The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-07-24

here miserable in the extreme and yet have
kept within legal bounds. The adminiStra-
ton has not halted at the door of civiliZa-
ton; it has endeavOred to Undue within us
the divine rays of love and Christianity; it
has endeavOred to implant virtue within us
where vice once reigned supreme; it is seek
ing to lift us up morally. mentally and
physically. in order that we may succeed in
his life and be better prepared for the life
which is beyond.
We must bear in mind that, whatever
| this or any other administration would do
for us, without our co operation all is futile
Life, my friends, is too short to wait for
any chances. We must act in the present.
There is no guide to success so sure and at
the same time beneficial as the one which
points ont the way for us to avoid the dan
gers learned in the school of past bitter ex-
perienceS; and when we have been, as we
now are. brought face to face with the duty
we owe to ourselves in the future, let us ask
ourselves if we are ready to accept our pres
ent chance. am we'll aware that all the
cries relating to subject are of little avail
unless followed by good practical results.
SO that whatever reputation regarding hon.
esty of purpose and sincere desire to better
our future condition we may have here. it
will all fall upon barren ground unless the
shall pertain to beneficial results i'm the out
side world.
Society does not in a general sense give
much thought to the criminal after the trial
of his case is over and the prison door closes
behind him, and it is useless for us to raise
the cry of moral weakness in committing
crime again after we enter the outside
world.
know with what scOrn man is looked
upon when he is once branded as a criminal;
l am we'll aware that the doors of the busi-
ness world seem closed upon him, when he
seeks even an honest living and that cir
cumstances OF that kind too often, alas,
bring him to the prison portals again, but
have faith in asserting, and care not to
| what depths of depravity criminal might
have fallen. that, if the Greater of us all has
left one little Pickering spark of hope
within him he can, by leading sober, hon
est and virtuOuS life, fan it into a flame
that will carry him forward to life of USE
| fulness and honor.
| Since being among you have endeavOred
| to do what, in an humble manner, 1 was
capable of doing. l saw around me young
men who, like myself, were entering into
the strength of acknowledgement. Many
time when no outward sign betrayed in
me any feeling of regret, would the position
was in be all the more keenly felt by me,
and many time l wondered what the fut-
ure would bring forth. l realize my friends,
that a time will come to us all when the
gray hairs and faltering steps shall warn us
| that youth and its chances are fled; and, in
| looking back on our past lives so full of
| many faults and fOllieS, we will bitterly re-
| greet it if we do not take hold of the chances
| that the present holds out to us. My stay
| here has taught me that prisoner can be a
| MAN; it has taught me there are friendships
as real and lasting within the confines of a
prison wall as in the outside world.
When entered here, had the acquant-
ance of none Of yOn, and my friends were
but few in the outside world; but l can
truthfully say to you that, were to leave
here tonight, bear no enmity against any
officer or prisoner in this institution and l
believe you all share the same friendship
toward me. My success in here has been
attained by endeavOring not to give the ad-
ministratiOn any just cause of Offense. [
have kept my own interests in view with
out being selfish as all of you should do;
but, whatever may have done of a per-
sOnal nature to help myself there is moth
ing which has had the tendency to lift me
up so much as my active participation in
the exercises of the S. S. & L. c. 1t
teaches man to look up, that life is
worth living; it broadens his thought which,
were he placed in confinement, would run
in narrow channels. 1t treats us to a gen.
eral digest of information that is moral and
pure in tone and helps us on to the road of
success by eliminating from within us that
which is evil and inserting that which is
good. l have also another reason for hop
ing for success. When [ began [ had no
desire to speak of any one connected with
this organization in personal manner, but
l cannot forbear to say, and do it in all
the sincerity of purpose in which view my
future success in life. that the example
shown to this society by you, Mr.. Presi-
dent, stands as silent testimony of what
man can become who exercises little will