Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
The case to which I shall now refer was one in many respects
especially touching. The condemned man had occupied _a prominent
official position_. The dear, noble wife never turned away from her
husband. Hers were the kind heart and hands that ministered to his
needs and cheered the long, gloomy hours of his imprisonment. She
stood by him in his trial and during those days of agony and suspense.
Then came the verdict "Guilty," and the sentence of death! Yet, though
her own heart was breaking as she thought of herself and her
beautiful, helpless children, she still sought to cheer and comfort as
best she could that poor condemned man whose heart was torn with
anguish when he realized that because of his sin that faithful loving
wife and those innocent children must be left disgraced and destitute.
What is to become of the little ones who are powerless to help
themselves and of the poor despised, rejected, forsaken mother, trying
to earn with her own hands by toiling night and day enough to feed and
clothe those helpless babes? O my God, will you not help me to provide
a home for such as these? For the sake of these heart-broken mothers
whose lives are doomed to be (only as helped by the grace of God) one
great unending sorrow--for the sake of the poor children so cruelly
robbed of their birthright--a father's good name and protection, these
who are worse than orphans, yet for whom nobody seems to care, help
me to do what I can--what thou dost require at my hands. This man was
brought up in a Christian home and but for the power of evil
associations with which he was brought in contact and the curse of the
legalized saloon, would today in all probability have been a respected
and honorable member of society.
I first found him one Fourth of July. While others were spending the
holiday I went toiling through the heat to the prison and there I
found my reward. My soul was borne upward by the Holy Spirit as I sang
many songs of praise and tenderly led this poor man to the foot of the
cross where he was saved. His wife was there a part of the time. I
seem to see the parting even now of those dear ones! Well, God knows
it all. Had I never known a wife's and a mother's love I could not
have sympathized with them as I did. I thought--What if _my_ boy had
lived and come to such an end--and I wept with that faithful wife as
she took leave. O, sisters, there is a power in even a look of love
coming from a true heart.
I give two letters received from the condemned man and one written me
by his wife. I omit the name of place and exact date and even the
initials, as so few years have passed and I do not wish to do anything
that might bring pain to the hearts of surviving friends. The family
was of the most cultured and respected.
July, 1899.
Dear Sister Wheaton:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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