The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-09-18

tributed all their hardships to their fathers
worthlessness. Sam was not a man of fine
sensiblities, but he felt keenly the deplor-
able condition of his family and acknowl-
edged to himself that he was to blame. 1t
was here that his newly acquired Christian
ity was first brought into practical use. He
determined to remedy things. His wife and
even his children could not at first believe
that he really was going to be an honest
man. In fact. Mrs. Kimper was greatly
disappointed when she heard her husband
declare that there would be no more thiev-
ing in the Kimper family; and she could not
see how they were to get along without Wis
iting their neighbors' smoke houses, wood
piles and cellars by night. And as day
after day went by and Sam failed to find
| employment, his fast dwindling stock of
cash made it apparent to him thatit was one
thing to determine to earn an honest living
but another thing to do it.
No one wanted to hire an ex-convict
Nearly every one wished him we'll to his
face, but most of them said behind his back
that his honest streak would soon play out
along with his religion. Some said that he
was only playing cunning game and was
laying for an opportunity to do some great
devilment. The fact of the matter was,
and it was apparent to Sam, that Sam Kim
per the lazy, drunken thief was looked
upon as a better man than Sam Kimper the
sober and industrious ex-cOnvict. Deacon
Quickest manifested great interest IN Sam
and took him to his church and exhibited
him to the congregation as sort of a Gu
riOsity in religion. but the good deacon had
no other assistance for Sam other than a
free lecture OH the insufficiency of his faith
unto salvation. At last, after every other
resource had been exhausted and when
starvation was staring Sam and his family
in the face, he finds little work to do in
shoeshOp. Good people have been watch
ing him, and now that he has found work
they suddenly become interested in his
welfare. The minister calls at the shop
and gives him an invitation to his church;
the priest calls and congratalates him upon
the noble fight he is making; the doctor
drops in to warn him that unless he works
fewer hours and takes better care of him.
self he will surely break down. They all,
save Deacon Quickest, admire his simple
faith in Gods goodness. A wise inidel
lawyer calls upon the cObbler and is con.
founded in his arguments against Christ
ianity. In the meantime the Kimper house
hold has been brought under the civilizing
influence of Christianity, and one and all
have become objects of interest to the good
ladies of the village, Sam and his inter-
pretations of faith have become the talk of
the town. Rev. Guide gets up a revival
meeting in his church and invites the eX-
convict to help him conduct the meeting.
Sam speaks nightly and draws many
into the church by relating his own ex-
perience OF religion; even the intidel lawyer
is converted by him. And after mighty
struggle against odds, hypocritical Deacon
Quickest is trapped, repents and accepts
the simple faith of the ex-cOnvict The
lawyer. to show his gratitude. buys the little
shOeshop and presents it to the man who
practiced 'all he knew" of the doctrines of
Christianity.
The simple story points many morals.
It also reminds us of the truth of the orig
lnal motto of The PRISON MIRROR
God helps those who help themselves"
For The Mirror.