The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-04-11

Nnn.W ,AprH1l

dOubtedly to be condemned. and should re-
ceive severe punishment. | care not how
ignorant man may be. or what his early
training was, in childhood he could
properly be pardoned for evil actions on
account of an undeveloped sense of right
and wrong, or lack of proper parental
training to restrain from corrupt cOmpan
ions and vile ltrature: but when that boy
reaches manhoOd'S years. even though he
may not even be able to read or write. yet
he possesses the gift God gives to every one
the power to distinguish evil from good.
What excuse can he justly bring forward if
he persistently leads criminal life?
This may seem like harsh doctrine. never
theless 1t is the plain truth. The best of
people do not like to be brought face to face
with bare FACTS if it SO happens that in
doing SO you force them to abandon their
superficial line of defence. and lift the mask
of Discrimination. A wise sage once said
that in searching after truth he found it,
but found it the most disagreeable virtue to
his whole being. This is simply the reason
why we perSiStently strive to hide the truth
by vain aSSimulatiOnS of word and action.
The first step man takes toward refOrma-
ton is that of looking at himself in his true
light: this enables him to feel as Webster
defines it "a gnawng pain Of conscience" "
not ''cowardly" pain. A mans con-
science never smites him for good and
pure act. A knowledge of guilt is not in it.
self sufficient to cause reformation. but re-
morse must accompany such knowledge
To say that man never experiences re-
Iriasse while undergoing punishment. is
tantamOunt to saying that he never reforms
while so situated. and | do not believe that
PhGniX after mature deliberatiOn, will adj
here to such belief. RehOrse must invari-
ably precede genuine reformation. If mot
why need man reform his present ways?
| disagree with Phoenix to such an extent
on this point that for my part | would place
very little confidence in the man who pro-
fesses to reform without feeling deep re-
morse. Love for some one near and dear to
us or deep appreciation of the noble eff
forts of pure women to show us we do pos
seSS the elements of true manhood are the
strongest instruments with which that deep
hidden feeling can be aroused. Sometimes
it is the merest trihe that awakens it. Do
you not believe that every man who looked
upon the supurb cross of flowers, sent to
MS on Easter day by the W. G. T. U. of St.
Paul. knew the motive that prompted those
noble women to send it and that it caused
him to feel in his heart sense of gratitude
that prompted an involuntary God bless
them?" | saw one lady who on leaving the
chapel passed close to me and the tears
were running down her cheeks: moment
afterwards happened to glance at the man
next to me and | saw tears in his eyes. l
saw several men who during Bishop Gil
bert's eloquent sermon were visibly affected
What caused these tears, Phoenix? How
would you define the feeling experienced i'll
those hearts to such an extent that tears
forced their way to their eyes? You may
call it by what name you please. call it
remorse, and even though it be but transi-
tory. it proves the fact that the germ
lies hidden in the most depraved heart. al
though it may require divine wisdom to
fathOm out the source that will kindle it in
to an effectual flame, that will drown the
feeling of dispondency and cause us to feel
that we are willing to abandon criminal
life and inspire us with the thought
THAT still our place is kept, and it will wait,
Ready for us to fill it soon or late.
No star is lost we once have seen;
We always may be- what we might have been.' )"
INGOMAR.