The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-11-18

~ 1AAA w "A u 42ASs
,ubdued and not permit our neighbors
10 overhear, "high, low Jack and the
game"
My father was the perfect man to me.
My freedom with him was such could
90 to him with any thing under the Heav-
ens. To know his wishes was myl
greatest desire-to wait on him my
greatest pleasure. learned to dance,
sing and play the piano. All that is
left now Is but trace of the fact that |
l once did them. lost my father TWEEN
tyone years ago. He was tnen at Lam
caster, N. H., and was in Western
Kansas. l still miss him. My life was
so absorbed in him that a great part OF
it has been missing ever since his death.
So think, having been brought up in
q minister's home with every freedom
has given my mind more breadth than
some ministers children possess.
When was about eight years old,
We were living at Reading, Pa. and l
remember going with my father to a
prison or jail-but 1 think it was a
prison where he was to otficiate on
Sunday. l can still remember my feel
ings as I entered the building, holding
his hand. He told me the men had all
done bad, naughty deeds who were be-
hind the bars. l can remember the
singing and the song There is a Foun-
tain Filled with Blood. They sang as
though they were so glad to pour their
voices into something. Aud | remem-
Der cried about it. Poor men, with
out liberty, and a small window with
bars over their faces sank so deep into
my heart. It was picture | never
have forgotten -thirtysix years ago.
have always thought if ] were confined
in prison l would do my best to i'm
prove. i would pursue literary lines
of thought. 1t is surely chance for a
man to show of what he is made. II
the illiterate only realized what grand
opportunity it is for them to study and
bring out all tie good in them, it would
not be so hard.
In Kansas, near KioWa. l knew
family who were coarse, common peo
pie, uneducated and the father drunk
ard. He had q livery stable across from
where lived and had many oppOr
tunities to see and hear the brute thai
was in that man. His wife was no
what you could call sensible. Dres'
and show she liked better than th'
solder things of life. Still, did no
blame her for many things she did
They had two children, a boy and girl
nice looking children, but bad. Fight
ing and bad language they excelled in
Their home was common drunkard'
home. The wife had false pride
thinking she showed her superiority b.
} not speaking to some people. At tn
, same time she would visit her husband
: stable with her children and use Ian
, guage one would not care to repeat
, She fell sick and fingered along wit
\ consumption. / waited on her in he
last hours and was with her when sh
!. died. The children ran wild. The hut
/ band was drunk all the time and wa
! finally shot in drunken brawl in tn
Q Cherokee Strip. The boy went froI
f bad to worse. One day he was arreste
o for stealing. He was only boy, bu
Q his offense was bad. The Judge aske
j. him why he had done the act and
s replied: 81 did it to be arrested an
T. placed somewhere, where l can lear
9 something good" They placed him
II a reform school of some sort and til
II last heard of him he bad been give
n a position as cashier in bank som
o where in Oklahoma. What was th'
's spark of intelligence that made that bt
g. think the only way for him out of
Is awful condition was to commit crime
ID And he made good.
Il. think many more make good the
le we hear of. There are some poor sou
ID to be pitied, because, 1t does seem
y though God had forgotten to put Il
a element of Good into their being. II
n Good and the Bad will ever be togeths
W Often the Bad Man makes the CO.
y Man better, stronger and wiser; VIII
Or the Good Man makes the Bad Man /
c. worse-and often makes:him better.
pr Yes, enjoyed the book you sent
r. greatly. 1t was kind of you to send
r. and l appreciate it. One subject in
% (Contsnssed n column 4 this pogs.)