The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-11-30

obediently clasped over eager baby
eyes that will, despite their devout
training, peep through pink fingers
at the wonderous turkey and glow
ing cranberry sauce. Short and SIM
pie is that prayer of blessing, not or
nate with religious praise or weigh
| ed with words learned by rote. Just
| a heart thankfulness expressed in
everyday words, but there is a choak
in the voice and the bab<s turn
from the sight of the good things
mother is portioning out to see faith
er's eyes full of tears, but they can't
be sorry tears" for he is laughing,
! too.
| Now the mother is busy, the ba-
bies are all absorbed in the good
things at last within reach, but the
father sits smillingly silent. He is
| musing and his thoughts travel
swiftly back into far-away shadows
and home again to the sunshine of
the present scene. Thanksgiving.
Yes! there is something to thanks
give" about His eyes rest lovingly
on wife and children. They come
first, and are not they alone worth
being glad over? Then there is
home! What home, Not exactly
a millionaire's, but almost as good,
he thinks. He has all he wants, is
perfectly happy, absolutely content
ed, and what can man ask more than
that, and he, for now the thoughts
bark back again. he was once home
| less, unloved, alone Then there is
good food to eat warm clothing in
the cupboards. fine steady job with
an employer who trusts him and
health that makes him feel able for
any work that life may bring to him.
Again he laughs as into his mind
crowd other reasons to be glad.
There are his friends, why. they are
the sort of friends to have, and last
btu not least, the many chances In
his life for helping some other poor
| fellows who are down and out" as
he was once. Jack throws his head
back and laughs. AYE, Polly, girl
I guess I know what Thanksgiving
means now, If ever man did! Why
God bless us. we are rich! What
more do we want? We are on top
and it's good to live.
Seven years, that was the inter-
lude, and the story that was crowd
ed into that little space would fill a
10
the day of miracles is past hesitate
before he relegates the Christians
faith to the back pages of history.
Soon after that last dreary day
in prison. new and strange exper-
| fence came into Jacks life. He had
been a child of the city slums, ar
rested first at hte age of and pass
ing from stage to stage in the school
of crime until he became known as
a hardened crook. Penologists would
certainly have ticketed him ''habituaI
criminal and he had never dreamed
| of any other life, no religion, no
home, no chances, no good or helpful
friends, only pals in the same bust
ness as himself, kindly at heart
sometimes, but with no higher stand
ard of morals than his own. A thor
ough knowledge of evil-an overin-
diligence in vice-drink and drugs.
ana at last sickness and racking bo-
Oily pain. Then the days dragged
YEARLY indeed in his gloomy prison
and he became known as the hardest
swearer in his gang, and Jack would
nave told you, with a string of oaths
TO emphasize it, that he had a jolly
good right to swear; for life was a
tough proposition, and he was up
against 1t.
1t was at this time that the Vol
unteer Prison League was started In
his prison. and among the very first
to accept the message of hone and
help and to turn over the best of
new leaves by bringing broken will
| ~ human heart to the Divine Fa-
ther was this most unlikely of men
From the hour of his conversion
which was very green and simple
matter. unhampered by perplexitv of
creed or theory. Jack became a won
| uer 10 those who knew him. Evil lam
guage was a hitting of the past SIM
ny good nature and a quaint bum.r
original and irrepressible. repIacea
the morose surliness. Still suffering
ar times physical pam alnos, he
yoha endurance. he exhibited n pa-
uehce that won for him the admira-
'ion and sympathy even of those who
rlulcuied his talk about a change of
heaft and ambitions toward an hon.
est future.
seven years of honest work
""Ppy marriage and a comfortah,s
nome good name and a clear con-
science are his new record. ana the
message he sends back TO the old
pals In prison is this: ~rhe new
IRE pays And all the work ana toll
Is well worth while"
Where are you sick? Headache
foul tongue. no appetite. lack an.
ergy. pain in your stomach, consti.
patton? HOLSTERS Rocky Mountain
Tea will make