Page:Prison-Life Thoughts.djvu/25

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PRISON-LIFE THOUGHTS.
17

got full attention; so I continued during the evening. When the lecture was over, I heard one of them say brusquely to the others, "Tom, this is a damn good lecture, we'll come again." "I'll bet you," responded two others. These six men came every week regularly, until I had them weaned from rum, tobacco, gross food, swearing, and they turned out splendid, noble-hearted and whole-souled gentlemen, who have followed me for years, and until I was taken to this cell; and as I was conducted toward the prison, I saw two of them weeping for their vulgar lecturer! Now, then, you howling slanderers, where is your wisdom, and my malice and obscenity? Better hide your soft heads under a bushel. I hope a word to the wise will suffice.


Money is the God of this universe, and just so long, and in proportion, as you deal honestly with filthy lucre (no matter how much you cheat the bodies and souls of men out of their real wants, and spit in God's
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