SOME years ago, while conducting a series of meetings in Michigan City, I was asked to preach to the convicts in the State prison. I sat on the platform while the prisoners marched in, 700 men, young and old. They marched in lock-step every man’s hand on the shoulder of the man before him. At the word of command they sat down. Among that number there were seventy-six “lifers,” men who had been committed to prison for life for the crime of murder.
After the singing I arose to preach, but could hardly speak for weeping. Disregarding all the rules of the prison, in my earnestness to help the poor, fallen men, I left the platform and walked down the aisle among them, taking one and then another by the hand and praying for him. At the end of the row of men who were committed for murder, sat a man who, more than his fellows, seemed marked by sin’s blighting curse. His face was seamed and ridged with scars and marks of vice and sin. He looked as though he might be a demon incarnate, if once aroused to anger. I placed my hand upon his shoulder and wept and prayed with and for him.
When the service was over, the governor said to me, “Well, Kain, do you know you have broken the rules of the prison by leaving the platform?” “Yes, governor, but I never can keep any rule while preaching. And I did want to get up close to the poor, despoiling fellows, and pray for them, and tell them of the love of Jesus the Saviour. “He came to seek and to save that which was lost.” “This Man [Jesus] receiveth sinners and eateth with them’" (Luke 19:10; 15:210For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:2))
“Do you remember,” said the governor, “the man at the end of the line in the lifers’ row, whom you prayed with? Would you like to hear his history?” “Yes,” I answered, “gladly.” “Well, here it is in brief. Tom Galson was sent here about eight years ago for the crime of murder. He was, without doubt, one of the most desperate and vicious characters we had ever received, and, as was expected, gave us a great deal of trouble.
“About six years ago, duty compelled me to spend the night at the prison, instead of at home as I had anticipated. Early in the morning, while it was yet dark, I left the prison for my home, my pockets full of presents for my little girl. It was a bitter cold morning, and I buttoned my overcoat up to protect myself from the cutting wind that swept in from the lake. As I hurried along, I thought I saw somebody skulking in the shadow of the prison wall. I stopped and looked a little more closely, and then saw a little girl, wretchedly clothed in a thin dress, her bare feet thrust into a pair of shoes much the worse for wear. In her hand she held tightly clasped, a small paper parcel. Wondering who she was, and why she was out so early in the morning, and yet too weary to be interested, I hurried on. But I soon heard that I was being followed. I stopped, and turned around, and there before me stood the same wretched-looking child.
"‘What do you want?’ I asked sharply.
" ‘Are you the governor of the prison, sir?’
"‘Yes, who are you, and why are you not at home?’
"‘Please, sir, I have no home; mamma died in the poor-house two weeks ago, an’ she told me just before she died that papa, that is Tom Galson, was in prison; an’ she thought that maybe he would like to see his little girl, now that mamma is dead. Please can’t you let me see my papa? I want to give him a present.’
" ‘No,’ I replied gruffly, ‘you will have to wait until visitors’ day,’ and started on. I had not gone many steps when I felt a pull at my coat, and a pleading voice said, ‘Please, don’t go., I stopped once more, and looked into the pinched beseeching face before me. Great tears were in her eyes, while her little chin quivered with emotion.
"‘Mister,’ she said, ‘if your little girl was me, and your little girl’s mamma had died in the poor-house, an’ her papa was in the prison, an’ she had no place to go an’ no one to love her, don’t you think she would like to see her papa? If your little girl came to me, if I was governor of the prison, an’ asked me to please let her see her papa to give him a present, don’t you—don’t you think I would say, Yes?’
“By this time a great lump was in my throat, and my eyes were swimming in tears. I answered, ‘Yes, my little girl, I think you would, and you shall see your papa’; and, taking her hand, I hurried back to the prison, thinking of my own fair-haired little girl at home. Arriving in my office, I bade her come near the warm stove, while I sent a guard to bring No. 37 from his cell. As soon as he came into the office he saw the little girl. His face clouded with an angry frown, and in a gruff, savage tone he snapped out: "‘Nellie, what are you doing here? What do you want? Go back to your mother.’ Please papa,’ sobbed the little girl, ‘mamma’s dead. She died two weeks ago in the poor-house, an’ before she died she told me to take care of little Jimmie, ‘cause you loved him so; an’ told me to tell you she loved you, too—but, papa,’— and her voice broke in sobs and tears— ‘Jimmie died, too, last week, an’ now I am alone, papa, an’ —and I thought, maybe as you loved Jimmie, you would like a little present from him,’
“Here she unrolled the little bundle she held in her hand, until she came to a little package of tissue paper, from which she tool, out a little fair curl, and put it in her father’s hand, saying, as she did so: ‘I cut it from dear little Jimmie’s head, papa, just afore they buried him.’
“No. 37 by his time was sobbing like a child, and so was I. Stooping down, 37 picked of the little girl, pressed her convulsively to his breast while his great frame shook with suppressed emotion.
“The scene was too sacred for me to look upon, so I softly opened the door and left them alone. In about an hour I returned. No. 37 sat near the stove, with his little daughter on his knee. He looked at me sheepishly for a moment, and then said, ‘Governor, I haven’t any money’; then suddenly stripping off his prison jacket, he said, ‘Don’t let my little girl go out this bitter cold day with that thin dress. Let me give her this coat. I’ll work early and late; I’ll do anything. I’ll be a man. Please, governor, let me cover her with this coat.’ Tears were streaming down the face of the hardened man.
" ‘No, Galson,’ I said, ‘keep your coat; your little girl shall not suffer. I’ll take her to my home and see what my wife can do for her.’ ‘God bless you,’ sobbed Galson. I took the girl to my home. She remained with us a number of years and became a true Christian by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s Book shows man’s need and God’s remedy (Rom. 3:9-249What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:9‑24); John 3:1-161There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:1‑16)).
A year ago, when I visited the prison again, the governor said to me, “Kain, would you like to see Tom Galson, whose story I told you a few years ago?”
“Yes, I would,” I answered.
The governor took me down a quiet street, and stopping at a neat home, knocked at the door. The door was opened by a cheerful woman, who greeted the governor with the utmost cordiality.
We went in, and then the governor introduced me to Nellie and her father, who, because of his information, had received pardon, and was now living an upright Christian life with his daughter, whose little gift had broken his hard heart. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5; 5:65But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). And, dear reader, He died for YOU! Will you not trust Him too?
ML-12/25/1960