The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-11-26
Convict,s Thanksgiving.

A COnvict's THANKSGIVING.
This is Thanksgiving Day. and from over
all this broad land thanks will be offered up
by divers people and in divers tongues.
From the palace and the cottage, from the
magnate surrounded with luxury, from the
tOiler that delves in the mine. from the
house of mourning and the house of prayer
will thanks ascend to the throne of grace
for privileges enjoyed or calamitles averted.
Could we but see those rays of thanks, as
it were, in their conveyance toward the
throne of grace. what contrasts would meet
our gaze? Beside the ray that issues from
the mansion of Dives. is the ray of Lazarus
giving thanks to God for the crumbs vouch-
safed him from the rich mans table.
There might be seen, too, the ray of the
saloon. keeper giving praises to God for the
polity of laws that sanctions his traffic. and
beside it the corroborating ray of the leg
islatOr giving thanks for the millions of rev.
enue accruing annually to the government
through the sale of rum. Jay Gould will
offer his thanksgiving to the Benifcent
Providence that has enabled him to pile up
two hundred millions of dollars. and at the
same moment, perhaps, that the thanksgiv-
ing of the weary track walker on the lonely
llanOS OF Texas is going up for the pork and
beans that a dollar and ten cents day This
wages from the Gould cOmbinatiOn) enables
him to buy for himself and his family.
Andrew Carnage will give thanks in those
well.mOdulated sentences so easy to the
author of IA Journey Round the World"
for the protection" of American working
men through means of which he has been
enabled to lay up hundred and fifty mill
ions of dollars, and spend his time travelling
around the country with his friend. Mr..
Blaine. or in regal spIendor on his estates
in bOnny Scotland. But for the workman
at his furnace in Pittsburg the protective
tariff brings no holiday. Nevertheless.
when his days work is done, and he is sur.
rounded by his family. then, from over his
frugal board and perhaps his mug of ale,
will ascend as fervent thanksgiving as
went up in the morning from his master in
an upholstered pew.
But what has that to do with a convict,
you ask.
Not much. I admit. Still, my ray of
thanksgiving will be there just the same.
For. although am convict, have much
to be thankful for, in both the past and the
present. For the wisdom and courage of
Jul duCcStOIS, AOI tu0 VdlOI duu Integrity vi
Washington, by which I am, at the worst
a convict in free country. But for an &C.
cident of birth. l might at this present mo-
ment, be a starving peasant in famine
stricken Russia or pauperized Spain. And
/ would rather be convict in free America
than to be citizen in either of the above
mentioned countries, or to be an impOver-
ished land tenant in rent racked and turbu-
lent Ireland. For all these and more l am
thankful. ''StOne walls do not a prison
make" and. though prevented from going
in person. can, through the aid of books.
visit the remotest shores of the civilized and
uncivilized world. l can travel with
Marco Polo" and Darwin. or stay at home
with Pope. or retire with COwley. L can
enter the Roman forum with GibbOn, and
listen to the voice of freedom and dscord"
as it hOwled in the days of Caesar. Cicero
and POmpey. l am thankful for the good
health possess, and for the felicity of mind
that enables me to extract pleasure from
my surroundings when prevented from
seeking it abroad l am also thankful for
the fertility of resources Astounding in the
country of which l can avail myself
''when freedoms sun shall rise again."
This. my fellow convicts. is my thanks
giving. Each one of you may add to it
your own special thanksgiving, ever bear
ing in mind
There's sweet little cherub that sits up aloft
To keep watch for the life of poor Jack"
LACON.