Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-10-30
Then the book fell from my hant

and l remembered no more. MY mlnu
had gone whirling into the abyss.
was sentenced Oh Wednesday. Fer
three days, from Thursday to Sunday,
nv mind was blank. I have no recol-
lection of my removal under escort from
Newgate to Pentonville. On Sunday,
the fourth day Of my sentence, like one
rousing from a trance, awoke to find
myself shaven and shorn, dressed in a
coarse convict Uniform, in rough cell
of whitewashed brick. The small win
dow had heavy double bars set with
thick fluted glass, which, while admit
ting light, foiled any attempt Of the eye
to discern objects without. LII the cor
ner there was rusty iron shelf. A
board let into the brickwork served for
bed, bench and table. A zinc jug and
basin for water, with a wooden plate,
spoon and salt 9iSll-no knife or fork
for 20 years-cnmpleted the furnishings.
AS was looking around in helpless
way key suddenly ratified in the lock,
and the door opening uniformed ward
er stepped in, and giving me search :
ing look said in a rough voice: "Come
on. You'll do for chapel You have put
on the balmy long enough. His kindly
face belied his rough tones, and follow
ed him out of the door and soon found
myself in the prison chapel. None was
present, and I was ordered to sit on the
front bench at the far end. The benches
were simply common fat boards ranged
in rows Soon the prisoners came i'll SIM
gly, marching about two yards apart,
and sat on the benches with that inter-
val between them-that is, in the divi-
sion of the chapel where I sat, it being
separated from the rest by Il high parti-
tion. Soon white robed, surpliced
clergyman came in, and the service be-
gan, but I had no eye or ear nor any
comprehension save in a dim manner as
to what was going on. My brain was
trying to connect the past and the pres
ent, feeling that something terrible had
befallen me, but what it was l could
not understand.
When the services were over, l re-
turned under the escort Of the warder,
who, when I arrived at my cell, ordered
me to 60 in and close the door, which
did, banging it behind me. 1t had a
spring lock, and when heard the snap
of the catch and looked at the narrow,
barred window, with its thick, fluted
glass, admitting only dim light, re-
membered everything. Like flash it
all came to me, and realized the full
horror of my position. Sitting down on
the little board fastened to the wall
serving as bed, seat and table, buried
my face in my hands and began to pon-
der. Regrets came in floods, with re-
morse and despair hand i'll hand, when,
realizing that it was madness to think,
I sprmg up, saying to myself the hour
and minute had ccme for me to decide
either for madness and convlct's
dishonored grave, or to keep the prom
ise had made to my friends-never to
give in, but to live and conquer fate.
1 determined then and there to live
in tho future, and never to dwell on tie
horrible present or past Then l remem-
bered the last scene in Newgate and my
promise to accompany my friends step
by step, day by day, in our readings
Finding q Bible OH the little rusty iron
shelf in the corner, and this being the
fourth day of our sentence, l turned to
the fourth chapter. 1t gives the story of
Gains crime and punishment, and l
read the graphic narrative with all in
tensity of interest difficult to describe.
When I read: And Cain said unto the
Lord: My punishment is greater than 1
can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me
out this day from the face of the
earth ~ I felt that the cry of Cain III
all its intense naturaluess, in its remorse
and despair, was my own, and was
overcome. Laying the book down,
walked the floor for an hour in agony,
until fantastic images came thronging
thick and fast to my brain. I realized
that my mind was going and felt must
do something to make me forget my
misery.
l opened the Bible at random, and
my eye caught the word misery" l
looked closely at the verse and read:
Thou shall forget thy misery and remember
it as waters that pass away.
I threw the book down, crying with
vehemence: THAT'S q iel God never
gives something for nothing" Soon l
opened the book again and looked at the
context. Those of my readers who care
to do so can do the same. The verse is
Job ii, 16. The context begins at verse
13. From that hour I never despaired
again.
The same day began committing the
book of Job to memory and worked for
dear life and reason. 1 became interest
ed and my interest in that wondrous
poem deepened until the study became
passion. Thus I turned the whole cur
--!
! ~ ]
! .jtE=KzKE|tgz:.::lt'IEE
4ssss<as - -
y lsaM ~