The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-12-24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
, ACROSS THE RIVER.
BY a. C. SKEEA.
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and dingy, for on that side of the river
the settlement of the city first began,
nearly century before. The river it.
self was sluggish and turbid; when low,
it smelled badly as well.
Across the river tall chimneys poured
out constant volumes of thick, black
smoke. Except on Sundays one rarely
saw the blue of the sky. Snow was
never purely white across the river nor
the sunshine clear.
Little by little the city had crept over
the stream and up the low eastern slope.
There were the wide streets and ave-
nues, the great business blocks, the
handsome public buildings. One of the
largest of these last, however, remained
on the western side. The majesty of
the others would have been darkeDed
by it; no business man would build his
certainly no householder his
home-in its vicinity.
So between it and the city's glory the
river rolled it's marrow, muddy current;
the smoke of the great chimneys hung
above it like pail or partly hid the
gloomy walls. "Sent across the river"
was said of the states convicted Grim
iuals.
One day in early autumn two boys,
one of them quite lame, crossed the
bridge and made their way through
the crooked streets toward the peni-
Tertiary.
There she is, Denny" said the oder
one. indicating it. "An't she a whop-
per? Fifteen hundred folks in there.
What you scared at? She amt goin' to
jump out and grab you less you've done
somethin'."
The smaller boy-the lame one-had
stopped short and was trembling from
head to foot. 81 know it," he an
swered; ''but it looks so big-and So
awful"
He gathered up his courage with an
effort, limped across the street ard
went close to the massive walls. "My
daddy's in here" he whispered to him
self, and, looking eagerly along the bar
rier, called. softly: Daddy. daddy"
HE can't hear you" said the older
lad, watching him with some sympathy.
You can't remember him much; you
weren't nothing but baby"
eyes, but do remember him, though.
Oh. he was good-good to me, daddy
was. / wish I could see him. Daddy,
daddyn
well, we'd better be goin' back now.
1t won't do no good hangin' round here.
You can come over again some time, if
you wanter."
Il am coming-every Saturday. Oh,
wait minute, Joey, wait!"
They were near one of the prison
gates. 1t opened and man came out
thFusting a handful of papers in his
pocket as he came Several of them
slipped from his hand and fell to the
sidewalk, and as he bent to pick them
up he had an eager assistant in the lame
boy.
'Thanky, bub-well, what is it?" said
the man, seeing question in the boy
ish face raised to his.
"Mister." whispered Denny; mister,
is it-your PRISON."
"Mine and several million other
folks" said the man, smiling. "It's the
state prison. sonny. 1 live there, if
that's what you mean"
"My fathers there" uttered Denny,
hreathlessly. Gould you-wouid you
tell him that aunt has moved to town
and I come here this morning-and I'm
comm every saturday-and give him
my love-and-"
"Who is your father, and what's his
''His name is Horace Men,y.' said
Denny, dropping his head, for the mans
eyes seemed to look him through and |
through.
"What are you coming every Satur-
day for? You can't see him unless
there's some older person with you"
"There amt nobody else,'' said Den
ny, dropping his head lower still; 'but
I'm comm just the same"
Three years constant association
with criminals had not destroyed John
Joseph's faith in humanity. He looked
the lame boy keenly over once more,
"I'll tell him." he said,
"Wi,l you, mister-will you? Oh,
thank you, thank you, lots"
AS Guard Joseph returned from his
errand outside, the boom of the prison
bell struck suddenly against the walls
and sunk moaning down. From the
workshops across the court, on their
way to supper, ahuffled the long file of
prisoners like some great, striped, slow
moving snake.
Number Sixty was "off his feed"
that night, which means that he left the
prison fare untouched. Opposite his
name on the prison record stood the
word Dangerous" He was known to
be a violent man, and was always more
closely watched when the sullen mood
was on him, as il had been for several
days.
There's no use talking" the guard in
charge of his company had remarked
an hour before to the deputy=warden,
;;if SixtyvniRe keeps up this sort of
thing tomorrow he's got to be settled
with"
"All right; we'll settle him." the
deputy responded.
When the silent meal was finished the
snake-like line shuffled its way up the
stairs and along the ranges. disappear
ing piecemeal into the narrow cells.
There was q click of bolts falling into
sockets; the voices of the guard echoed
from range to range as each called
aloud the number of men and the local
ity under his care.
First, south, east, thirty-four."
Second, north, west, thirty-one."
t.fhird, south, middle, twenty-seven."