In Prison And Out

How does it seem to come out of prison after many years of confinement? Nobody can answer, unless it be those who have experienced it. The West Lebanon Gazette quotes the talk of Warden Harley, of the northern penitentiary, a kind-hearted man, who saya that after a convict has been in prison for twenty years it Is often a cruelty rather than a mercy to pardon him out. "There are exceptions," Mr. Harley says, "but the rule is that such prisoners have no friends in the outside world and soon find themselves miserable and longing again for the prison. One such exception is that of a man who was in prison for murder and was recently pardoned by Governor Matthews. He had served twenty-nine years on a life sentence. I received a letter from him the other day. He is in Nebraska with his brether, and is bubbling over with gratitude. Sometimes a small favor granted to a priaoner appears a great one to the poor fellow who is cut off from the outside world. The other day I asked a 'lifer' from Tippecanoe county, which lias been in prison twenty-nine years, if he had ever seen a street car. He said no. 'I will show you one,' I said, and took him outside the prison walls. He was all of a tremble when the car carne by. Two dogs were running past at the same time. He was greatly lnterested in the dogs. 'How beautiful they are!' he exclaimed. As a matter of fact, they were the commonest of curs. 'Why,' said he, 'those are the first dogs I have seen for flfteen years! Pifteen years ago,' he said, meditatively, as if calling up an exceedingly choioe and pleasaut recollection, 'I saw a little dog one day In the prison-yard.' "