The Van Buren press., 1897-10-02
! ACROSS THE RIVER.
BY n. c. SKEEl- {
esseessssssssssssssesssss

ITWAs rot 3 peasant pzrt q he e1i5
The portion that lzg west Of TIE
->xer TIE streets were narrow. tie
usvements uneFen. tie houses SmzE
zsa diugy. for o. that side OF TIE river
tie settlement # The city first b@gans
.rezrly century before. The TiFer Il
self was sluggish and inrbid; when losE.
II srne1Ied badly a. vel
Across he river tall ebimne5s poured
Ont 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 fbe city had eFepi over
the stream and up the low eastern slope.
There we're the wide streets and ave
unes. 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 darkened
by IL; no business man would build his
store-ceriainly no householder his
Ihome-ia its vicinity.
So between il and the eity's glory the
river rolled its narrow. muddy current;
THE smoke of the great chimneys hung
above 1t like a pail OF 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-
tentiary.
"There she is, Denny" said the older
one. indicating it. 'Ain't she 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-;he lame one-had
stopped short and was trembling from
head TO foot. ~ 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 and
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"
~Yes, but do remember him, though
Oh, be was good-good to me, daddy
was. / wish could see him Daddy,
daddyi"
well, we'd better be goin' back now.
ii won't do no good haugin' round here.
You can come over again some time, i
You wanter."
Il am coming Saturday. Oh,
wait minute, joey, waii."
They were near one Of the prison
gates. II opened and q man came out
thrusting a handful Of papers in his
pocket as he came. Several Of them
slipped from his hand and fell to the
sidewalk. and as be bent TO pick them
Up he had an eager assistant in the lame
boy.
sThanky, bub-wcll. what is Il - said
the man. seeing question in the boy
ish face raised 10 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. I live there, II
that's what you mean"
"My fathers there" uttered Denny.
l5reathlessly. Gould you-would you
tell him that aunt has moved 10 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
nsmeT'
"His name is Horace Meniy,' said
Denny, dropping his head, for the mans
eyes seemed 10 look him through and
through.
What are you coming every Satur-
day for2 You can't see him unless
rhere's some older person with you"
There amt nobody else said Den
~. 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 10 humanity. He looked
the lame boy keenly over once more.
"I'll tell him. % he said.
"Wil you. misier-wiii 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 acnoss the court. on theis
wzy 70 supper, ahufflea the long ile Of
prisoners Ike some great. striped. slow
m0fing snake
Number sixty was "of his feed"