Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1910-06-02
By Maud BalIington Booth
The Longing for Liberty
The "LittIe Mother" Of the Prisons

er, / have already served 4S years
within the walls" Think Of that life
time OF imprisonment, and yet always
his eyes straining and longing for the
dawn Of that future day which would
mean to him-freedom. His heart be-
meath its dull load Of sorrow and care
crying for a chance to go forth In.
to the world Of living men. At last
the chance came. The state OF New
York paroled him to my care. and !
shall never forget the day he came
home. The warden personally
brought him to my office, and he was
so overcome with Joy and excitement
that he could hardly speak, but just
held my hand and wept like little
lost child might have done who had
been found and brought home. asked
him II he had had any breakfast. He
put his hand to his throat, and sha-
king his head he whispered: mo!
No! It would have choked me-" Had
he slept last night? No, again. for
two nights his joyous anticipation had
kept him wide awake. He could only
murmur: II am SO glad, so happy,
Little Mother" and wondered a
rainbow did not shine In those
tears, for the smile behind them was
as bright as sunshine.
When the new law passed giving to
our parole board in New York the
power to liberate all who had been
imprisoned for life for murder in the
second degree after they had served
term Of 20 years, received in one
month five such men. What Joyous
little party they made in our Hope
hall. What a contrast was its free
dom and comfort, its country life and
homelikeness to those dreary little
prison cells that had SO long bound
ed their lives within dark and narrow
limits.
l had been called to the prison hos
pital in Auburn after my chapel serv-
ice one day to see dying man who
wanted to talk to me. Entering with
the warden and the doctor. / found
him lying back upon his pillows,
CHASTITY in pallor and cancellation.
poor victim Of the last stages Of tu-
berculosis. The moment he saw me
animation came into his corpse-like
face, and he raised his arms in pa
thetic appeal for help. "oh. Little
Mother" he said, for Gods sake don't
let me die in prison. know can't
last long, and l want to die outside
the walls. They say the governor
will let me go home II you will help
me, and do so want to die outside, to
feel l die a free man." The anguish
in his broken voice, the dumb pleading
in his eyes, the grasp Of his poor, ema.
ciated hands, were more tragic than
any words can express. turned TO
the warden and doctor and asked
their opinion? Could he stand the
journey? Would the governor act?
They said yes" to both questions. and
there was a sister in New York to
welcome him, but she had no money
for his journey, and no way to convey
him from the train to her home. He
watched my face eagerly as we con-
suited apart. The perspiration broke
out upon his brow under his agony Of
mind. Then as | told him that II the
governor would consent, would do
my part, his eyes filed with tears. and
he sank back overcome with emotion.
Swiftly the messages few to and from
Albany, bringing the governors par
don, and all plans were made. He
was carefully carried to the train,
watched over to New York, and COM
Portable carriage met and conveyed
him to his home, so that two days
after / had seen him he had reached
his desired haven and rested content
eddy. Death could come now. he
did not fear it, for death could not
rob him of liberty; 1t would but bring
to him added freedom. When he
peacefully fell asleep for the last time
a week later, there was on his face
not a tortured look of anguish, but a
smile of content, and his sisters hand
was clasped in his as he passed out
into another and brighter world.
Copyright. 1910. by Joseph B. Bowles)