The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-10-02
FREEDOM RECLAIMED.
written for The Union News.)

A little way back from the street,
where the trolley cars whirr and hum !;
where the labored chug chug and
pound of ponderous wheels on steel
keep up an incessant clatter day and
night, dragging commerce to distant
States where the busy mart of trade
keeps up its ceaseless toll and grind,
stands massive pile of granite, with
numerous barred windows and steep
tiled roof. There's nothing of archi-
tectural beauty about its exterior.
The sole aim of the architect seem to
have been solidity and security. If
nothing else, the very guard who
keeps up a ceaseless vigil upon its
outer walls is sufficient to denote the
character of the institution. The
busy tide of humanity which hurries
along glances furtively at the latticed
windows and grim walls, and perhaps
there may be some in the hurrying
throng who breathe silent prayer
for misguided youth within its walls /;
little children play upon the pavement
in their shadow and give no heed to
the suffering and heartaches of the
inmates, as their childish laughter
rises and penetrates the open windows.
A long shaft of golden light
streamed through the upper sash Of
one of the big grated windows, struck
a dazzling radiance of brilliant, check
cred sunshine across the tessalated
floor; it crept silently over to
stained spot in the stone tagging made
by the shuff1ing of countless feet,
marking off the hour of noon. To
the casual visitor the golden bar of
light meant nothing, but to the Man
who sat within the confines of his 6
by 6 foot room, it meant much. The
Man had whiled many hours away in
watching the sunlight steal to this
spot, and had turned away with each
recurring visit with feeling of relief,
as it marked one day less in the
monotonous round of life which sepa-
rated him from friends and society.
For 20 years these four walls had
sheltered him; he knew every crack
and seam in their roughened surface,
and through the tiny square of light,
facing the east, he had caught
glimpse Of sky, sometimes gray as his
thoughts, and at tothers refulgent with
color, as the rosy dawn chased the
gray shadows away and replaced
them with royal banners of gold and
amethyst. Then, too, when the
world was hushed in silence, the gold
en- crescent and silver stars, floating
in a sea of blue, fitted across the
limited space of his vision as he caught
their shimmering light from his pal
let. An occasional flock of pigeons,
wheeling high in air, broke the
monotony of cloud and sunshine.
But there was to be an ending of
these daily visions and daydreams.
One day the big, grated door swung
open to admit little woman in black,
who greeted the Man in the superin-
tendent's office. Not a word was
uttered by the black garbed figure
as she took the Mans two hands in
to her own, but the touch which was
exchanged the world knew nothing
of. For years she had waited for this
moment, and at last she was to see
her fond hopes realized. Down the
long flight of granite steps to freedom
slipped the Man with the little black
clad figure beside him. There was
so much to interest that he was
speechless. As the big bell in the
tiny cupola in the tower changed out
the hour of 2, the Man paused at the
corner of the street, and with back
ward glance at the pile of granite
which had been his home for 20 years,
brushed tear from his cheek, and
then, with the light of hope in his
eye and with squared shoulders,
trudged silently on.