The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-01-21
ghenemurrat-S Star
Ills CONFESSION.
Youths Companion.

b1oSc Jndt carry Il UnuDlc rcItoI. III
warns against the fault that makes Il
possible criminal, and rebukes the
feeling that shuns one. The ''con-
fcssion" of a condemned murderer
tells how the gravitation 0f a child
hood sin sank INN into Il vicious life.
His choice OF wrong. doing had been so
early that he seemed to have forgotten
any right instruction he had ever
heard. And no friend Of the fallen
had ever set morality and religion be-
fore him. They came to him appar-
emily as a first lesson after he was
sentenced to death. The words OF
faith and hope were a surprise. To
this, in part, the prison chaplain at
tributed the convict's frank repent.
ancc and changed heart.
IL was a revelation to the unhappy
man to find Il Christian taking Il real
interest In him. lie had never under.
stood before that Il good man was not
necessarily a %hypocrite. The dcpraved
opinion Of mankind which a criminal
education usually gives had led him
TO class all men in n evil brother
hood.
"Why," he exclaimed, in his own
lingo. Il thought you Christ-fclicrs
were in the same profesh, only IA little
higher up than the bunco ~stecrcrs. II
Id only learned before"
When the chaplain had finally Sc
cured the prisoners confidence, he
asked him how he came to go wrong
in the FIRST place.
I'D have y think" he answered,
puzzled.
A few nights before lie took his last
walk, under the tiickering gaslight,
with every word and whisper revcr.
bcrating along the corridor until it re.
echoed through the lofty guard room,
the poor man answered the cUnfessor's
question.
"Yuu ask me when | started in this
wrong way. I've been thinking Of it
all day never thougt OF it before
and | reckon it is something like this.
When l was Il boy l was raised in the
country and went to the town academy
for Il term or so. My mother was Il
good woman and Woodworking, too,
God bless her.
ii wasn't wild then, only full OF
sperits. an bold perhaps: always
rcldy for a good time. One day, | re-
member, we boys all got int Il scrape.
They all confessed to the teacher, and
l lied out Of it. After that my play
fellows wouldn't so with me, an all
the friends | could get were two or
three t0ughs, who were glad enough
to have me drop down to them.
81 WANT much OF a liar, an only
told the other n because | was
scared: but now / had to lie to keen
with the new lot. An they taught
me to steal from my mother.
"1nstcad of going home nights, We
used to camp out in the woods an
play pirates, an sometimes wcplayed
1t purity strong an natural. So it
went on. All my friends had dropped
me, an / got to be known as Il bad
boy, an people shook their heads.
Then 1t became too hot fur me in
school because | took something out
Of a feller's desk, an | quit.
II couldn't get no work because no.
body would trust me IAN | don't blame
'em, neither, as l look at it now; but
then thought 'twasn't fair. So me
an another mate took to the road.
That settled 1t. ! never could get
back to be like the best boys ] had
been with, an never knew anybody
better than a bartender. You're the
Hrst person, sir, that cvcrspokc Il good
word to me since | was ii boy at home
an told that lie. l wish I'd known
you sooner. Then l wouldn't be here"
This testimony of Il pcnitent Grim.
inal to his youthful false step and its
consequences repeats what we SO well
knew, That the first bad act drives
one into bad associations explains why
IT begins ones moral ruin.
But the thought will come that II
Christian friendship had helped this
crring boy to lit against the down.
ward strain he brought upon himself.
good life might have been saved 10
society. A safe character, for time
and eternity, is something built on
the first forgiven sin.