The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-10-18

on YOUR own action, whether you Will u
become one or not. One thing is GER t.
tain. life will afford you plenty of op- t
portunities for both physical and moral t
courage. =
Turn over the pages of history and l
select whatever true hero you like, you |
will find him at the moment OF peril, c
when it is most needed, cool, dellber-
ate and invincible giant who had ban
ished both fear and despair when ne
enlisted for battle. In short you Will
find him man imbued with the stolcal
nihiI mir0ri OF old.
If YOU desire to be hero, try the
same medicine. The world is before
you, and in the path of life you will
find YOUR allotted share of obstruc-
lions and difficulties; but remember
each victory will renew your courage
and reinforce your strength. Never
Weld one inch from your duty, though
: the temptation be ever so great; it does
not pay; there are few hundred of us
here who can testify to this from our
sad experience. Many of us have
"yielded,' some driven probably by
despair, and others through want OF
: moral courage; and still others because
they did not keep cool, and act dellber-
ately at the hour Of peril. Whatever it
e NAV have been, let us profit by our
IS past experience. Exiled from society:
branded as convicts, and shut in by
n heavy bars our prospects are not to be
,e envied.
l. How many of us have not felt the
,e last rays of struggling hope over shad-
,e owed and chilled by gloomy despair?
,e TO know that you are lost, banished,
it dead-and still feel the living warm
IN blood coursing through your veins is
in horrible sensation; but my friends, let
it. us not despair! 1t is of no use. Cour-
o. age. my boys. Take your medicine
ed with the will and the ''hope'' though
by the taste may be ever so bitter
l overheard remark the second OF
~ September made by an inmate, thai
ire he "wished it was the second OF Sept
he next year." OF course it is quite nat
ill ural for us to wish away our time; ant
on 1 suppose that most of those who ar
es. "doing time will agree on this par
on ticular point however widely they ma
lie. differ on anything else. Still canno
cir help but think it very foolish; such
yer wish is not only foolish, but wrong
to First, because time is precious gil
eep beyond the power of man, and W
Der ought therefore not to esteem it light
in or use it carelessly; and second, becaus
he the very wish increases our alread
heavy burden.
gi" Make the most of your time wheth'
the it be in prison or "outside.' Whe
the at work, work with all your might, ar
ces- employ evenings, and holidays in IL
t is proving your mind. Work, read, writ
er l study, think, but whatever you 90,
do it with all your SOUL and by and by yt
ihl will find that time is flying faster tn;
un- YOU really wish. Do not say, 9Th
med this is all very well, but it is OF no
in to the convict; he is doomed True
bout is. and I realize it as keenly as any
YOU: but in spite of the doom, we c
fair bv perseverance and honesty, with
it is blessings of God, yet work out our o.
too salvation.
will The prison gate may not be the m
S do advantageous starting point fr
med: which to begin new journey OF L
and but if you desire to become what
,nnot Creator intended you to bean hon
soon man, you will find plenty OF w
,ut awaiting you; and in the end rece
ighty the reward of the true and faith
ragged These are not empty phrases; l kr
t the whereof speak. 1t is fact pro
by the life of men, who today occ7
asted: places of honor and trust.
nd at Some twenty or thirty years az
and young man was discharged fror
char prison in certain country in Eur
dings. after having served three years.
aimed ing his imprisonment, and especl
rhine the first two years, he was often on
i may point of giving away to despair, an
doubt one time, as said by himself, he a
nends ally raised the knife in order to end