Charles Peace, or The Adventures of a Notorious Burglar

by Anonymous

Indeed he had no doubt that he would he restored to them.

He said he had asked the father and mother to forgive him for the great wrong he had done them, and had begged of them to ask their son when he came home to forgive him as well. He should be dead then; but he hoped to have the forgiveness of them all.

Since he had confessed to the crime he had been much happier than he was before; and he hoped his confession would be believed.

Suddenly arousing himself the convict said, “I have a good thing to tell you;” and he proceeded to relate the following remarkable incident:—

He said, “You have often heard ministers and others speak of the value of a soul and what sacrifices they would make to be the means of the conversion of one soul. I believe that, base and bad as I am, I have been the means of the conversion of one man. It occurred when I was brought down from Pentonville to Sheffield on the first occasion to be tried.

“There was a traveller to Manchester in the same train, and when we reached Sheffield he left his carriage and came out of mere curiosity to see me taken by the warders from the train to the cab.

“He went back to his carriage very much impressed with what he had seen of me and heard about me, and began to think about his own past life, and where such a life was likely to lead him. He could not shake off the feelings that had taken possession of him; he began to pray, and has since become a Christian.

“He has written to the chaplain, telling him all the story, and assuring him that through me he had believed, and had found salvation. He asked the chaplain if the prison rules would allow of it, to bring his letter and read it to me, and he has done so.

“Who would have thought,” repeated Peace, “that a bad, base man as I am should have been the means of the conversion of anybody? There is just that one good thing I have done, at any rate.”

Peace then told them that he had received letters from several persons whose houses he had robbed, telling him that they forgave him, and that they were praying for him.