The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-02-06
TepMs. $1.W per year. in advance
Six Months 80 cents.

the marble heart and went back to my
friend for advice again. lie said: Don't
you think of taking job unless you
make clean breast Of the matter first
and then hold every cent you can save
until you can start for yourself. 1t
takes peculiar sort of man to hire
an ex-convict and trust him, but there
are such men, and if you approach
them right you will get there with both
feet
II answered all advertisement that
afternoon for boy in butcher shop
with some experience in cutting meat.
could teach lots Of old butchers their
business, because was brought up at
it by one of the best butchers in the
State. | applied, was hired, but did not
have nerve enough to cough up my his
tory. | lasted there for eleven weeks,
and one day met woman who had
been buying stuff every day, and she
asked me to take a run around the
corner and meet an old friend. l got
excused for minute and went with
her to come up against Ort-halred
fellow. whom she said was her husband.
A minute later l recognized him as
man who ran machine just across the
room from me at Trenton. He said
that the woman was his wife, and sug-
gested that she shouldn't pay anything
| for meat thereafter l just told him
where he could go and left them stand
ing. Next day l noticed chill in the
shop. The boss was hanging around
me ali the time and about two o'clock
he handed me an unsigned note and
asked me to read it. 1t gave me dead
away. | made a front and asked him
whether he had any fault to find with
my work. He said that he hadn't, but
that if | was the best man in the world
he wouldn't hire me any longer, because
I didn't make a confdant of him in the
start.
''Then he sacked me, and at the same
time handed me a sealed letter ad-
dressed to his brOther-in-laW and told
me to go to him. Iwent to his brother
in-law's place He read the note aud
handed it back to me. All it said was,
you can sympathize with this young
man.
"Can you sympathiZe with fellow
who went wrong once and got his de-
b., 80 70 Il rIrht and
wants another chance in the world?'
: 81 can,' said he. Tell me your story
'Then / told him everything, from
the start right up to date, and he SAID
that he knew a man who would give
me chance, and that nothing would
ever be said to me about my trouble so
long as I did my work and acted on the
, square, He made me cry, and believe
enjoyed crying. The last thing he
| said to me was: 4 think your old trou-
t bles are over, my boy and if you have
| any more they will be of your own
making. l know just how you feel
q Next day got my present job. knew
r that my boss knew all about my prison
q life from a man who had been there
t and had fully realized how terrible the
/ silent life is. l suppose some OF my
, old enemies have since taken the trou-
- BILE to tell my boss about my record,
but it has made no difference. l have
| been getting $12 week in wages and
r making from So to $6 in commits
n sions and premiums and there never
- has been a question about my homes
Il ty. If there is, it won't be my fault
II l will never again tempt the hor:
d rors Of the lock-step, the silent GRIND
s. in the shoe shop, the torture OF
the narrow cell and the cheer
less routine of prison life. l have
n found man, an employer and friend
e / tell this to warn other boys. | an
T not sentimental or perhaps could tel
y, it better, but don't want to go int
'" the horrors of prison life. think tina
10 the worst feature of it, and the on
g which will make the strongest impres
T. sion upon boy, is that one which for
20 bids a prisoner turning his head e
using his eyes when strangers are pres
y ent, and that other one which impose
N absolute silence at all times. TO b.
re deprived of speech is an awful punish
e. ment for boy. know it was for me
and it was blessed relief when an in
y. =. spector or instructor spoke to me an
fs gave me chance to use my tongue
10 MAuorI (lo11