Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-07


books / had at Chatham besides the BIZ
Bile were dictionary aud 1.-THE Life Of
tho Prophet Jeremiah " Once, soon aft
er my arrival in Chatham, took the
Jeremiah down from the shelf, but
speedily put 1t back and made vow
never to take it down again, and / never
did. It remained in view on the little
shelf for 10 years while l sat there
watching IL rot away. The dictionary
is good book, but grows tiresome at
times
thought in my enthusiasm l should
never tire Of tho Bible, but after 10 or
IL years / began to grow weary of it
and grew hungry for other mental food.
wanted Shakespeare, for with him to
keep me company could no longer be-
in the desolation Of solitude. At last
determined TO got my friends to try for
me. had learned the Bible almost by
heart. The smallest incidents in the life
of the Prophet Jeremiah were much
more familiar to me than the history Of
the civil war, and Anathoth took on
proportions which made it us real as
New York and far more important. The
desperate efforts had made to keep my
self from falling into the condition Of
so many / had seen dropping to idiocy
and death were, felt, successful, and
any occupation which kept alive the in
tellect could not but be beneficial. was
hungry, starving, for mental food. New
er had books appeared SO attractive,
never was kingdom so checrfully offered
for horse as Iwould have offered mine
for an octave. My friends had written
for me to the government, but with no
success. At last they had interested tho
American minister in London, who
promised to write TO the home secretary
for me, but yoar had slipped by, and /
had heard nothing
jeremiah continued with me, and it
seemed no was TO remain with me to
the end. But a change was coming.
Can ever forget the day it happen
edI Can l ever cease 10 remember the
delight, the inoredulity, the astonish-
ment Of that happy day. had come in
at night hungry, cold, wet and miser-
able l made my way little depressed
to my cell. As / was about to step
across the threshold saw book lying
ON my little wooden bed. Amazed and
astounded, hesitated to enter. Small
IA such circumstance appears, the very
sight Of the book brought on n weak
ness ] feared to pick it up; horrible
dread seized me that It might be new
Bible, and was unwilling TO risk an
other disappointment. The footprint on
An gapI
more awe inspiring to Robinson Crusoe
than the appearance Of that book was to
me- In mood as lonely, in plight rs des-
perate MS his, there lay before me sight
as unlocked for and, us it seemed, as
full Of meaning us the footprint was to
Robinson.
AT last pulled myself together, de-
termined to end the suspense and know
what was before me, / picked up the
book, and who can understand the de-
light, tho joy, the rapture even, with
which l read on the title page, 1.-THE
Works of William Shakespeare. In an
instant / became n new man. II ever
one human being felt gratitude to an
other, l felt 1t Vt that moment for the
American minister. To him owed it
that henceforth new light was to
stream through the huted glass of my
window, that henceforth a new world
was opened up for me to live in, and
tho world seemed lighter TO me. Many
n month and year aftorward my cell
was filed and my heart cheered by the
multitude OF friends the divine William
provided for me
About tho time received my Shake
speare another piece of happy fortune be-
fell me, A smallpox scare was existing
outside, and oil hands in the prison
wore ordered to be vaecinnted. When
the doctor came around IA few days uft-
erward to examine tho effects Of the
operation, ho found my arm 30 swollen
that ho directed mo to be taken to the
hospital
For 25 days had full opportunity to
loarn what the girl in Dickens Little
Dorrit" meant when she called the hos.
pital n" 'eavenly" place 1t was the
first time l had over beer admitted, aud
tho change from the horrible mudholo
to the rest ana comfort Of coll In tho
hospital was indeed almost 4" 'eayonly."
With nothing to do but to road my
shakespeare the cravings Of hunger for
the FIRST time since my Imprisonment
satisfied, was tempted to belieye-I
did partly bolieve-that tho world had
rev positions pleasanter than mine.
Goodness with contentnent is un.
doubtedly great gain. Contentment
alone without the Rodlinoss is no poor
thing, and was not content? Few in
decd OF MI tho thousands who have toll.
cd in that torturing prison house have
over been or are likely ever to DO so
content ns was
How trno it is that happiness Is al.
together relative, and that it is divided
much moro evenly among men than we
are willing TO beloved A mere respite
from an intolerablo position, single
book to keep tho mind from cracking.
transformed gloom and misery into light
and at least comparative happiness
After q time l began to watch tho Of
feet Of the unnatural life npon others
They arrived full of resolution, buoyed
often by hopes which they were soon
destined to find decisive. The short time
mon, those with seven or ten year SON.
fences, could face tho prospect hopefully
10 them the day would come when the
prison gate must swing back and the
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