Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-05

tue OF having been a political "hustier
OF the first magnitude. Bat something
IN the vast and sOrrOwful spectacle OF
human hfe from the point OF view OF
Prison Warden worked mighty change
Ia him. His narrow, intense soul De-
came absorbed in the effort 20 redeem
these 500 Outcasts committed TO bis
F. charge. Even his outer man under
went subtle transformation. When be
had been the political hustler referred
10 he was commonly known as a jolly
good fellow, given 70 standing treat az
lection time. hand and glove with "the
bows" and OF a rOllicking turn OF nina
generally. He was below medlum
height aud we'll made, but there oeamed
all over him a careless good nature
gTaceless tOlerence OF all sorts Of
iniQuity in man or woman-alWays pro-
vided that the man in the case voted the
straight ticket Of his party and the wo-
man was in want Of help. But after the
man, 80 TO speak, became another man,
when the political hustler changed into
the APOSTLE of prisoners, his eyes looked
asif they saw something beyond this
earth: his hair and beard suddenly
turned gray. and be walked like Ia
borer carrying a heavy load.
he had a soft-yoiced Methodistical
wife who loved him. Before the change
came she had mOurned and lamented
over him as renegade bound for per-
ditiop on account OF his uDhOiy assOcia-
tiou with 'sthe boys" After be became
Warden, though, be looked back 70
these former days with an acuteness OF
remorse that only noble enthusiast can
feel. When az night his wife in sOiemnly
sweet tones read chapter In the Biole
TO him be would listen humbly, and
when she finished, and. kissing the book
reverently, Kneel down 10 pray, the
Warden kneeled too, while the vile
made the prayer.
Il amt worthy 70 pray, be would say
''I've led a wicked, goddess life, out
your life is as white as mine was black,
and, besides, don't sea how man can
have the almighty impudence 70 make
8 PRAYER before a good woman anyhow
for the Warden's wife was good "o-
man, and the Warden thought her an
angel.
They had one child--a yellow-haired
FIVE year-Old--a real snow maiGen, VINO
seemed TO have been born laughing ana
60 have laughed ever since. She had
never known anything different from
: the sombre house Of the Warden, and
the gloomy prison was not gloomy 10
her eyes. She often begged 70 De taken
over 10 the great stone quadrangle, TO
see the prisoners pass In 70 their meals.
Her childish eyes saw nothing unusual
IN their locked step and thsir striped
clothes, ard the mother, being consumed
with the fire OF an Apostle, like the
father. willingly let the child 90, re-
garding her as one Of the humanizing
agents TO bear upon these souls that
they longed TO save.
Nor was IL lost on the prisoners. In
the great WOrkrooms, where the men
sat in long rows, obliged to be silent,
working sullenly, while guards armed
10 the teeth watched them, the Warden
sometimes entered, holding his little
daughter by the hand. The child would
escape from her father, and going fear
lesslv among the prisoners would talk
TO them and laugh merrily at their
WHISPERED replies-becauSe 1t soon be-
came an unwritten law that no man was
10 be punished for answering the War
da4s little daughter. She had her IA
vorites, but she was disposed TO be
friendly with all OF them, and answered
even a look with Chow you WASP" They
made her toys and games in their leisure
bonrs. and il was one Of her childish IL
lnsions that ali the time they were
working they were making her some
thing pretty"
'sYou know" said the Warden to his
wife. "there amt any danger IN taxing
her among the poor fellows. Not one
of them would hurt her for a million
dollars, believe"
81 know they wouldn't answered his
wife calmly, "but even If / didn't know
n I'd let her go among them. She's an
Instrument lent US by the Lord for their
good and Il is our duty % let our child
20 All the good she can"-by which II
viii be seen that the Warden's wife was
as great fanatic as the Warden him
self
Pint unlike most fanatics, the Warden
was sinQularly practical in the perform
ance of his duty. Justice was his duty
mercy his own personal, private in
diligence. He could sentence convict
m punishment with a calm aud passion
less instice that would have done honor
10 the greatest judicial office IN the
world. and then be could go 20 the pris-
oner's cell end kneel down and pray for
him. and plead with him as II they were
hrethren. More than that; besides IN
derstanding the practical wants Of q
nrisoner's soul, be knew the practical
nseds of his life. and il was the War
denis tireless eudeavor that no man, in
ooing forth a free man. should be driven
20 crime because OF inability TO make
living. In short, by the devotion OF two
lives. together with strange intelli-
qence regarding that terrible part OF
humanity with which the Naletta Peni-
teDtlary was filled, the Warden managed
n make his institution a model OF its
mournful kind.
II was the Warden's custom TO select
from the prisoners some one of them
chat he could use as q sort of right-hand
man. and this man was called the War
denis "trusty." "TruSty," sOr the time
/, helng. was middle-aged man, who had
a short term 20 serve for completely in
a small robbery. He had always borne
a good character before, and he earned
a halter one, according 70 the ethics pre-
vailfng in the stone quadrangle. He was
often sent into the town alone on er-
rands. when he would put of his striped
garments for an ordinary suit Of clothes,
and sometimes he would be trusted with
the Warden's horse aud buggy, but be
never failed TO return. His penitence
for his offence was loud, and his good
behavior shortened his term TO little
more than two years.
On the day "Trusty's" term was up he
appeared in the morning, dressed tn