Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-09-15
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
A SMALL penitential party was
n doing shot drill within the foui
~ frowning walls of military
prison-nOt. owing to certain re-
pairs. on tic spot usun lily assigned fol-
hat purpose. but in space abutting
Oh the quarters of inferior officials.
This operation is performed by such
hardened villains US have manifested
their villainy by Discrimination to
work and an inclination to swear.
As n further instance Of prison per-
versity the depraved and melancholy
squad were mostly pale. and of them
Murphy was the palest. the sulkiest
and. taking him in prison perspective.
the worst. He had formerly been nd.
mlred through the cell walls by his fel-
lows for his powers of bowling ut ab-
normal hours and knocking his furni.
,ure about but since he had made nc
Guaintance with certain penal in
strumcnt he had become less popular
because less entertaining. Yet his gifts
were still existent. only diverted. ana
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 acted 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 prisoner and
his warder cannot. Friends or foes.
wet or fine. sad or gay. G 45 and the
officer presiding over his corridor must
needs have Il prolonged IL formal and
titful cOmpanionslip.
Therefore the pair OF foes saw a great
deal too much Of each other for their
mutual comfort and improvement. TO
cndeavor to COW fellow creature.
whether you fail or succeed. is not In
the long run really pleaSanter than to
endravor not TO be cowrd.
rarr and Murphy. as the two largest
men in the prison. were occasionally,
10 the formers disgust. playfully COM
pared in The warderS' mess. The like
ness ended there. Parr was aggressive
~ clear skinned and ruddy. with the
round blue eyes of Il superlatively good
baby. bright red hair. beautifully
parted. and solid. unmOved Saxon
y we'll made uan in
spite OF lis height. and clean and neat
to II miracle. as II soldier liz had taken
every possible prize for marching order
competitions und the like He wns ut
terry incapable of insubordina ton. so
called. but had nevertheless. as many
II young or careless officer has learned
to his cost. Il stolid. respectful method
of getting his own way in the long run.
Now. in Murphy size ran to slovrnli-
ness. lie possessed enormous hands.
knockknecS i'm spite of much drill. and
Splay feet. His features were long and
heavy: his hoprlc;siy inaccurate nose
lad Il sidpion- twist: his hair was black
Stubhc. Iii his eyes lurkrd the dull.
couitativr gl"am of IL vicious mules.
AS Il heavy dra2oon he had been the
disgust and despair OF his superiors for
all his ra..imcntal life. except one brief
and amazing interval. This WAS when.
for IL few months. II certain O'Neale.
pychangin. from another regiment. be-
came Il lieutenant in Murrhy's squad
very different rattrrn--a little fellow.
with wh.rd!ing blue eyes and Il tongue
as soft uS Il wonan'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 lie took In
dian fever and died. During his brief
illness Murphy spent every spare mo-
mpnt. and many he had no right to
spare. prowling about where he had no
right to he. to get news of his demigod.
Til the funeral he moped aimlessly
around. with his shoulders up to his
ears and his heavy lip hanging. and
immediately after had most tremen-
dous hurst. eXcelling every previous ef-
fort In that direction.
Yet the reflective reader will gather
from this narrative that II Murphy had
been born. say. Il dairyman or u duke
lr might actually and not nndeserved-
ly have possessed an average character.
His sins were. after all. of conven-
tonal and local nature or else artifi-
cially produced by II mistake In his
choice Of career. For instance. his
present tribulation arose from the fact
that he had sworn vigorously ut Parr.
Murphy himself had heard many Of his
officers. both out Of and In prison. bias
pheme. When. therefore. his ebullition
was greeted by an award Of shot drill
he complained inly of injustice. though
no doubt II he had been the warder and
l'arr 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 want or crav-
Ing In his elementary mind in conse-
quence. Murphy. on the other hand.
experienced the relief Of calmer at
mOsphere. for. though the warder su-
perintendng the shot drill was actual
ly II more irritable person than Parr.
he lacked that aspect Of superior virtue
which so aggravated c A.. Murphy.
then. marched and countermarclicd. nj
tcrnatcly shottcd and shotless. inscrib-
ing. fear. multiplied vocabulary OF
oaths OIL the tablet within. Human
punishment unless meted out exactly
OH the divine pattern is apt to drive in
rather than drive oIt evil.
The sky. which had been gloomy. had
Just vouc;lsafed pale smile Of sun
Hood Farm Liniment