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A Message

  • Author: Tapley, Rose E.
  • Editor: B-7413
  • Newspaper: The Umpire volume 6
  • Page Number:
  • Date: 1 17 1917
  • Tags:
  • advice
  • letter
  • A MESSAGE To the Men at Eastern State Penitentiary Greeting: It is New Year's eve and I am on the train at Iron Mountain en route to w Wilmington, N. C. It is the last day of the b old year with all of its mistakes, its disappointments, its heartaches-and I can not but think of you all there in Philadelphia- with your year of regrets, mistakes and heartaches, and so :nehow I feel compelled to write you just a little message of love and hope for this coming year. I heard a very good sermon today, the text of which was, "Let the-dead past bury its dead,'' and it strikes me as being peculiarly applicable to you boys, and I am going to give that text to you. As 1 look back to my visit to the auditorium I can not but think of hovv much splendid manhood 1-here was within those walls, bravely, simply and courageously paying the penalty for their misdeeds to their fellowmen" -to society, but most of all to their own splendid manhood. [ saw men of you there with brilliant minds -men of you there with lovable natures-men of you who can and will yet accomplish much that is worth while-but you must first bury your dead. You must bury your enmity, your hatred, your sense of any injury done you. You must blot out the past of your life and start a new life from today. We have all made mistakes. The man who claims himself sinless is a liar and a hypocrite, but it is the man who takes the punishment of his sin as a man who after all is really worth while. ''Let the dead past bury its dead." Start the New Year with a clean slate, cleanse your heart and strive to be worthy of the best within you. We can be what we desire if we will work for our ambition. Through the many weary, lonely hours just have a little heart to heart talk with yourself, find out honestly what kind of a chap you really are-then get right down to hard pan and start in making yourself into the "kind of a chap you would like to be. Just concentrate on that one idea "I am a man with a man's talents-a man's abilities-a m'an's ambitions, and I will accomplish something worth while. I will prove to myself that I am man enough to profit by my mistakes and will succeed -in spite of them;" but, dear boys, unless you also have the simple faith of your childhood, success and all will avail you nothing. ยท Don't expect a change of faith all at once -you have got to earn it by degrees; but do your best and try it. I wish you would make the effort and that you may have the real happiness and practical help I get every day from doing God's will. Why, men, I never make a speech but that I ask God t0 inspire me, and sometimes I do not know a word I am going to say until I get started. Try my God and your God, please. Just give him a fair trial-just be judge and jury and just try out the case-yourself. "Let the dead past bury its dead" and live for the future and for the best of the manhood within you-with God's help and direction. ) send my very best wishes and greetings to you, my brothers, and hope this New Year will mark an epoch in the life of us all, for better living and a greater realization of the wonderful powers within ourselves, if we but trust in our Maker. Trusting that God will bless you all, I am Sincerely yours, ROSE E. TAPLEY. *This communication was not received in time for last issue. -------EDITOR.