New-York tribune., 1909-10-03

an intimate TREND that not long ago the friend
said 10 him
1T can't be possible that YOU go through
the records of all the convicts IN these prisons
in order 10 hit upon the most meritOrIOus cases
That would be too huge a task for any one man
How. then. do you have such luck IN getting
hold of the right Onese"
Il look them over, and then / pick out the
man with the smile" was the philanthroPIst' 5
prompt reply Il never look at a record. /
never even seek to inquire if such and such
convict claims to be innocent Records IN such
cases prove nothing, nor do the mans claims.
| inspect, and sometimes talk with hundreds
and even thousands of the COnv1cts- always
end by picking out a man around whose face
in his adversitv, tckers a smile There are
not many such, and so my task Is not so diff
cult as YOU might suppose.
But" argued the philanthropIst's friend,
doesn't the smile Indicate more than any
thing else. that the convict wearing It IS cal
loused, hardened, and therefore no mt subject
for benevOlenCe>"
1T never has worked out that way" replied
the phianthropist. "An of my smilers have
stuck 70 the path, and many of them are hon
Ored men in their communities. Anyhow,
begin to doubt whether there Is any such thing
as hardened smile. Hardened men, IN my
opinion, don't smile. Dauntless men do"
A Merry Revolutionist's Salvation
A T La Libertad, in Salvador back IN the
tdTlN ~ =. saw JilC lag tIltl OF one ll lltnC
comic opera Central American revolutions ~
1t wasn't anything like comic opera. however
for the gangs of ragged, barefooted, starved
looking insurgents, who, the outbreak having
been quelled. were lined up at dawn one morn
ing before a wall 20 be shot 10 death by firing
parties of Government troops. Most OF them
before being blindfolded and having their
wrists tied behind them wrung their hands
agOniZedly and PRAYED VOlublv To the saints
and TO the Mother OF Mercles. Their tears
soaked the ground, their lamentations were
dreadful 10 listen 10.
One of them, however, neither wept nor
lamented. He was a mere STRIPPING, with a
vague wisp of black muStache and a PAIR of
burning, hollow eyes. There was pallOr upon
his smooth olive skin; but 1t was the pallor OF
hardshIps endured, not the ChalkInesS of fear.
Not that certainly, for. as they began 10 blind
fold him, his lips parted, showing a clear line OF
perfect teeth, and then there stole over his face
as winning, illuminated, and thoroughly meant
a smile as ever appeared on human Countenance-
1t wasn't one of those imitation smiles OF q
Latin-American vaquero who tries 70 enact the
brave boy after being caught up with for rus
thing. 1t was, on the contrary. the perfectly
normal, wholesome smile of a very young man
with obvious riSibilIties who, feeling that he
had smile coming Just smiled
The Minister OF War, who was SupcrInteud-
ing the dismal proceedings. noticed the lads
smile. He stepped up TO the boy and waved
back the soldiers who were blIndfolding him.
And why do YOU smile SOM" the Minister
Of War asked the young man IN Spanish, IN the
tone OF one asking to unravel a problem.
For lack, senor, of something better % do.
suppose. You see how limited my Opp0r-
tunItieS are TO do anything else Just now re-
piled the lad, the appealing smile never lea wing
his face.
With one more opportunity, then. YOU
would behave, inquired the Minister of War,
still bit puzzled apparently
At least | might try, SeflOr, replied the
stripping. too brave To commit himself too far.
" Fall out, then, and 60 TO Your home and
try. SAID the Minister of War. and the soldiers
united the wrists of the lad whose smile had
won HIM back his forfeited life Presently the
Others were shot
The Fire COuldn't Fa.e Him
~ rb. u f.,,- ~. r.. ..,,