The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-03-05

there will be no break IN the con-
tinuity of the story.-Ed.)
PHILOSOPHY.
'sI know not whether laws be
right,
Or whether laws be wrong.
All that know who lie in Jail
Is that the wall is strong;
And that each day is like a year,
A year whose days are long -
This in declamatory voice at about
five-thirty in the morning, from Ru-
dolph 5 cell awakened Jack and Col
Inns from their slumbers. 1t also awak-
ened the temper of the latter. Collins
was not fond of esthetics when at his
ease; and when irritated he shared
none of the sentiments so dear to tie
average radical Unless he happened
to he exactly in the right mod,
he had an absolute aversion for what
lie termed the aberrations of an cf
frte culture. He often said that poetry
and novels were written by men who
Lad nothing better to do to be read by
people who could do nothing better.
Say. what in hell do you mean BY
spouting yorr whoresome poetry at this
time of the night! Do you begrudge
a fellow what little sleep he can get
in this internal hole9 0, if / con!d
get at yuh. I'D slou you in the
mush," thundered the big man from
! off his bunk in the opposite cell.
"Oh, well,1 retorted Rudolph" you
don t need to be so peevish about it
It's nearly broad daylight. It's time
to get up! Then after a pause.
eff you were in this cell all along
you too might want to give vent tc
some sort of expression" "
"Why don t you do like the rats
gnaw the bars. 1t will keep your jaw:
busy and not disturb u.s." This said
the big man turned over and drew the
ragged quilt about his shoulder and
once more attempted to sleep. This prov
ed to be impossible. Rudolph's elo
auence had banished the fingers Of
Morpheus from his eyes. Jack too
was wide awake, and in cOntradistine
ton to his cell mate, not peeved. In
fact he was rather interested in the
subject matter of the poem. The days
for him had been rather short; hi:
companions keeping his mind busy
with recital of the wonderful phe
nomena in the social world.
He asked Rudolph from what poem
this stanza was quoted and receiveS
The information that it was part D
the ballad of Reading Gaol" BY
Oscar Wilde, who was as Rudolph aver
ed, one of the lords of language o.
| the last century.
! "Oscar is one of Rulie's heroes,
sncered Collins WHO was still in ba;
spirits. "One of your tempermenta
artistic gents !"
i "Yes, that's right. Oscar Wilde i
one of nay literature heroes, but 10
Ill that I do not appreciate your in
rendo that ] would want him for
cell mate,'' protested Rudolph.
l "Who was this Oscar Wilde!'
!. asked Jack.
!, "a degenerate, snapped Collins
Gan artist,'' explained Rudolph
| "Well in ninty cases out of
hundred it amounts to the sam
thing" Collins growled.
]. "What you really mean is tha
: Mr.. Wilde awakens strong conviction
either for or against himself. III
must have been an interesting person
atty Tell me more about him." re
marked the boy.
"He was great writer of poctr,
and drama" Rudolph explained. ~
man with splendid sense Of tn
beautiful, in nature, in language an,
in man, but his weakness got hin
into trouble. ! might describe hin
best if I said that he wrote splendi'
books but lived rotten life." Thel
after moments reflection, ono tn
last part would be too strong. His lif
was not 80 bad, he SIMPLY had NJ
abominable weakness"
"I might say Of you Rudolph
"Jack ohserved,' what Huxley sai'
Of Gladstone, that you retreat under
, could Of words, From what you say
cannot make out whether Mr. Wilde :
weakness was worms or wigglcs'
Collins explained to Jack in th
commonest Of common language jus
in what Wilde's weakness consisted
After which the ooy wanted to know
more about the man and his books.
Rudolph explained to him that th
man was dead. That he died as I
result Of q prison sentence impose,
upon him for his weakness but tha
his books could be found in every II
brary public and private thruout tn,
English speaking world; that they hat
H.. a-..f-a.I -. -,-- ~ .t..t,.-..