The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-12-26
Saltwater, Minn, Thursday Dec. 20, 1889
Keep Your Good Resolutions.


At this season of the year it is customary
for the generality Of men to shake up their
morals and invigorate them with an infusion
OF good resolutions. But as we are usually
more successful in breaking these resOu-
tiOns than in keeping them, the whole mat
ter has long since been "laughed out of
court by newspaper paragraphers.
There is certainly no more fitting time in
the year in which to make good resolutions
than Christmas tide. At no other time DO
we feel so kindly to our fellow-men; no
season of the year recalls such pleasant
memories of happy days that have at some
period of our life made existence a para
disc. When we think of the many Joyful
anniversaries of this day we spent in the
cOmpanionshIp of near and dear friends,
we naturally yearn for similar pleasures in
the future. 70 gain this end it will follow
that we must lead life somewhat in keep
ing with our conduct in those happy days.
10 enjoy true happiness we must live true
lives. 1t is not necessary to be "goOdy-
goodies" nor is it required that we shall
wear sackclOth and ashes in order to live
respectable life. 1t is in defining what we
consider proper life that we all make the
grand mistake that leads us into careless
habits. Some believe it is SO hard to lead
a truly upright life that even heaven is but
a poor reward for the worldly misery and
self denial caused by such an existence
But the truth is. and the greater part of us
know it from experience, that it is easier to
live an upright life than a crooked one, and
is far more enjoyable to do so.
To many here this will be the first Christ
of series they were compelled to stay here
Of the first we might ask, How do you
like t?' did we not know what the answer
would be. 1t is safe to say that they will
resolve never to get into prison again, and
the same resolution will be made by those
who are passing their last Christmas here.
But will they keep this resolution? Will
they do any more than resolve? Some will
and others will not. Both parties have
concluded that a crooked life is a very un-
profitable one at best and decide to try the
marrow path. Those who leave here with
the idea that they are very ''slck crooks
are the ones most likely to come back again.
They will find it easier for the nOnce to
return to their old method of living and
will reason that from their past experience
they will be able to avoid being detected
again. But for one who will succeed in
not being detected and punished, nine will
repeat the ordeal they have once passed
through. The only safe way is to 90 to
work at something that will give fair re-
turn for our labor. 1t is not necessary to
saw wood or shovel coal. if such is out of
our line. In fact it would be senseless for
a man who is not expert with the saw
and the shovel to attempt to make living
by them. Like being fool. it takes
smart man nowadays to make money
shOvelng coal or bucking wood. But
there is always an opening of some kind for
a man with any get-up about him. If we
resolve to earn an honest living we will al
ways find the means of doing so, and this
is particularly true in the case of unmarried
men, for they can move about until they
find suitable location. Let us all resolve
to avoid those things that in the past have
led to our incarceration here. and. further
more, let us resolve to keep what good res
OlutiOnS we do make instead of breaking
them before the new year is a month old.
RnNnI