The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-10
SORROW OF An old CONVICT.

This IS 4 little story which was told ne
nv Yves. It happened one evening when he
mad gone into the roa IS TO carry In his gun
boat cargo Of c0nyictS TO the transport
vessel which was to take them to New Gale
doDia. Among them was very old convict
IA at least. who carried With him very ten
derlv a moor sparrow in small cage Yves,
70 mass the time, had entered into converse
ton with this old fellow, who had NOT II
appears. bad face, but who was leu oy
MS chain TO a young gentleman lgnoDle
looking, sneering. with the glasses OF the
short-sighted Oh Il small, pale nose.
An old hishwayman, arrested Tor the
nth or sixth time for vagabondage and
robbery, he said he was. 'How can man
avoid stealing when he has once commenced,
snd when he has DO trade whatever, and
when people wonthave anything to do with
him anywhere? He must, mustn't he?
My last sentence was Tor sack Of potatoes
which ] took In a field, with a wagoneTS
whip and pumpkin. Migbtn't they have
allowed me to die in France, l ask you, In
stead Of sending me down there, old as l
aw?" And then, guile happy at finding
that somebody was willing to listen to HIM
with sympathy, he showed to Yves his
most precious possession IN the world,
the little cage and the sparrow. Inc spar
row was quite tame and knew his voice, ana
for more than a year had lived with him IN
his cell perchei on his shoulder. All. it
was net without trouble he had obtained
permission TO take It with him TO New Gale
donia, and then he had besides 70 make for
it cage which would be suitable LOT Inc
VOYAGE, 10 procure soma WOOD, little Ola
wire aud a little green paint 10 amt the
whole and make II pretty. Here l recall
the very words OF Yves: Poor sparrow.
Il had for food in its cage a piece Of that
gray bread which is given in prisons, but 1t
had the appearance Of being quite happy,
nevertheless. 1t jumped about justin any
other bird"
Some hours afterward, when they reached
the transport vessel, aud the conycts were
about 10 embark for their long voyage,
Yves, who had forgotten the old man,
passed once more by chance near him.
Here, take it. said the old man, with
voice that had altogether changed. holding
out to him his little cage, I give II 10 you
You may, perhaps, find soma use Tor II;
perhaps II may give you P'easuIe' GO. a..
Certainly not" replied 1yer 'On the
contrary, yOu must take It with you. II
will be your little cOmTade down there"
"Oh." replied the old man. 'he is no
longer inside You didn't know that; you
didn't hear then! he is no longer there,
and two tears of Undesirable misery Tan
down his cheeks.
Through a lurch of the vessel the door Of
the cage had opened; the sparrow took
fright few out, and Immediately fell into
The sea, because Of its cut wing. Ga, what
a moment of horrible grief TO see it fight
and die, swept away Icy the rapid current
and be all the time helpless to rescue It.
At first, by a natural Impulse, be wished To
CRY out for help, to address himself 10 Yves,
to implore him But the impulse was i'm
mediately stOupsd by the recollection and
the consciousness Of his personal degrade
ton An old wretch like him! Who would
be ready to hear the prayer OF sucn as ne?
Could he ever imagine that the ship would
be stopped TO fish up drowning sparrow
the poor bird of a convict? The idea was
absurd Accordingly he remained silent IN
his place, looking at the little gray body as
it disappeared on the foam OF the sea,
struggling TO the end. He felt terribly
lonely now and forever. and great tears Of
solitary and supreme despair dlmmed his
eyes. Meantime, the young gentleman with
the eyeglasses, his chain-fellCW, laughed to
see an old man weep.
Now that the bird was no longer there he
did not wish 10 preserve its cage, made
with so much sOhcitude for the lonely dead
bird He offered it to this good soldier
who had condesCended to listen 10 his story,
anxious to leave him this legacy before de-
parting for his long and last voyage. And
Yves sadly had accepted the empty cage as
a present, so that he might not cause any
more pain to this old abandoned wretch by
appearing 10 disdain this thing which had
cost him so much labor.
l feel that | have not been able to do full
Justice to all the sadness that there is in
this story as il vas told to me. 1t was
evening and very late, and I was about to
20 10 bed. ], who IN the course CT my life
had seen with little emotion so many loud
sounding sorrows and dramas and deaths,
perceived with establishment that the dis
tress Of this old man tore my heart, and
even threatened 10 disturb my sleep.
~ wonder" said l, IF means could be
found OF sending him another"
Yes" replied Yves. Il also thought Of
that. / thought Of buying him beautiful
bird at biTd-dealer's and bringing it back
TO him tomorrow with the little cage, II
there were time TO do so before his depart
ure. 1t would be little difficult. Moreover,
you are the only person who could 90 into
the roads tomorrow and 60 on board the
transport to fad out this Old man; and
do not even know his name. Aud. then,
would not people think it very odd"
"Ah. yes, certainly. AS to its being
thought odd. there cannot be any mistake
about that" And for moment dwelt
with pleasure upon the idea, laughing that
good inner laugh which scarcely appears
upon the surface.
However, l did not follow up the project
and the following morning when / aWoke,
and with the first impression gone, the thing
appeared to me childish and ridiculous
This disappearance was not one OF those
which a mere plaything could console. The
poor old convict. all alone in the world
the most beautiful bird in paradise would
never replace for him the humble gray little
sparrow with cut wing. reared on prison
bread, who had been able 10 awake once
more in him a tenderness infinitely sweet,