The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-10-17
The Road to Ruin.


Could it be possible for mortal to gain
a glimpse, ever so faint, into futurity. what
an immense difference it would make in
the lives of men! But as Providence has
cast veil over all time, from moments to
centuries, we can only live our lives as we
mold them ourselves from moments to
hours, days and years, each known to us
only as it gradually unfolds itself to our
view from the darkness that enshrouds it.
The young man in the high tide of youth
full vigor, flushed with that healthful elas-
ticity only obtained by regularity, industry
and the pure air the home circle can give.
pants for the conflict with the fanciful
world. the rumble of which he hears,
just as the good soldier pants to participate
in the battle. the cannon and small arms of
which he hears the boom and rattle in the
distance. Armed with his fathers advice
and mothers fearful blessing he sets his
face towards the distant city. firm in the
resolution to bear himself as becomes an
honest son.
At this period of his life, all manner of
dishonesty. and ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain." are as foreign to his
nature and thoughts as the desire is to take
the life of tellOw-being. He is swallowed
up in the city's crowd, and his Individual
ity is as completely lost as little boat on
the painless ocean. He forms new acquaint-
ances. and is introduced to an entirely new
mode of life. His associates are genial,
full of animal life and spirits, and although
his daily routine is totally at variance with
his former habits and is diStaSteful to him
at first, he accepts things in passive way.
He looks with species of mild horror on
the barrOOm and its contents; his senses
,sicken at the stencil of sour beer and filth
around the card tables and the pungent
fumes of liquor that all the polish of the
counter and the glitterng array of decanters
and cut glass cannot disguise, and the RI
bald jest of its habitueS causes feeling of
disgust difficult to describe. Now surely
this is the time in his career when good
angels look on and tremble in doubt and
fear He will follow one of two roads
resolve to avoid such places altogether.
or he will continue to visit them OCCASION
ally for awhile. and finally as a custom. If
the second course is pursued, his path
henceforth is easily traced. His first glass
possibly cider-is followed by wine, or
beer. Then comes the dice for the drinks
or cigars for amusement you are to
underStand-then comes the cards. He
must learn to play billiards; and his ''kind
friends" only too willingly teach him the
art, but not the tricks; he only learns of
them after his resources are exhausted. He
soon learns to play for money. and falls an
easy prey to his associates. He goes on
from bad to worse until he finds himself in
bad OdOr with his employers. and is dis
charged; characterless, moneyless and
friendless. And now in the bitterness of
his soul his thoughts turn towards home
and the dear ones there, but he has not the
moral courage to return there a pennilesS
prodigal. But how much better would his
future have been to himself and all con-
cerned in his welfare had he done so, but
he draws around him that mantle of false
pride and is lost! For time he struggles
on but the future is made dark and dreary
by a ShOrt-lived course of vice, and dis
cOuragement if not despair takes hold of
him. In this condition he sees an opening
for his first crime, and falls victim to the
devils snare. He resorts in barrOOms with
thieves drunkards and various other kinds
of criminals: they take him in hand. and
lead him through the dark lore of vice and
sin as if he were in training school. and
in fact he is. TO escape from justice he
sneaks to some railroad station and steals
ride to some other place to continue on his
career of crime until retribution overtakes
him and lands him in confinement of more
or less duration. All his after-life however
long is embittered by a consciousness of lost
opportunities; stain on fair name be-
cause ''you may crush to pieces the vase if
you will. yet the scent of the rose will
hang round it stll.'' The mercy of God
purities the penitent soul from all short
cOmings. but pitiful man will point
the finger of pity or scOrn. and yet there
are very few who are able to cast the first
stone. j..
Ignorance of the law excuses no one
pXcant q nnlinnman with d .'s.nulH -PIlcl1