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Show A BLESSING INJISGUISE The American Magazine has been holding a contest and offering prizes for the best letters on the subject "My Biggest Piece of Luck." Following Follow-ing Is ono of the prize winnlfig letters let-ters taken from the January number: "You wouldn't expect to strike luck through being sent to Jail, would you? Nevertheless, that Is what happened to a friend of mine. For obvious reasons I use a fictitious name. "Robert Fulsome was an exceptionally exception-ally talented young man. Ho was admitted ad-mitted to the bar In Now York, and his future seemed bright and assured. assur-ed. But he went Into politics, fell Into bad company, and took to drink. Ho lost his practice and descended literally to the gutter. Tho taBto for liquor once acquired, It is almost Impossible Im-possible to free ono's self from It. It becomes a disease. It did with Fulsomn, sapping his will power, and he had not the means to bo treated for It. There seemed no hope for him, and he gnvo up to despair. The last blow camo when he got Into a drunken brawl nnd was sent to Black well's Island for throe months. But tho penitentiary proved his saving nnd making. As long as ho was free ho was ablo to get liquor the vilest sort of Btuff in somo way. Wo watch closely tho ndulteratlon of foods, but we allow saloons to exist which Bell nlleged whisky at prices that on their face provo tho stuff they dispenso is terribly adulterated 'and rank poison. "In the 'pen' Fulsome was compelled compel-led to lead a regular, clean life on wholesome, plain diet, nnd It was impossible for him to obtain any intoxicating in-toxicating liquor. At first ho suffered suffer-ed terribly from tho deprivation, but nt tho end of two months ho was a now man in mind nnd body, nnd had entirely lost tho craving for drink Now ho was a very hnndsomo, attractive attrac-tive man, and fell under tho notice of a wealthy charitable woman who ono day visited the prison. She learned learn-ed hlB history from tho deputy warden, war-den, nnd determined to give him i chanco to redeem himself. She visited vis-ited tho prison ngaln, nnd had a long talk with him tho result of which was that upon his agreeing to take tho pledge though he fo'.t now It was unnecessary and go West to her homo city, she promised to look after him and provide liberally for bis necessities until ho should be-como be-como ublo to provide for hlinbcir. "This happened five years u:;c Today To-day Fulsome Is her son-ln-Iaw, Is wealthy, and Is one of the most rroin-lnont rroin-lnont lawyers nnd rospectod citizens In his State. He has never again touched a drop of strong liquor and tho very odor of whisky slckons him. Ho told me that tho 'pen' cured him more effectually than any sanitarium sanitari-um could havo done, nnd that the luckiest thing that over happcriPil to him and It cortnlnly was was tho thing that nt tho time seemed tho climax of his misfortunes helps sent to Jail! It proved a blessing In dls gulso, as do so many things that at tho tlmo they occur crush us with despair." |