Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-12-12

light, tho joy, the rapture even, with
which l read On the title page, The
Works. Of William Shakespeare. In an
instant | became q new man. Ii ever
one human being felt gratitude 70 an
other. / felt it at that moment for the
American minister To him l owed it
tn, henceforth a new light was to
stream through the fiuted glass If my
window, that henceforth a new world
uas opened up for me to live in, and
thc world seemed lighter 10 me. Many
a month and year afterward my cell
was filed and my heart cheered by the
multitude Of friends the divine William
provided for me
About the time l received my Shake,
speare another piece Of happy fortune be
fell he. A smallpox scare was existing
outside, and all hands in the prison
were ordered to be vaccinated When
the doctor came around Il few days aft
; erward to examine the effects cf the
operation, he found my arm 50 swollen
that he directed Inc to be taken to the
hospital
For 25 days had full opportunity 10
learn what the girl in Dickens Little
Dorrit' meant when she called the hos
pital " 'eavenly" place. 1t was the
first time l had ever been admitted, and
the change from the horrible udhOle
to the rest and comfort of "a in the
hospital was indeed almost " 'eavenly.
With nothing to do but to read my
Shakespeare, the cravings of hunger for
the first time since my Imprisonment
satisfied, l was tempted to believe-I
did partly believe-that the world had
few positions pleasanter than mine.
Godliness with contentment is I'M
doubtedly great gain. Contentment
alone without the godliness is no poor
thing, and was l not content? Few in
deed of all the thousands who have toll
ed in that torturing prison house have
ever been or are likely ever to be so
content as l was.
How true it is that happiness is al
together relative, and that it is divided
much more evenly among men tim we
are willing to believe A mere respite
from an intolerable position, single
book to keep the mind from cracking,
transformed gloom and misery into light
and at least comparative happiness.
After a time began to watch the eff
feet of the unnatural life upon others.
They arrived full of resolution, buoyed
often by hopes which they were soon
destined to find delusive. The short time
men, those with seven or ten year SEN
tences, could face the prospect hopefully.
To them the day would come when the
prison gate must swing back and the
path to the world be open once more.
But no such hope cheers the long timers,
the men with 20 years and life, who
quickly learn how great the proportion
is of their number who find relief only
in the box smeared with black which
incloses what is left of Slem in the
grave. Every day used to see the eff
fects ON them Of hunger and torment of
mind. The first part visibly affected
was the neck. The flesh shrinks, disap-
pears and leaves what looks like two ar
tificial props to support the head. As
time wears OH the erect posture grows
bent. Instead Oh standing up straight
the knees bulge outward as though un-
able to support the body's weight, and
the man drags himself along i'll kind
of respondent shuttle
Another year or two, ard his shoul-
ders are bent forward. He carries his
arms habitually before him now; he has
grown moody, seldom speaks to any one
nor answers if spoken to. In the general
deterioration of the body the mind keeps
equal step, and so unfailing is the effect
that even warders wait to see it and re-
mark to each other that So-and-so is
"going off. " When the sufferer begins
to carry his arms in front, every one un-
derstands that the end is coming. The
projecting head, the sunken eye, the
fixed, expressionless features are merely
the outward exponents Of the hopeless,
sullen brooding within. Sometimes the
man merely keeps on in that way, vast
ing more and more, body and mind,
every day until at last he drops and is
carried into the infirmary to come out
no more.
During all these years never saw my
companions. Mac had been sent to Port
land, Noyes to Portsmouth and George
to Dartmoor.
After 1883 strenuous efforts were
made for cur release.
My sister came TO Englandf that year
and remained permanently there. She
worked bravely and well, but year after
year passed without result. None of US
was prepared for the vindictive fury of
the Bank of England. Its power was all
potent with the government. George
had been bedridden for years and was
slowly dying. AT length i'll 1887 the
medical officer of the prison certified his
speedy death was certain, and the gov
eminent released him to die, but he re-
solved that he would not die until was
free With liberty and hope health came
| slowly back, and he devoted every hour
to working for my liberation, but for a
time he devoted it i'll vain. More than
| once had I seen the prison emptied and
filled again. OF all the life prisoners 1
had met there on my arrival or who for
years after had joined me was the sole
survivor.
One by one sickness or insanity born
! of despair had laid them i'll the prison
graveyard or buried them in the asylum.
Out Of more than 20 none had lived to
| be liberated, and determined appeared
| the Bank of England directors that |
| should not form an exception, but that
! if ever the prison doors We're opened to
me it should be only when so near death
| that l might join the many who had
! gone before.
| NV fate seemed inevitable, but never
for moment did cease to believe that
fortunes frowns would one day disap
! pear and that 1 should yet again feel
| the warmth and sunshine Of her smile.
! From his sickbed and in his health
George never ceased his efforts. He sue
| ceeded in interesting James Russell
Lowell and many others in my behalf.
! The president asked the English gov
ernmont officially TO grant my release.
Mr.. Blaine, the secretary of state, sent
a very strong letter through Minister
Lincoln, in London, and l thought when
told of it that my day to 90 was not far
| away.
1t will interest Americans, perhaps,
| to learn that the representations of the
J president and of the secretary Of state Of
| the United States met the same cOur-
tesv rs was shown to all the previous
ones. Still my brother was not discour-
| aged. He sent agents TO England, who
managed to interest the newspapers in
the matter, and never did he cease un-
til bv the statements OF the press upon
| the ferocity of my treatment. the re-
proachcs Of my friends and the repre-
sentations Of many / had never seen the