The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-04-18

of feeling of weakness, fear, and
timidity. and if the mark of Cain was
upon them and the eyes Of every passer
by was directed to them; while others
by their manner of expression, indi-
cate measure of courage, which ought
to serve them we'll as they renew the
battle of life with the outside world.
Of this latter sort is the following:
1--WE shake our fist at all the ghosts OF
our departed tragedies and say, we are
worth two of you. We are alive. We
have all the chances of the future in
our favor"
Another, in somewhat different,
though in no less earnest and resOlute
strain, says: every one of us knows
what an ex-convict means, and what
we must perforce expect when we
mingle again with society and jostle
up against those whom we know and
by whom we are known. The stealthy
glance, the significant, wondering, sus-
picious looks we shall encounter and
must expect; and the close scrutiny
with which every act and motion will
be regarded.
ut will be torture, it will be calling,
it will take more than powerful will
to bow meekly to the burden, but we
MUST do it, or else go somewhere where
we cannot be known, at least for
time, or until we have proven by our
straightforward, honest, clean lives,
that we are bent on once more doing
our duty to ourselves and our neighbof."
Another writes: LET us endeavor
to do what is right by ourselves and
others; but above all, 'to thine own
self be true; and it must follow as the
night the day, thou cans't not then be
false to any man"
Another: ave are all passing through
the school of experience, and some of
us must be vigorously dealt with before
we are made to see things as they are.
every experience in life is helpful
to us: and while liberty is now our cry,
we may, perhaps, fail to appreciate it
fully when it again comes to us.
It is useless to blame ones self too
much for errors committed in the past
the thing to do is to determine that the
future will see us do differently; and
, the future is not as we imagine, far off
, but the next moment is the future in
which to begin anew. In fact there is
no time like the present, and the genu
q ineness of our intentions is measured
@ by the effort we put forth toward better
+ ment in the present.
Another writes courageously an(
+ hopefully: 'There is yet another phase
to this moral courage. Though yol
=. have fallen do not stay down.
- "The world is not entirely made VI
7 of Pharisees; there are enough larg
- hearts and broad minds in it to stretcl
- out the hand of good fellowship AM
aid to him who picks himself up, and
with head erect and steady eye, regain
- the right road and marches along
;s straight for the new mark he has chalk
ed for himself in the future.
% Learn from the infant. Did he sta
~ down after the first tumble he woul
G never walk but creep on through lift
y Pick yourself up; shake yourself t(
# gether, and say to the censorious sic
70 him who is without sin cast the firs
n stone"
+ With some, perhaps considerab
20 proportion, there is, and very naturall
-, not little bitterness in some of the
IN expressions. The only wonder is thu
~ there is not more. The moderation {
IF the most bitter is what most surpris'
us.
m One of these says: "Punishment ca
ba never reform so long as it is accon
ba panied with degradation. Degradatio
~. strengthens evil propensities, preven
~. repentance, and renders reform ilnpo
sible.
m "The law takes so many years of o.
'es existence; prejudice takes the rest. II
to freed prisoner is poor; honest emplo
ler ment is hard to obtain; and if he ha
tn no employment he is liable to ARE
Society repulses him at every poll
\; nf hic M