The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-12-17
After He Discovered The
Right Way.
THE STORY OF AN Ex-CONv|CT
How He Was Rescued From
Ruin When Fate Seem.
ed Against Him.
THIS CHRISTMAS ALL RIGHT

entitled MY Best Christmas" The
prize-winning letters are published
in the December number. The fol-
lowing letter from an ex-convict
won first prize. For obvious reas-
ons his signature is withheld:
1T was the year of 1907. Per-
haps it is hard to understand how a
man out of work, broke, no home,
few friends and nothing much to
look forward to, could say that at
such a time he experienced his best
Christmas, but such is fact.
'In August, 1907, l was turned
adrift into the world with a tive-dol-
lar bill. a misfit suit of clothes,
and a railroad ticket to the place
was sent from. | did not receive a
cordial reception there, so | drifted
around until November, 1907, when
| arrived in Chicago, hunted and
bounded by "fy cops" l was GER
tainly up against it.
Seeing crowd at State and Con-
gress Streets one Sunday, | became
curious to know what was going on,
also thought there might be Poke
| could lift, when, 10 and behold, on
the front seat of Psalm Singing
outfit was an old pal. who informed
people he had now accepted Christ.
Seeing me he told me how Jesus
loved even men like me.
Something in his manner con-
vinced me, and on the following
night Harry Monroe, superintend'
ent of Pacific Garden Mission in Chi
cago, shook my hand after | had
prayed God to help me be straight,
and l went out to do something
had never done before-'earn an
honest living
mo one would hire an ex-con-
Wet; but finally, three weeks before
Christmas, | secured job as
'Bouncer' in Chicago's biggest lodg-
ing house, The Vestibule,' receiv-
ing fifty cents day for twelve
hours work. God only knows how
happy | was to tell the folks at the
Mission that / was earning honest
money.
''The fight to keep straight had
been terrific. l carried the banner
night after night-not a pleasant
thing to do in Chicago during win
ter. Free lunch could be had in sa-
looms, but my Christ did not go.
there, neither would |. Old pals
were ready to help me, but l had
cut loose from the whole thing.
you may realize what that job
at fifty cents day meant to me. 1t
meant food, shelter, and a stimulus
to the new hope within me. The
crash came four days before Christ
mas, when | was called to the Office
by the manager and fired because he
had heard what l used to be. In
vain | pleaded, telling him of my
taking God into my life; but he
would not listen to me.
"One would think, then, that the
Christmas to come in four days
would be rather blue for me,
but it was not. The Mission served
dinner to every down and out who
would come, and | took part in the
much so that | forgot
to serve myself. Then l was broke
and hungry-no home, few friends
to make anyone down.
cast; but my heart was light because
i was honest, at peace with God, and
had worked-really worked and
knew | was capable to make my way
II the chance should ever come.
We'll, it came. This Christmas I
will be in my own home, wife and
darling baby by my side, aud my
dear girl and are both agreed that
| shall call the Christmas of 1907
the happiest in my life because il
was at that time the real foundation
of the character was formed which
now makes me a respected member
of the community in which reside.
a valued employe OF large corpora
ton, good salary. and future that
looms brighter every day.
Men do come back, no matter
how far they have gone down. The
One whose birth We commemorate
on December 25th is the only Path
to take, and my first Christmas in
Him will always remain in my
memory as the happiest in my life."
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