The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-07-09
GREAT CRY FOR
ANOTHER CHANCE
We Shall Surely Have 1t if We Put Our
Minds at Work Determined to Win Our
Way Possibilities are Determined
by Every Mans Mind Power.
FIRST HELP YOURSELF
The Summary


no exception. If we could have
seen what out and out fools we
were without having to be shown,
and would have denied ourselves
some of the things which costs us
our freedom, we might have seen
also that the above statement is
nothing short of truth.
There is no other time in mans
life when he wishes he had not done
the act which cost him his liberty,
and what is dearer, his good name
than when he is found out, and at
at no other time does he make so
many resolutions as to the things
he would do if he were only given
another chance.
Perhaps it were better for some
of us if we had not seen the inside
of penal institution and were al
lowed to forget our transgressions
in our efforts to better ourselves in
free life, for it requires good men,
ory to remember the many resolu-
tions made when one says: If only
had another chance"
But for the majority of us am
not SO sure that it was not the best
chance we ever had to be sent here
where the object is to teach and
discipline us that we may be re-
formed and become on release, hon
est and industrious citizens.
Some of us cannot, or will not
learn trade unless we are made to
do it.
Cultivate Ability
Only by cultivating the ability
and the habit of work can we be
saved from completely running cur
character. In the industrial in
struction each of us receives here.
the intention is to impart in us
training that will insure the choice
of trade one is fitted for, the de-
velopment of a character that will
not stoop to baseness, and the ac-
quisition of the skill, the ambition
and the spirit that will lead their
possessor to honorably seek all the
advantages within his reach.
A persons possibilities in life are
determined by his natural powers
of mind and body as helped or him
dered by the elements of chance in
his surroundings or opportunities.
Wisdom is knowing what to do
with the powers one has. large or
small. Virtue is doing that thing.
God has honored man, not by
placing him in heaven first, but by
insrusting to him the mighty task
of working out his own destiny, and
thus of being the creator of his own
world; endowlDg him with will
and physical realm of wonderful
possibilities but doing nothing for
him that he can do for himself.
He who fails to be usefnl or de-
sirable in some way can never hope
to count for much among men.
God helps those who first do their
best to help themselves.
The duty of each person is to
simply make the best use he can of
the body and the mind with which
he has been endowed, and of the op-
portunities within his reach. Act
well your part: therein the honor
lies"
Desire for Better Things
The desire for better and higher
things, when honorable, is a noble
desire, but each individual must
prove his right to all he would de-
pend upon possessing, for nothing
but holding by deserving, admits of
justice, and to do well the work one
has in hand is generally the sign of
rising powers or of individual de-
sert for better things.
With reasonable, faith and hope
in future we shall find that faith
full effort to do our best will make
life our present sphere. quite passa-
BILE, and when we learn to get the
most good from our powers and are
ready to re-enter the world, let
us try to shape out conditions as
favorable as possible for living
good and successful life.
When we have increased in
knowledge, efficiency, honesty and
reasoning capacity, we will see that
it is not with impunity that we can
obtain ANYTHING of value without
full payment in return, but only
thru, aud according to our individual
manifestations of merit. will human
sociotv ran 1ar ua an acr ountinU