The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-06-26


comfortable circumstances. of bright pros
poets for the future. of good treatment at
the hands of everybody. and the letters are
overlooking with a spirit of good will to-
ward the world. 1t seems as though that
muchabused person, Society, is not interfer-
ing with their welfare. But from those who
have INDUCED their appetite for intoxicants
come tales of woe; they are hard-up, the
future looks hopeless. everybody treats
them shabby. the stigma of having been in
prison causes them to be stunned; and their
letters are fine specimens of misanthrOpic
sarcasm. They are at war with themselves
and feel disposed to declare war on that
constituencies old hog, Society. Two let
tiers lie here on the table, one from city to
the eastward, the other from the far west.
The writers are two young men who left
this institution at about the same time. The
writer of the letter from the city did first
rate for some time after his release, and
made friends who were willing to help him
and did help him so long as he conducted
drinking and carousing, borrowing money
from the friends he had won by his previous
good conduct, until finally he lost his situa-
ton. got into trouble and had to leave the
town. His letter is full of deceit and has
not single good word for those who be-
friended him and loaned him money when
he was in sore need, but to the contrary he
speaks of them in contemptuous manner,
as if they had been enemies instead of
friends. He is imbittered toward the
world. But the letter from the west
breatbes far different spirit. The author
of it took the first situation that offered,
and stuck to it until he found better one.
He kept sober, lived within his means;
and was not only respected. but was a IA
vOrite IN respectable circles. In time he Sc
cured good berth with party of survey
Ors That was year ago, and he is with
the same party yet They are now ranging
about over the snow capped Rocky mount
aims. The letter is outspOken and full of
good spirits. 1t tells of their tolls and pri-
vatiOns. but does not neglect to mention the
beauty and grandeur of the scenery and the
many little pleasures they enjoy as all Offset
to the hardships. 1t is good, honest letter
that says just as plainly as if the words had
been written that the author is living in har-
mony with himself and his fellowmen.
Now, of these two men the former had
the higher aspirations, and hoped to cut a
wide swath as he passed through the world;
but the other fellow only hoped that he
might make friends and an honest living.
You can judge for yourself which of the
two is most apt to attain his object. There
are many such cases we might mention, of
men who have left the prison with a pur-
pose to do right who have failed or sue
coded through indulgence in or abstinence
from the use of intoxicants. We presume
there are exceptions on both sides, but we
have not heard of them. Of course this
article has no reference to those who leave
the prison filled with the purpose to lead
crooked lives, but success in their chosen
course is as much dependent on their sobri-
ETY. as if their aims were honorable. The
day is passed when a mans genius was
reckoned by the quantity of liquor he could
drink, and the day is now come in which
the drunkard is regarded as but little less
dangerous than maniac or a professional
criminal. The drunkards who hold good
positions to day are not kept in those posi-
tons because of their own worth, but because
of influential friends or the friendly sympa-
thy of their employers.
The Modern Way.
Mrs. COttOnback: This book for BOYS
says the way to succeed in this world is to
do two dollars worth of work for one dol