The Washington times., 1911-01-19
To Him I hat Hath Rz 3!;5 5ER97 r. ~. SCOT &C.;
Copyright. The Frank A. Munsey Coz

! lies down in his tracks to die-the whip
can only make 1t quiver, cannot make
it rise. He CHANGED to turn his heau,
and saw himself in the mirror that
backed the -window-a thin' stoop-
ing figure, with a white line OF mouth
and gray, haggard face. He was SO
numb, so spiritually spent, that TINS
specter of himself stirred not single
emotion within him.
That evening he swept a saloon anu
ate of the cheese and corned-beet sand,
wiches at the free-lunch counter III
the bartender ordered him out. lneH
he wandered aimlesSly through tPc
night, warm for December, with no dS-
sire to return to the dingy four walls
of his unheated room. He remembered
in vague way that this was the nlglt
Kate Morgan had set for the ROBBERY >
and perhaps his staying from nome was
due to the untelt guidance OF ms GoiiSItr ~
ence. He had no definite thoughts OF
sensations; only vast stunning sens0
of absolute defeat.
A little after II o'clock he found him
self wandering along the East river,
and presently he turned upon docK
and walked toward the water between
the rows of trucks, facing each otneI,
their shafts raised supplicatlngly 10 lhs
stars. He seated himself at the ehd OF
the dock and his chin in his two hands,
looked out upon the river. save LOT tIle
reflections, like luminous, WrlgS SILs
arms, which the few lights to Brooklyn
reached toward him on the wafer SUI
face, and save for the turouleht prli prli-
lance under the Williamsburg prluse
great bow of arc-lights, the water,
which the tide was dragging wildly out
10 sea, was as black as blindness.
He gazed forth into the darkness
forth upon the swirling waterbury
without thought, in the fiat sIuPo[ Ul
unrising defeat. Presently a bell began
to send down the hour from nelghpoT55 !
ing steeple. Mechanically he counted
the strokes Twelve! The number hau
no meaning to him at first, but alter
moment its significance ruShea upon PGn
New Year! And how was he beglhlhn :
it? Penniless-friendless- WORK
with little strength-with no courage
without hope. a happy New Year. lh-
deed
Suddenly all the bitterness that had
been accommodating and smOldering Win
in him through four months burst oul
Mechanically. His passion was not ATONE E
in his own behalf; it was in behall OF
the thousands OF others who had mace
similar struggle. and to whom the
world had similarly denied the privilege
of honesty. Starved and hopeless ;
Why? Because there was no work
Because the world had decided that the
moral development of such as ne re-
quired further punishment? No; BE
cause the rich, powerful world was
afraid,-afraid for it's dollars! Because
if he were taken in, given chance TO
live honestly, he might steal Dolt OF
CLOTH or a coat, or d vase, or saw!
There was the reason-the only reason.
A bolt Of cloth against human life
begging to live, coat against hu-
man soul, agoniZing to be honest!
Cloths and coats mean dOllars-mean
carriages, and diamonds, and wines.
Cloths and coats must be guarded
But the human life? The human
soul?
In his wild rage David rose, turned
his back upon the dark river, and shook
his fist at the great Indifferent city.