#36 The Cop and the Anthem- O.Henry
Soapy, a homeless man in New York prepares for the onset of
winter. While others set upon the warm islands of the Mediterranean, Soapy
merely wishes for the warmth and sustenance of Blackwell’s Island, his longtime
winter prison retreat.
He fails in a series of petty crime,s to be picked up and
thrown in jail. Upon hearing an anthem
of the Sabbath, he promises to become a better person and a productive member of
society. I’m choosing to ignore the use
of obvious false homeless stereotypes, only because O.Henry presents him not as
a symbol for all homeless but as one man who acknowledges choosing this
lifestyle. However, it’s hard with
modern ears to completely ignore these things.
That said, the quote below is as salient now as 100 years ago. It’s a
sad reality that prison is often a preferred choice to homeless shelters.
Word of the day- Epicurean:
Epicurus was a Greek philosopher that believed in material over
superstition. To live modestly and gain
knowledge of the practice ways of the world, to know your limits and live
within your means is to be Epicurean.
Notable Passage: “The law was more benign than
philanthropy…If not in coin you must pay in humiliation of spirit for every for
every benefit received at the hands of philanthropy. Ass Caesar had his Brutus,
every bed of charity must have its toll of a bath, every loaf of bread its
compensation of a private and personal inquisition. Wherefore it is better to
be a guest of the law, which though conducted by rules, does not meddle unduly
with a gentlemen’s private affairs.”
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