The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-24
. Voice FROM THE CELL


tC0nfinuCd from First Page.
] thought little about it. ] tossed it light
~ inside, and lighting a cigar laid back in
an easy chair. The landlady left the room.
A moment later | began TO doze and dozed
away for an hour or so. When | opened
my eyes caught sight Of the telegram.
Half-stupidly | opened it,.
Friends, my stupor suddenly vanished.
This is what ! read:='Come immediately.
Your mother is dead You a bet i
pocket. | was a coward. | was like u
drowning man catching at straws 'Tis
a trick, / growled; they know | am go
ing to the dogs and have resorted to this
trick to get me home
well, there wasn't any train for
Albany Till morning: | borrowed S45. l
Was Il good pay and had plenty of credit
while | had a position. started for
home. stopped at a way station for a
drink. The bartender said, You've got
a long journey ahead of you: better let
me put you up a flask When | got TO
Albany | was full and the bottle was
empty. Half drunk / had persuaded my
self fully the telegram was a trick. Look
ing ont of the window | saw my sister on
the platform in black. My fears were
then realized.
"Oh, how well I remember the look of
pain on her face. as she saw ME stagger-
ing toward her, Well, with a lot of per-
od1oipu, tuCf nldtldEtQ W Keep ZIG SOuGI
till after the funeral. Standing over the
dead body Of my mother, | swore I'd
never take another drop. Two weeks af-
ter, in New York, | was the same happy
go-lucky fellow. My mothers death had
been merely like the sudden twinge of
spain when n strikes the crazy bone OF
his elbow. But a crisis must come.
HIS JOB o N
Mr.. Durant then related how a change
in the administration of the municipal
government threw him out. He had had
his innings at the bat. Like every sucker
at the race tracks he won on the first bet.
How many times he lost after that he
would never be able to calculate. He told
how he pawned his trunk full of clothing,
article by article, till he reached the bot
tom, n then said, We'll, old boy,
you'll nave to walk the plank, too"
Bounced from his boarding house and
penniless he applied to his uncle for a
trifling job.
Harry said the uncle, If / purchase a
hogshead Of whiskey and put you with it
all alone in a room, do you think you can
drink yourself to death?'
Try me. uncle I said.
That made him mad. He drove me
from his presence.
No hope for YOU he said; you'll
never reform till the devil goes blind, and
he hasn't got sore eyes yet
n NOW A TRAMP.
From that day | became a tramp. All
l owned was wrapped up in a handker-
chief. The suit of clothes on my BACK l
exchanged for a jumper, a pair of over
alls AMI $3.50 with one Of the Cohen's in
Baxter street. The craving for drink was
like a tape worm. lean think of no other
comparison. My Sl.50 was all gone but
ten cents.
THAT night 1 slept In a coal cart. They
wake you up punctually in such hotels =
said Mr.. Durant. 'sThe policeman knocks
with his club on the soles of your shoes
and o daren't turn over and take
another snooze. Thus matters went on
till | found myself behind the bars"
READING OF JERRY M'CAULEY.
MI. Durant mex described the efforts
of the old prison chaplain to convert him.
He couldn't interest him in the Bible, but
he promised the chaplain he'd read the
Life of Jerry McCauley." will you
wait till | return2" asked the chaplain,
"if | go after the book? Certainly, l re-
Piled, . said Mr.. Durant. 81 wasn't likely
to do anything else but wait behind those
bars. Jerry McCauley, you know, was a
river thief. and served term
IN prison for an East River. rob.
his great work in saving souls at the
McCanley Mission. Before / read that
book | was q brute let loose in society. I
read 1t and became a Christian. As soon
as | left prison went to see Jerry Nc
Canley. | was gloriously converted-re-
deemed, not simply reformed. / had no
other object in life.
CARRYING H BANNER.
What are you going to dor" asked
Mrs. McCauley. Garry the banner, to-
night, ehg" she said good humoredly.
II didn't know then what carrying the
banner meant. | learned it afterward.
When a tramp hasn't got ten cents to
spend for a nights lodging, he applies to
a Christian mission and carries the
banner.
81 want something useful to do /
said to Mr.. McCauley. He gave me his
books TO sell. Young man. said he, you
will find selling books q hard road to
travel. Put your faith in God and maxi
up your min to eyerlastingly hustle
aud I've been hustling ever since. With
the help of good I'm going to church,
even with the prison stain upon my
brow.n
Mr.. Durant will again preach at the
Tabernacle this evening.
A INV ntr A My Er TCn,