According to Soapy, going to jail is a more dignified way to get free room and board for the winter. So, Soapy's real goal isn't jail so much as a way to get food and shelter in the least humiliating way with the least sacrifice of his privacy.

Soapy is a man who neither has a job nor has a home. He is restless because he need to go to prison for three months to get survived in the winter season.

Explanation:

It is a short story written by O.Henry. This story narrates about a man named ‘Soapy’, who is homeless and jobless as well. To survive the winter season, he wished to go to prison for three months.

He made several attempts in getting cop's attention by doing some notorious activities.

But, those attempts got failed. Later, on hearing a church’s anthem, he got new energy to face this world. Unfortunately, a cop arrested him and put him in prison.