Authors, English -- 20th century -- Biography; Blackwood, Algernon, 1869-1951
Will you not come down again on receipt of this? Please do, for
God’s sake. No visitors are allowed on New Year’s Day, or on
Sunday. New Year’s Day! What a new year’s day for me! Let me
begin it afresh. I have a favour to ask you which I must ask you
verbally; I cannot put it on paper. It is getting dark; so once
more I ask you, I implore you, to have mercy on me for my mother’s
sake. For her sake spare
ARTHUR B.
Visiting hours 10-2. I am speaking the truth and nothing but the
truth when I say that I am sincerely sorry for all that I have done
and implore your pardon. This is not an insincere expression, but
one from my heart. Come down again, please, even to speak to me,
for you don’t know the mental agony I am suffering.
A. B.
_Tombs City Prison_,
New Year’s Day.
It was more than kind of you to come all the way down here and then
after all not be able to see me; not much loss to you, it is true,
but a bitter disappointment to me. Palmer came down and talked
_very_ kindly to me and instilled a little hope in me. But this is
a wretched New Year’s Day.
I was talking to an old convict this morning, a man who in his life
has been about sixteen years in jail, and he said that if he had
only been let off in the first instance with a few days in here, he
would have been a different man to-day, but after serving one term
he became reckless and has now become a notorious thief. As I said
to you, think of me after 20 years’ penal servitude.
Blackwood, won’t you and Palmer stay your hands once more? I will
leave the country, and if ever I should return you could always
have me arrested. I will never trouble you again. Let me make a
fresh start once more.
Should you decide not to press the charge you can go to the
District Attorney’s Office and inform them of the fact.
I once more _implore_ you and Palmer to have pity on me, and please
come and see me! May I wish you and Palmer a bright and happy New
Year, brighter and happier than the past one.
ARTHUR B.
Many thanks for the paper and envelopes. Bless you!
_The Tombs._
Very many thanks for your visit yesterday. It is the only pleasure
I have. I believe what you say is true--that I am reaping the
result of evil done in the past and that the only real way to atone
is to meet it squarely and accept my punishment without grumbling.
If Karma is true, it is just, and I shall get what I deserve, and
not an iota more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account