The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-13
CHRISTMAS IN THE
STATE PENITENTIARY

I yet claim to be among tho first OF his
State.
Here is young man who slashed and
slashed a near relative, until the head
rolled from the body, and he has never
been seen to shed n tear. while at his
side Is the man who weeps at every
reference to tho pity of God for a sin
| ner. Oh, yes. there IS the same, exactly
the same difference among these men
that Is found among their brothers out
side, but there Is one thing that they
are very much alike in, and that is in
the appreciation and gratitude they feel
and manifest for sincere Kindness
shown by those who arc free. Mr.. Polk
Miller says that he never gave an en-
tcrtainment to any crowd that showed
more real appreciation of his trouble and
effort than the convicts in the Texas
penitentiary. This explains in part why
the same people every year find 1t pleas
ant to attempt to carry some cheer to
them. What Captain Morgan said of
the penitentiary has probably been true
In every prison this year. The men had
more sent to them than ever before. We
nave never secured so many boxes Ono
day there were ninety received and some
of them had twenty dollars worth of con-
tents
Tho writer saw some Of them opened
and there could be no mistaking the
fact that mother packed them, but
a father, and well-to-do father, must
have paid for some of them. Remember
that no clothes come In these boxes, and
when two or three of them put their
goods together, for spread, you do not
often see moro attractive table, from
the first coarse to the smoke-up.
but the most pathetic case is where
there Is no father to pay for the fruit
cake, turkey, and cigars to fill a bushel
box, but where a small pasteboard box
holds all that the widows had to send.
little homemade sausage, some wal
nuts, and two large well-filled apple puffs,
with a very limited amount of confec-
tioneries, was all that was In one of
them. besides the tears from the broken
hearted mother that dropped in plentiful-
ly enough, no doubt
May I transcribe from letter in my
pocket a few lines from one OF these
mothers.
Sunday, P. NJ.
My own dearest son. Cdearest' mark
you,; she had Diners who had never dis
graced her. but he was the dearesD L
write to day to send this little mite. that
seems so stingy. from my pay, but the
cashier did not pay me off until near,
IL o'clock last night. and then it was
too late. do feel so badly to-day.
They work US SO hard, twelve hours
every night. Last night roasted four
chickens, boiled three large Holsters,
baked two large pans Of beans, made
forty-nine pies, besides doing the short
order cooking, and all my cleaning, so
YOU SEQ that am not idle One reason
that feel so badly dear I am growing
old. Remember that no one loves you
like do. We must never let B. nor
8. know of our secret. for you will
never do wrong again. will you my darl-
ing? wish could send you more.
God keep you until we meet,
''MOTIER.
~ love you, I love you. I love you.
"rMOTHER-'
"This woman Is the widow of doc
tor, and has gone to a large city to labor
that she may help and hide tho shame
of this erring dearest son, Boys with
such mothers will some day come to
themselves. They are worth trying to
save.
''But to return to the penitentinry,
Captain Morgan saw to 1t that every
man had enough money to Jingle on
Christmas DIV To every man in the
service OF the State, without the chance
to earn money as the fellow prisoners
may In the shoe factory, he gave a
dollar bill, then there was the usual
Christmas dinner, and a splendid Christ
mas service conducted by Doctor Dad