The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-01-04

Saltwater, Mimi. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1888.
will try to give you the picture of my
Young friend. First will present him to

1 will try to give you the picture of my
young friend. First, will present him tC
you as Forsyth. yOung-Only twenty
healthy, with great wealth, and good look
ing; but his mouth, although we'll formed,
showed weakness of character. In fact,
he was young man easily tempted and led
astray. l am sorry cannot present him tC
you as great hero. [ know it would be
more interesting for you to read if he were
one, but remember, dear reader. if this was
the case would not have this dark chapter
to write. All, if could have fOreSeen the
great tragedy | was to witness at that house
[ would have taken the first train to New
York; but not being able to read the future
l stayed, day after day, and / enjoyed the
sweet country life. 1t seemed to me like
Paradise. One afternoon, while passing
through the entrance hall, [ heard my
kind hostess weeping. l asked her if she
had had bad news. and if l could do any.
thing for her.
She rose from her sitting posture, and
with her right hand extended towards the
lawn where her son was repOSing in ham
mock said: Look out of that window
and you will see the cause of my weeping
and SOrrOW." t'
But" said; surely, madam. you can
not mean your sOn-he so young, pure and
innocent of wrong doing. | should think
you would be proud and happy to be the
mother of such a son."
TO you, dear reader. these words Of airs.
Forsyth may seem strange. So they were
to me, but will try to explain their mean.
ing as it was impaired to me. During the
forenoon she received invitations for hel
son and myself to be present next evening
at Squire IS hall, where there was tc
be a reception given in honor of my young
friend and the Squire's only daughter. who
were betrOthed and were to be mar
rid in June of the following year. l will
present to you the young bride as Miss Mel.
lie -. but you will ask what this has
to do with the beginning of our young
friends sorrow? His mother knew that al
tie reception her son would be asked tC
drink, and she also knew that he would
not refuse. AS she predicted for her son,
it all happend.
At - o'clock, when the bell rang fol
lunch. we all marched to the great dining
room and of course young Forsyth had fOl
his partner his betrothed. When the first
toast was called it was to our two yeung
friends. Frank and Nellie, and she poured
out two glasses of wine and presented one
to our friend and asked him to drink. He
at first refused. and she, who spoke to him
like an angel few moments before, turned
on him like young tigress.
''What, sir!.' said she, you, that have
sworn Oh your knees that you loved me and
would willingly die for me. will not drink
this little glass of wine for my sake. and to
my health? Sir, if you do not drink this l
sever every connection between us from
this night, and hereafter we are strangers"
And what do you suppose he did? Drank
it, of course, as you or / would have done
had we been i'll his place. SO. glass after
glass he drank, and the result was that II 1t
being in the habit of drinking he was car
ried to bed intoxicated. What did Nellie
say or do? you will ask. Nothing, but
laugh and say to some of her young ladv
friends, ''how droll Frank acted tonight. -
But if she could have forseen what the con-
sequences would be she would have re-
manned on her knees all night and prayed
for him.
Next morning, when our young friend
awoke from his debauch. it was with great
shame and dOwncast eyes that he met his
mother. He fell down on his knees at her
feet. and swOre he would never drink an
other glass. But his mother knew that it
was the beginning. not the end. All the
remainder OF that day he slept, but next
morning he went the Dostoffice and of
course met with several young gentlemen
that he had seen at the reception at Squire
--'s, and the frs: thing one of them did
was to call on all to 60 into a saloon and
have drink. Our friend refused at first,
but when some one said he was baby and
milksOp, he marched straight to the bar
and ordered glass of wine. Glass after