The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-03
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DlFFuslvE VARIATIONS
By Req

here should center our thoughts up.
on the day when we shall walk
out free men and to anticipate tina,
day with pleasure. But, do we not
most frequently, dwell too long upon
that one day and in 80 doing give
slight heed to the more important
days that are to follow. the days
that are to make or break our future!
AS our exile here of restitution
grows short and we glimpse the
dawn of another opportunity, we are
trying to weigh the penalty of pris-
on years on the scales of chance and
see if there is a turn in the balance
that will cause us to turn our back
to the laws of God and man and
shake the hand of lost regrets good
bye. But try as we will. in the sum-
ming up of laws and other impedi-
ments that are a part of prison ex-
istence. with those of opportunities
that prevail here or wherever man
abides, we cannot find an excuse for
the continuance of degradation, ex-
cept we will it 80.
As the deductions are such, we
stand upon the border of future
years as an equal to any man regard
less Of our past for. as l heard a de-
parting inmate express his future
plans. Il do not intend to let my
past interfere with my future" This
man, branded as you and l with the
stigma of prison confinement, tram
pied beneath his feet the iniquity of
bis past and brushed aside the skep-
tic barriers that Swallowed the bright
ness that awaits him as it awaits you
and if we but assume the same at
titude and exercise our wills.
l find today as in the past, that
mans life in prison is similar to his
Lie upon the outside-it is nothing
more or less than what we make it.
With the exception of a change in
social conditions there are no mate
rial differences. Opportunity that
which we are ever seeking and sell
dom recognize-meets you here just
as frequently as anywhere else and
will greet you if you but extend
your hand.
We do not agree with some, that
the years passed in prison are years
wasted, to be torn from our book of
life as useless; for where is the man
or woman who can produce the sum
total of years lived showing aught
but usefulness?
Society's attitude today toward
the released prisoner is not the scorn-
full repulsiou that the departing in
mate of yesterday had to contend
with, and those whom you meet
when you go back to the world again,
those who point the finger of
scorn, are not of much Importance
and should not retard you in your
efforts to regain lost standing.
Take up your life of honesty wher-
ever you have dropped it from
your careless hands and follow
it. as you trust the lips that spoke it
when you knew naught but good.
We are getting away from the
primitive idea that a culprit should
be judged by law, and We trust a
time will come when a culprit shall
not be judged wholly by his past.
/ had the pleasure of once listening
to Harry H. Wolff, the most success
full lecturer ever associated with the
show world who. in 1906 was with
the MONDAY Carnival Co.. took hold
of a concession. or pit show" that
was on it's last legs and was about to
prove bloomer, and turned the peo-
pie away in less than two stands. The
pit show mentioned was the Abyssi-
MIA Snake Girl-then in its prime
and considered a feature-and
memorized part of his lecture that in
conjunction with his vivid PERSONAL
ity, marked him as the greatest car
nival lecturer of that time.
His lecture in part: My friends,
am going to talk to you little while
before the show begins; l am going
to tell you something about the
strange creature on exhibition upon
the inside-the Abyssinia Snake Girl
During my travels in the interest
of science and research, accidently
discovered tribe of snake worship
pers IN the southern part of the land
of Abyssinia and managed to secure
this strange girl to place upon exhi-
bltion.
1t is not remarkable when we gaze
upon idolatry as it is practiced in
some parts of foreign lands; but it is
most remarkable when we gaze upon
this strange creature who has been