the crrand on which
ncr husband had goLe forth.
Yes" ! replied. as if realizing that
bc conducted simply Icy rhini.in.. '-and
am glad ;hIt YOU have introduced the
subject, since 1 have heard that You
nave for wears taken deep interest in
the unfortunate. Hut pray tell me how
You get 80 readily from the worlds fair
TO the I;ri itcwcll and Sing Sing.
20! readily enough. 1 have thought
ont. but have not uttered the connecting
links. Iou have been admirinE the
park. The flowers do not bloom for the
couvicts. The lawn is not dressed for
them. The fair Is not held for them.
They are dead to all the world out
dc their gloomy prison homes, and
even sometimes dead To their loved
ones here
had often seen my friend at table
presiding gracefully, in the social world
y. here her power was acknowledged,
IN the house of devotion where the
rem bling prayer was uttered, but
never had ] seen her whole soul looking
ont through her features as now. May
tell Won of IA case that has deeply in
terestcd mc?" she continued, and with
out waiting for reply recited to me
substantially the following story of a
convict's self denial:
Mr. was Il man of ardent nature.
He was happily married and became
the father Of TWO children. The daugh-
tcrs had grown in strength and beauty,
and no prcttier sight was witnessed
than in the evenings when his wife and
little children sat with him on the door
.tcp, or walked along the smooth path
ways IN the park. The wife and
mother siclieucd and died. Some time
! after her death the father had a diff
! Guilty with a man who had in some way
| offended him. Whose the fault was /
| do not know, but in 4 hasty moment he
raised lis hand and struck a cruel blow
! that fclled his brother to the ground
| and blighted all his own hopes for life.
! j he victim was borne to tine hospital,
where, after Il few hours suffering, he
| died and the assailant was held for
| manslaughter. Much sympathy was
Expressed for him, and for time it
.cemed as though he would be released.
.iut when the trial came he was con-
victed and sentenced to imprisonment
! for twenty years. The sentence may
! have bocn Just, but sometimes justice
| is terrible. The little children, aged
| five and three and one-half years, found
| home in our society.
You never saw such children Except.
! of course, your own)- The oldest re-
[ sembled the father Dark, piercing
! eyes, and hair that would not bc out
civaled in its glossy blackncss by the
ravens wing. The younger must have
! -cscmblcd her mother. She was a per
feet blonde, with curling hair and we'll
shaped nose, and pouting lips that
seemed to be dewy with mothers
kiss; merry dimples were about her
mouth. as though a laugh had been in
terTuptcd and fingered there. ready "a
break forth again. Her forehead was
never cqualed by the finest marble
model that came from human soul and
hand. Her deep blue eyes spoke forth
a world of pleading tenderness a
though asking for something to take
the place in her soul of Il mothers love
Every one that saw this child wanted
! her $50 like my babe in heaven,
said the fond mother who had been be
reft-
/ called to see the father for the last
time. lie was to be taken to his prison
the following day. He seemed To guess
my mission. n wa cruel one. @
how my heart ached as l tried to speak,
! in sim pie words, sentences that, though
smooth, must have seemed to him crucI
as the l<eencst blade. His children
were beautiful lie would do anything
for them. | had found homes for then
where they would be treated with care
! and tenderness. All that wealth and love
| could do for them would be done. Ill,
/ drank in my words with eagerness.