The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-20
nmbO--A Heart Story

it when next YOU arc there; tell them ]
came 10 you, and Just see what they say
about 1t. Bet Your life they won { be-
lievc it possible - / saw at once that
there was more to his coming than ap
cpared on the surface, and little by lit
tie ! gained the story. You sec, Lit
tlc Mother he said 81 was not a
member of your league. [ am not even
religious. Religion am t in my line. |
want to be honest with you, and so |
tell you this, and 10 speak the truth, ]
did not want to come TO you, ] was
born aud brought up to it, and never
did nothing else for living. l guess
too, | was born idle, for I never worked
outside of prison in my life, nor in pris
on either if | could helD it. 1 did not
90 10 your meetings mp in Sing Sing, as
/ say, religion ain Z III my line. But [
saw the change IT made in my old pals.
They sand. Look here. Jumbo. you have
been IN prison time and time again. and
it IS time you quit This kind of life
don { paw and If YOU are ever going to
turn over new leaf il s time you be-.
gan now, Well. told them that was
all true enough, but what was the use7
How could an old-time crook make any
thing of his life9
Little Mother Wants Us.
''Then they said. The Little Mother
wants US te 60 to her, and she s prom
ISed TO give us a chance but l said,
Oh, get along. M not going TO impose
on her. | ain t religious, and she don't
want me. But they talked and talked
and said, give her a chance to prove
her word aud at last / said. 'All right,
[ will 90 TO her. but bless your soul,
| they know me, and | don Z believe they
thought for moment / would keep my
word. But you can 90 back, Little
Mother, and tell them / we come. - Then
change passed over him. He turned
from the Joke of the thing to the trag-
edy beneath the surface, In few terse
sentences he laid bare the barren past
! He did not boast Of his crimes, he did
not make light Of his sins: he simply
stated all the facts as patient might
speak of symptoms in consulting ply
scian, and then he turned and asked
VIII YOU have me in Hope halle Is it
worth having a try at me2 I don Z
| know that III like q straight life.
don t know that | III want to stay, /
don t know as | can be honest, but
am willing to let YOU try if you think
il s any use" [ assured him that
did think 1T we'll worth while. / de
scrbcd the home we had opened for
lust such men. [ told how well many
of them were doing, and then I wrote
letter Of introduction to the superin,
tendent in charge of Hope hall which
would insure hlm welcome. Before he
left, rs he stretched ont his hand to
bid me goodbye, l said, ''Now, before
you 90, / want You to kneel down with
me; we will pray for God S blessing on
the step YOU are taking a look of
bewlldered terror swept across his face.
Evidently this was not IN his line, for
he gasped out. "Oh. mo- / couidn't It. |
never prayed in my whole life" But
seeing the look Of resolution in my face
he added politely, "WcI, | II knccI
down. but you will have to do the pray.
ing So we knelt together in the
presence of the One who can gather in
, his tender and loving hands the broken
and contrite hearts of men, changing
, them and Citing them with the wond
, rous now things Of life Nv friend kucll
/ holding tight to his hat for moral sup
port. while his eyes, wide open, were
t fixed upon my face, ready to take alarm
0 at any unexpected religious manifesto
Y ton, and | tried 10 talk as simply and