The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-02-29

thanked me, and had arisen, and turned to go
away. At the door she stopped. and pres
emily came back.
40. kind SIR she said, with tears start
ing afresh, the time for help is to come.
When my boy, at the age four -and-twenty,
comes forth from prison cell. who will
take his hand? Who will trust him?' /
answered her upon the strong. deep impulse
of the moment: Let him assure me that
he will manfully TRY to do right, and
will She caught my hand to her lips, and
without another wOrd-she could not speak
left me-"
1T was then towards the middle of No
vember. During the bleak. bitter evening
that followed my interview with Emma
Wilmot. thought of her much. 1 lay
awake thinking; and on the next day l
thought again; nor could l rest until | had
resolved to do something to help her if
could. The thought-the unceasng thought
of her darling boy in glOomsOme prison,
was surely wearing her life away.
ION the following Saturday went over
to CharlestOwn and visited the prison. and
was permitted private interview with
Henry WilmOt in his CELL 1 was agreeably
surprised. He was even finer looking
young man than his fond mothers praise
had led me to anticipate. He was hand
some, and his face had brave, frank.
honest look, not to be mistaken. 1t was
curious, it was strange, nevertheless it is
true-that l never before had fallen in love
with man as did with him. Ny sympa-
thy for his mother may have had some
thing to do with it; but not ali. If l had
not found the lovable part in his face, in
his speech, and in his manner, it could not
have been so.
"At length, after having spent all of half
an hour with him, 1 told him of the promise
l had made his mother; and 1 added:
Henry, if, when you come out of here /
will take you into my store, and treat you
as always treat gentlemail-if l will
take you as though your errors and your
prison life had never been-will you promise
me solemnly, as man to man. that you will
do as nearly right as you know how? L
want no written pledge. l want you to
feel the CALLING of no chain. would have
you simply bound to me by your honor.
Shall have the prOmise?'
HE stood proudly erect and grasped my
hand; he started to speak; but his voice
broke and utterly failed him; and in mo
ment more he sank down upon the edge OF
his cot and wept like child. And so l left
him. will not tire you with the various
steps which took towards the end had
hoped to accomplish.
"GeOrge Nixon Briggs was at tiiaC time
governor of the state; and he was to me a
warm personal friend. We had been inti-
mate from our youth up. L waited upon
him, and told to him the widows story.
Those of you who knew him, ii any, will
not need to be told how he heard me. He
was a born philanthrOpist. He told me
what must bring to him, in the shape Of
documentary evidence upon which for him
to properly act. So far as he was individu-
ally concerned, he would have granted my
prayer then and there; but there were GER
tain forms which his council would require,
and those l must furnish.
''Suffice it to say, l furnished them. 1
saw all whom considered it necessary to
see; and l met with but few rebuffS. Take
it all in all, 1 came out from the interview
ing ordeal with a better opinion of my fel-
low-men than I had before. l took my
papers to the governor, and he told me when
to meet him with his council. 1 went at
the time appointed; and from that meeting
came away with the pardon of Harry
Wilmot in nv pocket. That was Monday
afternoon, the twenty-SecOnd day OF De-
cember. Christmas Day would be Thurs
day. t
II went Oh that evening over to Charles
town, and saw the warden of the prison,
Mr.. Walker. 1 showed him my precious
papers, and asked him to have my man
ready for me OH the following afternoon.
He would probably hear from the governor
direct before that time And on the fol-
lowing evening, just at dusk, was at the
TContinued on Fourth Page