Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-05-26
By Maud Ballington Booth
= The "LiffLe Mofh.r0 nF IL. n
The Longing for Liberty

neid my hand and wept like n ,vua
Iost child might have done who baa
oeen found and brought home Ia.hed
MN II ne had had any breakfast us
put MS hand to his throat. and aha.
kins his head he whispered; NO,
NO! II would have choked me" uaa
ne slept last night7 No. again for
TWO nights his joyous anticipation had
kept MIN wide awake. He could onlv
murmur: Il am so glad. SO happv
Little Mother" and | wondered =
RAINBOW did not shine I'm tho.
tears Tor the smile behind them was
as bright as sunshine.
when the new law passed giving IN
our parole board in New York the
power TO iiberate all who had been
Imprisoned for life for murder in the
second degree after they had served
q term OF 20 years. received in one
month f1ve such men. What a joyous
little party they made in our Hone
nall What a contrast was its free.
dom and comfort, Its country life and
nomelikeness to those d-eary 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 sery.
Ice one day to see a dying man who
wanted to talk to me. Entering with
the warden and the doctor. I found
MIN lying back upon his pillows.
CHASTITY In pallor and emaciation. a
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 a pa.
thetic appeal for help. "oh, Little
Mother" he said, for Gods sake don't
let me die in prison. know I can't
last long. and I want to die outside
the walls. They say the governor
VIII let me go home II you will heip
me. and do SO want to die outside. to
feel die 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. I 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 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 filled 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 a 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.
edly. Death could come now. he
did not fear II. 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. Bowies)