The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-01-25


He took my suggestions in good part, but
did not promise to carry them out.
''Du hast gehabt." greeted my ear as |
came up to Is. What's the United States
for that? "YOu have had" Yes, and Pve
got it yet-several cycles. Tumble?
| No. l found making the plans for sus-
pension bridge between our palace and the
ice palace. Will see you later if he sue
ceeds.
Nos. 121 and 21S were both busy making
canes, and although talked very sweetly
neither promised to make me one. No. 90
was reading French story. Yes. I've
learned French since | came here. Pretty
dry work at first. but it amply repaSs.''
| No. 2S5 was uphostering some of the
danteSt little chairs 1 ever saw. l told
him that expected to have some children
sometime. and that nice set of doll fur
niture would come in very handy. Icouldn't
work" him worth cent.
Carefully on tip toe stealing, l softly APP
preached the sacred precincts of Pickles.
''dlaphanious" abode. All! the terrible suf-
ferings the child OF geniOus must experience.
| found him with baEdaged head resting
on one hand, in the thrOeS of a fearful men,
tai struggle. endeavOring to evolve ''puck-
en-" l said nothing, but glided away,
thankful from the bottom of my heart, that
L was not literary man.
mo 40 | found busy with his scroll saw
while several inlad boxes and tables were
scattered around. l gently dropped hint
that had promised my sister a box
but he was like the rest-adamant.
No. XIX is another devotee at the shrine
of stenography, with French thrown in as
side dish.
Well, 40, how's that patent churn?
''Not made fortune out of it yet" Well.
that's too bad. How did you happen to
think of churn in here? Why, you don't
even know the pOstoffice address of a cow.
The memories of childhood Oh, l
see.
No. AGO was making strange marks on
sheet of paper, and muttering 10 himself,
'ish-lay wah-ings." Not being able to I'M
derstand that language and thinking. per-
laps, had run across a crank" | en-
deavored too slip quietly away. whist,
whist" My first impulse was to run, and
then remembering that he could not get
out l ventured to speak to him. To my
surprise he addressed me very sensibIy in
good English, but with very strong French
accent. The said accent was easily ac-
counted for, when l read the name on the
doOr-plate. What III the world was l
doing? Why. that's shorthand" do L
find it easy? Well, it's the toughest thing
that ever tackled, except, perhaps, pri-
boarding house hash. No. there is no ele-
vatOr; you will have to walk down." And
l did so as far as 2S9. There he was work.
ing away on cane that was just my size,
and as he looked up [ saw round. good
natured face, and, thinks 1, here's my
chance. So | put OH Sunday smile,
complimented HIM upon the cut of his hair,
admired the petrified bologna hanging on
the wall, and at last delicately approached
the subject of canes He said lie was not
making many nOW-tOO cold. well"
says l, IF you are not very busy you know
that it is better to give than to receive
and in order to verify the proverb l am
willing to pocket my pride. and accept
cane or two; that is, if you will insist upon
it" lie looked at me moment with a
glance that BODIED no good to me, rose
slowly from his armchair and reached for a
broken flat iron. L waited too see no more,
but fled to safer neighborhOOd.
All! that's what call nice work. No. Ill
was artistically engraving the silver head of
an elegant cane--twO hearts transfiXed with
an arrow. thought that little odd for a
cane head. but perhaps some young lady is
getting it engraved for her ''brother' or,
may be, tits in memory of our late lamented
felines; but as it was getting late did not
stop to inquire.
stroll through Newport failed to de-
velOp anything material. The elite of the
prison, like the fashionable world at large,
pass their time in luxurious eaSe-the whirr
OF the friSky buzz saw or the sound of the
phlebeian hammer is never Heard within
this exclusive circle.
The outside world can see from the for
going imperfect sketch that there is great
deal of work done within these walls that
is not contract work. and new Corners
must pick up courage and by following
some of the examples given above. endea-
vOr to extract good from evil and lasting
benefit from seeming misfortune.
JUNIUS ,JUVENAIJS STIIIwATERJJ