, 1889-09-03

AZ ~ hio hClShDO1b VII ldlh IL
into a crime, or try to. Suppose John
was imprisoned, he may be now as good
a citizen as any one. I'd rather any
one else than Skies mad disclosed this
matter; he always carries around such an
abundance of duh axes l hate to tell
John of this, but 1 suppose it must be
done"
John promptly obeyed his summons,
entering respectfully and i~nquiringly.
A shade of distrust upon the judges face
made him uneasy, but he calmly and
with manly dignity awaited the COM
munication.
"Sit down, john" the judge began
kindly; sit may be a long interview"
He complied and began n%ervously re-
volving his straw hat by shifting his
fingers along the edge Of the brim, but
he looked firmly at his employer.
"John-your surname, is it Dorker?'
A slight pallor swept over the honest
face, as he replied:
at is, sir. You have remembered me
at last"
"You expected me top
81 did, yes, sir"
mo, l didn't recognize you, john"
said the judge, with a note of disap-
pointment in his voice, but a lawyer at
the bar told me who you were"
Always some one to give a fellow a
kick, no matter how hard he's trying to
get up"
Eyes, it seems so. Now, John. he
says l sentenced you to five years to the
p~enitentiary. Is it true?"
1T is, sir" was the humble reply.
"And you served your full term of
five years.
Lacking the time of communication, 1
did,"
What have you lone since your re-
lease2''
Nothing but try, sir; shifting about
from place to place. You know the
way it is; convict--discharge. So it's
beer going, nothing but hard luck. I've
tried hard, desperate hard, to lead a
true, honest life, but it's uphill work.
There's a weight on a man like me, sir.
The opening penitentiary door is at the
very foot of a hill, and when n poor fell
low comes put and tries to walk up,
there's always some one glad to push
him back again"
"Were you guilty Of the burglary"
81 was, sir. 1t was my first crime.
1lIo tloN gam lOOhtu lOAlDIllbg ant L
fell. / needed money, but there is no
excuse, L deserved the punishment.
Those awful years, sir, gave me time for
reflection, and l determined that when 1
got out, with Gods help to pick myself
up. It's been hard, cruelty, fearfully
hard, but 1 haven't fallen again. I'm
an honest man in my heart, sir, if the
world won't acknowledge it."
but why didn't you tell me this
when you came? 1t would have been
better"
Il suppose it would, sir. But 1 was
too weak. 1 needed work SO badly, and
if you had turned me away then,
why
What, JohnT'
Never mind, if you please, sir; you
didn't turn me Off"
Every well, John, I'll not ask you.
But you said you had q special purpose
in coming to me. Can you tell me
that?'
John Dorker arose, laid his hat upon
the chair, and facing the judge said i'm
pressively:
"Do you remember, sir, what you said
when you sentenced mel"
"No, l do not"
"Well, sir, your words burnt them
selves into my hear as if they'd been
sparks. l used to fancy l saw them
written in fiery letters at night upon the
black wall of my cell. You spoke feel
ingly, sir, like you pitied me, and that's
what made them take such a hold on
me. They We're: Young man, you have
set you DOT on a dangerous path. The
way of crime never leads upward, always
down, down to the unknown depths.
The pure sunlight of heaven never smiles
upon it. 1t is crowded with wrecks of
noble lives. When you tread it you leave
mother, true friends, light, peace, heav-
en- and God behind you. You are going
to prison. In the quiet years you shall
spend there look over this life of yours,
and think if you a afford to spend the
smallest possible portion of it on this
path. Come out a pure man. You will
still be young, with much of your life
before you; many years to be useful and
good in, and to retrieve this false step.
Let me say from my heart, young man,
don't blight your life"
He dashed the tears from his eyes and
proceeded:
my mother sat weeping behind me,
sir, as l stood at the rail. / was her only
support. God alone knew how she was
to live during those years. Your words
were knife thrusts. sir. 1 did have to
leave her, friends, peace, heaven and the
God she had so earnestly taught me to
pray to. And l did reflect, sir, in those
quiet years, and l came out a pure man.
God knows how I've tried not to let that
false step blight my life. But wherever
l went, some one spread the truth: EN-
ploying that man, that John Dorker;
why, he's n convict
81 became desperate; q temptation
stared me in the face. 1 felt myself
weakening. Starvation, gloom, despair,
a broken hearted mother were about me,
and / wavered, sir, when a thought
came: Surely, surely, the judge who
spoke those words would help me; he
wouldn't turn me away And 1 came.
1t was my last chance. Too much de-
pended upon my getting work, sir, to
risk telling my story. But now I'm
found out, and I'm ready for your de-
cision. Can you trust n convicted burg
lar in your house? Wi you give me a
3x;o1o To not 7 ,r;n no aun and tru II