The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-05
IS Let Him That Thinketh He Stand
Take Heed Lest He Fall. >,

{" Let Him That Thfnketh He Stand
Take Heed Lest He Fall. -
Many a one here, as he sits in solitude in
his cell and reflects on the causes of his
present unfortunate position has, no doubt,
often made resolution. that on his restora-
ton to freedom he will abstain from the
habit of ndulging in strong drink; for we
must admit that very large majority of us
can trace our downfall directly or indirectly
to Incorporate habits. But alas how la
mentally few but who slip back after awhile
into the very habits they had resolved to
abandon forever.
Most of those who 60 out from here with
the honest intention of leading sober lives
way to attain their object. True. their in
tentions may be of the best, but they have
too much faith in their own strength to re-
sist the temptation to drink when it comes,
and deliberately 60 back to their old circles
of acquaintance, knowing them to be adj
dicted to drinking. There are very few
men who in their past lives have been ad
dicted to intemDerance. who have the moral
courage to resist the frequent invitations
to drink, which their old acquaintance will
thrust upon them. Then why, say, seek
the society of those who. perhaps unwilling
ly, are running you for life by their mis-
taken ideas OF sociablity and good friend
ship? Your first move. then. on your re-
lease should be to avoid them, and not
thrust yourself in their way like moths
around candle. Strike into some new
path; seek some strange town. where you
will at least not have drink offered to you
nothing cowardly in stunning danger, it is
at every corner you may turn. There is
only the fool who will jump deliberately
over precipice. Nearly every one on his
release has sufficient money due him to en-
able him to place a considerable distance
between himself and the scene of his past
fOllies. Above all he who is truly in earnest
in his desire to retrieve his character should
seek work and take the first thing that
turns up as starter, no matter how dis
tasteful it may seem to him. Show your
self willing to work and men will believe
in your sincerity to do what is right; for
idleness is sure to lead to the very society
you seek to avoid, and from that to the sa-
loon is but step.
''Facilis est descensus Averni," descent
to hell is easy) IS too true quotation to be
until you get the habit fixed upon. The
fight will necessarily be hard one at first
but there is everything to gain by it, and
to those to whom all honorable position in
society and the respect and confidence of
their fellow men is an object, the end will
justify the struggle. Above all remember
that every one of us who comes back here
to serve second term does just so much to
shake the public faith in the possible refOr-
nation of one who has ever worn the con-
vict stripes, and throws darker cloud
over those who have honestly made up their
minds to walk straight on their release.
The damage done to the cause of others in
this way is Unreasonable. The rankeSt
kind of hypOcrite, to my mind, is the man
who will protest his penitence to those who
are kind enough to take an interest in him
while here, and who, when a free man.
will throw their counsels and advice to the
winds and plunge anew into the cesspOol of
dissipation and crime. I, as we'll as all
here, am only mortal, and l may fall by
the way. but it shall not be without strong
effort in the right direction. Let us re-
member where to look for strength IN the
time OF trial, and seek it there. for we shall
assuredly receive it, and believe we will
then succeed in becoming useful members
of society. WILL L.