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

ONE OF Jne greatest mistakes that
man confined in a prison makes is, tina
he looks back upon his past too Otter
and not enough to what his future
may be, or what he is capable of max
ing it. And what an unutterable sad
ness, look on the past brings to sc
many OF us. We look back at those
days and realize that they are gone
gone forever. We realize that the past
is irrecOverable, and time wasted car
never be brought back. Could we but
recall those days, and live them over
again few OF us indeed but would take
advantage OF them and reap a richer
reward than we are enjoying. Who
among us can look back over the past
and say, 81 am satisfied" who can say
that he has not wasted every hour of
that valuable time, when he considers
his surroundings today. Let us bury
the past then; let us take calm dis
passionate look to the future. Before
us lies a world ready to receive us;
with temptations on all sides, like thorns
to prick us no matter which way we
turn; ready to criticize our every &C.
ton; condemn every little mistake or
stumble we make and if we happen to
fall, rush frantically forward and crush
us under foot. Are we prepared to
go forth and battle against such a
heartless world, to fight for our little
corner, and try to reach the top round
of the ladder of victory? Boys, there
is but one thing that stands in our way
and that is our own will. Our determi-
nation should be like the old Danish
hero. ito dare nobly, to will strongly,
and never to falter in the path of duty"
The power of will be it great or small
that God has given us is divine gift:
and we should never profane it by en-
ploying it for ignoble purposes. TO
acquire the habit of we'll doing, to re-
slst evil propensities, to fight against
evil desires should be our sole aim. if
we would re-enter the world determined
to be men; if we would repair the past:
II we would cast off the desires and
passions, the habits of vice by which
we have been bound as by chains of
iron. A man can only achieve strength
OF purpose by the action of his own
free will. If he is to stand erect it
must be by his own efforts; for he can
not be kept propped up by the help of
others. He is master of himself and of |
his actions. He can avoid falsehood
and be truthful; he can avoid sensual
SIN, and be continent; he can turn
aside from doing a cruel thing and be
and kind. All these lie
within the sphere of his own Individual
Efforts, and come within the range of
elf-discipline. And it depends upon
nan himself, whether in these respects
re will be free, pure and good, on the
me hand; or enslaved, impure, and
on the other. Which will we
hoose? Shall we continue in the
ways that have led us step by step to
ur ruin, or shall we with Gods help
ook to a better, a nobler life? We
ave the opportunity now to decide;
We have tried the first, and bitterly are
We reaping the fruits of sin. Let us
ow try the other; and let us commence
ow to prepare ourselves to meet life's
icissitudes. Let us fill our minds with (
he best thoughts of those good men
Tho have lived in all ages by reading
he history of their lives, and by mould
1g our lives by theirs. Let us take
dvantage of our school; study hard.
nd educate the mind and heart to look
pom the bright side of life, and bury i
ur past lives with all their sin and S
lisery. Our future is in our own {
ands; the time to choose is now here: {
hich will it be? {
'HE MAN WHO KNOWS EFT