Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-05-26

or fraught with gre9ter anguished long
,ns than that simple little word ''liber-
,v~ when spoken by the one In prison.
!. seems to me that II is only those who
Ave lost It who know its full sweet
.sss and have found that however
many years have passed since they
wsre in the free, sweet world. they
newer lose the longing to regain II.
A life prisoner passed one day down
,he long corridor Of the cell house In
one Of our largest and gloomiest
nr,sons. He had been there many
wears. and his good conduct had won
him some privileges. He ens what
"a, known as a "runncr's for one Of
The officers. hence he went and came
Ifree,y through the prison yard and
huildngs. The corridor was long and
gloomy. but one door gave on the
urison yard. and through II passed an
|other prisoner bearing something
earefuIly in his hands. As he drew
nearer. the life-man saw that It was
crudely made cage holding a poor,
Ifrishtened fiuttering little wild bird.
As the llfe-man reached the bird
catcher he stopped him and stretched
out his hand. Please give me that
bird he cried. NO." said the other.
.rhat | won't. / want II myself"
Again he asked. "Oh, do give It to me.
want 1t so much." once more to be
harshly denied. Then planting him.
velf firmly in the path Of the one who
would have pushed past him with his
prize. he began to plead for the pos.
ression Of the little fiuttering prisoner.
Realizing that the old life-man vas
really very anxious to possess tNe
bird. the other prisoner decided that
The time had come to strike bargain.
|'well," he said at last. I'll tell you
what I'll do. II for three months you
xill give me all your tobacco and all
5our oil. I'll give you this bird" To
realize what this price meant, you
must know that at that date in that
prison, there was neither gas nor
tlectric light in the cells. Each man
bad his allowance OF oil for his lamp.
He worked for the state from the
hour OF rising until p. m. and after
that his time was his own. II he had
light, be could read. study. write. play
musical instrument. do anything per
nitted by the rules to pass those
hours OF solitude. II he had no oil. II
rculd mean sitting alone in a dark.
Ereary cell absolutely unoccupied
fhsn the one luxury provided by the
fzie vas the tobacco allowed to each
nan. IN which suppose they ind q
peat solaee in their loneliness. The
proposed bargain had hardly been
Benffoned before II had been accept
y. and stretching out his hand. the
fenan said. You shall have the to-
pseco and the oil. now let me have
he bird" Handing over the little
sse. the other prisoner passed on his
say. puzzled perhaps at the great
'slue the other placed upon that lit
fie futtering bunch of feathers that
Fss still dsshing itself from side to
ide against the imprisoning bars.
The hfer took his way down the cor.
fidOr to the door that opened into the
fcsrt yard. Stepping out under the
plne sky. he swiftly opened the cage,
md In moment the poor little pris-
pner had found its freedom. stretched
70 battered wings. and scared away,
o vanish. speck In the blue above.
For three months the life-man sat
y darkened cell for the lack OF oil.
nd went without the solace Of his
p'pe. and he did not think the sacrifice
great because he who had lost his
noer'y could not bear to think Of any
ocr little life shut in to cruel cap
avify II It were in his power to give
! freedom. He did not talk of his
o | do not think the prison ON
sis Knew OF II. and he did not think
worthy OF notice. II was to him an
impulse Of the heart that he could
ot resist He connded to q COM
sae through whom the story came
my ears. that when the next
pfinstime came round. . little song.
.'a hshted on the stone coping Of the
naos opposite his cell, and sang a
est Joyous song Of liberty. and he
lniy believed that IT was his little
soner come back to thank him.
people on the outside believe that
.e passing of years makes men so
eastomed TO prison that they be.
ne Indifferent to freedom and all
means In life. II shows
eiy that they are not person.
acquainted with the prison
o but have formed their opfn.
from hearsay. have come
20 contact with thousands Of
many Of them serving life
sences, and I have never met one
'se'sed to imprisonment. On
m eontrsry have found that they
'oos with longing to the coming
eedom some day. even though It
=, oe In the far. far future. They
- OF Il. long for II. dream Of II, as
one thing worth living for.
. received rather pathetic letter
say from an old man whom !
Hnown for several years in one
he state prisons In New York. The
= a asked for my help In this way.
~. acknowledged that could not pc
,a IN .ne governor. or take up his
g. ,rom the legal aspect, but he
L'ttie Mother. l only want you
Nr1te the eovarco- a.. AZ