Rock Island Argus., 1895-12-21

our work again. At night, returning to
the prison, eight ounces of black bread
would be doled out for supper. Then
came the hours between supper and bed
time, when, shut in between those mar
row walls, one realized what it was to
be a prisoner.
In the corner Of the cell there was a
board let into the stonework that served
as bed, table and chair. There was a
thin pallet and two blankets rolled up
together during the day in a corner Of
the cell that served for bedding, but so
thin and hard was the pallet that one
might almost as we'll have slept on the
board. For the first few weeks this bed
made my bones ache. Most men have
little patience and small fortitude, and
this bed kills many Of the prisoners-I
mean breaks their hearts simply because
they have not the wit to accept the mat
ter philosophically and realize that
they can soon become used to any hard
ship. 1t took six months for my bones
to become used to the hard bed, but for
the next 10 years used to sleep as
sweetly on that oak board aS I ever did
or now do in bed Of down, only, like
Jean Vatican in lies Miserables,"
had become SO used to it that upon my
liberation I found it impossible for q
time to sleep in bed.
I have related how the Sunday after
my sentence in my despair I took the
little Bible of the shelf. The other
books had at Chatham besides the BIZ
BILE were dictionary and 1.-THE Life Of
the Prophet jeremiah. Once, soon aft
er my arrival in Chatham, took the
jeremiah down from the shelf, but
speedily put it back and made vow
never to take it down again, and never
did. 1t remained in view ON the little
shelf for 10 years while I sat there
watching it rot away. The dictionary
is a good book, but grows tiresome at
| times.
I thought in my enthusiasm should
never tire of the Bible, but after 10 or
~ 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 I
determined to get my friends to try for
me. I 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 as real as
New York and far more important. The
desperate efforts had made to keep my
self from falling into the condition Of
80 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 30 cheerfully 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 the
American minister in London, who
promised to write to the home secretary
for me, but year had slipped by, and ]
had heard nothing.
jeremiah continued with me, and it
seemed he was to remain with me to
the end. But change was coming.
Can I ever forget the day it happen
ed? Can I ever cease to remember the
delight, the incredulity, the astonish-
ment Of that happy day? had come in
at night hungry, cold, wet and miser-
able. made my way little depressed
to my cell. As I was about to step
across the threshold I saw book lying
on my little wooden bed. Amazed and
astounded, hesitated to enter. Small
as such circumstance appears, the very
sight Of the book brought on a weak.
ness. I feared to pick it up; horrible
dread seized me that IL might be q new
Bible, and I was unwilling to risk an.
other disappointment. The footprint on
the sand was not more suggestive MOI
more awe inspiring to Robinson Crusoe
than the appearance of that book was tc
me. In mood as lonely, in plight as des
perate as his, there lay before me sight
a. unlocked for and, as it seemed, a.
full Of meaning as the footprint was tt
Robinson.
At last ! pulled myself together, de
termined to end the suspense and know
what was before me. I picked up tn,
hook. and who can understand the de
light, the joy, the rapture even, Will
which ] read On the title page, eth,
Works of William Shakespeare. In a,
instant I became . new man. If eve
one human being felt gratitude to an
other, I felt il at that moment for tn,
American minister. To him I owed j
that henccforth new light was {,
stream through the fluted glass of m.
window, that henceforth a new work
was opened mp for me to live in, an,
the world seemed lighter to me. Man,
!, a month and year afterward my Gel
|. was filed and my heart cheered by tn
!. multitude of friends the divine William
a provided for me.
Fl About the time received my Shake
q speare another piece Of happy fortune be
n fell me. A smallpox scare was existing
!. outside. and all hands in the priso
a were ordered to he vaccinated. Whel
' the doctor came around a few days aft
Q erward to examine the effects Of th
2 operation. he found my arm SO swollel