The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-09-25

~ frowning walls of a military
n prison-not, owing to certain re-
pairs, on the spot usually assigned for
that purpose, but in a space abutting
on the quarters of inferior officials.
This operation is performed by such
hardened villains as have manifested
their villainy by a Discrimination to
work and an inclination to swear.
AS a further instance of prison per-
versity the depraved and melancholy
squad We're mostly pale, and of them
Murphy was the palest, the sulkiest
and, taking him in prison perspective,
the worst. He had formerly been ad-
mired through the cell walls by his fel-
lows for his powers of bowling at abb
normal hours and knocking his furni-
ture about, but since he had made ac-
quaintance with a certain penal in
strument he had become less popular
because less entertaining. Yet his gifts
were still existent, only diverted, and
had the grandeur of his present ideal
been known to his brother rascals
many would have admired him more
than ever. This ideal was nothing less
than getting his own special guardian
officer, Parr, by the scruff of the neck
and returning to him, with any little
extras which the happy moment might
inspire, that which Parr had caused
Murphy himself to suffer.
Parr and Murphy were always at
odds. They acte< uncomfortably on
each others temper and nerves, as
men do in clubs and messes, without
exactly knowing why. In clubs and
messes, however, men can get away
from each other, but Il prisoner and
his warder cannot. Friends or foes,
wet or fine, sad or gay, c 40 and the
officer presiding over his corridor must
needs have a prolonged if formal and
fitfui companionship.
Therefore the pair of foes saw great
deal too much of each other for their
mutual comfort and Improvement. To
endeavor to COW a fellow creature,
whether you fail or succeed, is not in
the long run really pleasanter than to
endeavor not to be cowed.
Parr and Murphy, as the two largest
men in the prison, were occasionally,
to the formers disgust, playfully COM
pared in the warders' mess. The like
ness ended there. Parr was aggressive
ly clear skinned and ruddy, with the
round blue eyes of superlatively good
baby, bright red hair, beautifully
parted, and a solid, unmoved Saxon
physiognomy. A well made man in
spite of his height, and clean and neat
to a miracle, as soldier he had taken
every possible prize for marching order
competitions and the like. He was ut
terly incapable of INSTRUMENTATION, SO
called, but had nevertheless, as many
q young or careless officer has learned
to his cost a stolid, respectful method
of getting his own way in the long run.
Now, in Murphy size ran to slovenli-
ness. He possessed enormous hands,
knockknees in spite of much drill, and
splay feet. His features We're long and
heavy; his hopelessly inaccurate nose
had sidelong twist; his hair was black
stubble. In his eyes lurked the dull,
cogitative CLEAN of a vicious mules.
AS heavy dragoon he had been the
disgust and despair of his superiors for
all his regimental life, except one brief
and amazing interval This was when,
for few months, 4 certain O'Neale,
exchanging from another regiment, be-
came a lieutenant in Murphy's squad
ron. He was an Irishman, too, but of
very different pattern-a little fellow,
with wheedling blue eyes and a tongue
as soft as a woman's. For those few
signal months he twisted the large bulk
| and the small mind-more difficult of
the two-of Murphy, the incorrigible,
round his slim finger. But he took In
dian fever and died. During his brief
illness Murphy spent every spare mo-
ment, and many he had no right to
spare, prowling about where he had no
right to be, to get news of his demigod
| Till the funeral he moped aimlessly
| around. with his shoulders up to his
ears and his heavy lip hanging, and
| Immediately after had a. most tremen-
| dous burst, excelling every previous eff
| fort in that direction.
! Yet the reflective reader will gather
from this narrative that if Murphy had
been born, say, dairyman or a duke
he might actually and not undeserved-
~ have possessed an average character.
His sins Were, after all. of a conven-
! tional and local nature or else artif-
cially produced by a mistake in his
choice of a career. For instance, his
| present tribulation arose from the fact
that he had sworn vigorously at Parr.
Murphy himself had heard many of his
officers. both out of and in prison, bias
pheme. When, therefore, his ebulition
was greeted by an award of shot drill
he complained inly of injustice, though
no doubt if he had been the warder and
Parr the prisoner they might have ex-
changed views. 1t all depends on the
| point of view. But this opens the way
to dangerous and leveling theories.
Parr was just then separated from
his Murphy and feeling a want or crav-
Ing in his elementary mind in conse-
quence. Murphy, on the other hand,
experienced the relief of a calmer at
mosphere, for. though the warder SUI
perintending the shot drill was actual
~ more irritable person than Parr
he lacked that aspect of superior virtue
which so aggravated G 40. Murphy,
then. marched and countermarched, al.
dsaE.w. fnl,- 81. sK.