Carson City, Nev., April 18, 1901.
The Gospel Trumpet Pub. Co.,
Moundsville, W. Va.
Dear Friends: Your kind letter and the books were duly received, for which please accept my thanks. I read your letter to the men one Sunday morning just at the opening of service. The effect of its kindly expressions upon the men in general I am unable to state, but personally I wish to thank you. I have read your books and like them. I like the plain speaking which I find there, in denouncing this makebelieve Christianity. Above all men, the prisoner is quick to see the non-practice of the teachings of Jesus by his professed followers, and seeing it, they conclude it is all pretense. I speak of those who read the Bible. Consequently very few make any effort to lead a true life, and care very little for Christian reading. Of course they are wrong in that respect, as they have been in many others, but being blind they are unable to see, I know, and so does any one who thinks or reads, that our penal systems are of the most unChristlike nature possible, breathing more of the spirit of hell than of the spirit that lifts heavenward. Why our people will continue in this spirit I know not. Perhaps some time a true soul will arise in this special subject and bring about more righteous conditions. God grant that it be so.
With many thanks for your kindly interest in the prisoner, and for the books sent, I am, with Christian love, Respectfully yours,
E. S. ——, Life Prisoner.
Jonesboro, Ark.
Dear Friend: We received your letter and books. We were so glad to get them. We were playing cards when the sheriff handed them to us. We laid the cards away and went to reading, and the more we read the more interested we became. I have prayed to God to forgive me of my sins and I believe he does, and I want you to pray for me. There are three other men in here that have turned to God, and it all came about through the letters and books. We thank you for the Testament. Pray for us and please send us more of those books and papers. They help us so much.
FROM A PRISON WORKER.
The prison work is growing and precious souls are being saved. It is wonderful how readily these men accept the full teaching of the Bible, taking Christ as their Savior and Healer. When I read their letters so cheerful and so happy in Jesus, it makes me to rejoice. The work is spreading from state to state and calls are coming in for pure literature. The state prisons have libraries in them, but they are filled with novels (so the prisoners tell me), and they desire something better. When these books and papers are put in their hands they forsake the cards and novels and read something that will do them good. We thank God for those who have helped us so much in this work, but our need this morning is greater than ever because the work is greater, and we are praying God to touch the hearts of his people to supply the free-literature fund with ample means to send us another shipment of books and tracts. A prisoner in Jefferson City and one in Menard, Ill. have permission to distribute books and tracts they receive and they are faithfully discharging their duty. May God help us to keep them supplied, and not them only but other prisons as well. We do not feel like it is God’s will for us to quit the field now and turn it over to the enemy when souls are being saved. Let each one do his duty and the work can be carried on without any one feeling the burden. Your co-laborer in the work,