The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-09-06

for the about-to- to-be-discharged prisoner,
enliSting the employers interest in the |
welfare and advancement of the en-
ployee. And having work ready for
him at the outset Should he have no
home, a quiet boarding place should be
found for him, where the associations
would be good He should be made to
feel that he is man and a brother, and
so long as he conducts himself right
will be treated as such, instead of as
suspicious outcast. The man who has
no faith in you, who views your every
move with suspicion and imputes an
evil motive to every act you peform,
can never help you to do right. How
much more, then does the weak voice in
the exercise of righteous endeavor need
the strengthening knowledge of some
ones belief in the good that is in him.
1t is no ordinary conflict he is engaged
in. There are deadly foes within as
we'll as enemies without. 1t is a curious
fact that if the faculties of the mind
are suddenly arrested by shock or
accident and their functions suspended,
they usually resume their use (when
distractions are removed) at exactly
the point where they left off, even to
the finishing of a half-spoken sentence.
The same thing is true of the instincts
I>f hn
almost irresistible impulse, when bars
and distractions are removed, and he
is left free to act, is to return to the
criminal life He has to fight the desire
to do so with all the strength of his
manhood until he has by careful con-
troll gained the mastery over old habits
of thought and established himself in a
better mode of life. He may fail at
the outset, and need helping up more
than once. The first act of Jean Val
jean, the convict hero of Hugos i'm
mortal LES Miserables," after the for
givness and blessing bestowed upon
him by the good bishop, was to commit
another crime. The bishop might have
thought his loving kindness i'll bestowed
but who that reads Of the far reaching
influence of that Christlike act Of his
in the noble after life of the redeemed
convict would think that kindness ILL
bestowed! Nay.
"Judge none lost: but wait and see,
With hopeful pity. not diSdain;
The depth OF the abyss may be
The measure of the height of pain
And love and glory that may raise
This soul to God in after days.
The "ex-convict' is entitled to the
privacy of his life, if that life be di
rected into right course. He is not
, to be made much of because he has
, been bad, but only to be helped where
he is helpless himself. Man being {
= gregarious animal, must have society
3 of some sort. 1T is not good for mar
to be alone" the Good Book says. Herr
2 again the churches are strong to sup
y ply an aching need There are societies
Q of every kind, social, practical and re
D ligious, connected with church organ
/ iZatiOns. Get him into one of these a
Y a helper. Throw out life line; in
t terest him in something in which h
n can see for himself that he is of us
j. and of some good in the world; encou1
s age him to continue in reading goo
e books; surround him with good in
l. fluences calculated to build him up; i
l. short, help him as you can, in ever
a way you can-consistent with the es
IT. tablishment of his own self-respeC
d and self-helpfulness- be what Go
s intended him to be, an image of hi
& Maker. You have then not only save
l. him, but many more who may be il
], 1uenced by his example and success.
10 The paroled or discharged prisone
a should be made to report to the branc
@ society to which he is nearest, this 81
~ ciety to keep supervision over hil
d until he is strong enough to stand alor
d in the strength of restored manhoo
h The state agent and those who hay
in tried to find employment for ex-convic
e, report a generous feeling on the pa
IS of business men to give the discharge
prisoner a chance to show what tht
Id can do. 1t only needs the cooperate
te of the churches and society to rend
Mt effective the work of permanently +