As i was walking along herd a big noise &saw a horse running away with a carriage with 2children in it,&I grabed up a peace of box cover from the side walk &run in the middle of the street,&when the horse came up i smashed him over the head as hard as i could drive--the bord split to peces &the horse checked up a little &I grabbed the reigns &pulled his head down until he stopped--the gentleman what owned him came running up &soon as he saw the children were all rite,he shook hands with me and gave me a $50green back,&my asking the Lord to help me come into my head,&i was so thunderstruck i couldn't drop the reigns nor say nothing--he saw something was up,&coming back to me said,my boy are you hurt?&the thought come into my head just then to ask him for work;&i asked him to take back the bill and give me a job--says he,jump in here &lets talk about it,but keep the money--he asked me if i could take care of horses &i said yes,for i used to hang round livery stables &often would help clean &drive horses,he told me he wanted a man for that work,&would give me $16a month &bord me.You bet i took that chance at once.that nite in my little room over the stable i sat a long time thinking over my past life &of what had just happened &i just got down on my nees &thanked the Lord for the job &to help me to square it,&to bless you for putting me up to it,&the next morning i done it again &got me some new togs (CLOTHES)&a bible for i made up my mind after what the Lord had done for me i would read the bible every nite and morning,&ask him to keep an eye on me.When I had been there about a week Mr.Brown (that's his name)came in my room one nite and saw me reading the bible--he asked me if i was a Christian &i told him no--he asked me how it was i read the bible instead of papers &books--Well Charlie i thought i had better give him a square deal in the start,so i told him all about my being in prison &about you,&how i had almost done give up looking for work &how the Lord got me the job when I asked him;&the only way i had to pay him back was to read the bible &square it,&i asked him to give me a chance for 3months--he talked to me like a father for a long time,&told me i could stay &then i felt better than ever i had done in my life,for i had given Mr.Brown a fair start with me &now i didn't fear no one giving me a back cap (EXPOSING HIS PAST LIFE)&running me off the job--the next morning he called me into the library &gave me another square talk,&advised me to study some every day,&he would help me one or 2hours every nite,&he gave me a Arithmetic,a spelling book,a Geography &a writing book,&he hers me every nite--he lets me come into the house to prayers every morning,&got me put in a bible class in the Sunday School which i likes very much for it helps me to understand my bible better.
Now,Charlie the 3months on the square are up 2months ago,&as you said,it is the best job i ever did in my life,&i commenced another of the same sort right away,only it is to God helping me to last a lifetime Charlie--i wrote this letter to tell you I do think God has forgiven my sins &herd your prayers,for you told me you should pray for me--i no i love to read his word &tell him all my troubles &he helps me i know for i have plenty of chances to steal but i don't feel to as i once did &now i take more pleasure in going to church than to the theater &that wasnt so once--our minister and others often talk with me &a month ago they wanted me to join the church,but I said no,not now,i may be mistaken in my feelings,i will wait awhile,but now i feel that God has called me &on the first Sunday in July i will join the church--dear friend i wish i could write to you as i feel,but i cant do it yet--you no i learned to read and write while prisons &i aint got well enough along to write as i would talk;i no i aint spelled all the words rite in this &lots of other mistakes but you will excuse it i no,for you no i was brought up in a poor house until i run away,&that i never new who my father and mother was &i dont no my right name,&i hope you wont be mad at me,but i have as much rite to one name as another &i have taken your name,for you wont use it when you get out i no,&you are the man i think most of in the world;so i hope you wont be mad--I am doing well,i put $10a month in bank with $25of the $50--if you ever want any or all of it let me know,&it is yours.
I wish you would let me send you some now.I send you with this a receipt for a year of Littles Living Age,i didn't know what you would like &i told Mr.Brown &he said he thought you would like it--i wish i was nere you so i could send you chuck (REFRESHMENTS)on holidays;it would spoil this weather from here,but i will send you a box next thanksgiving any way--next week Mr.Brown takes me into his store as lite porter &will advance me as soon as i know a little more--he keeps a big granary store,wholesale--i forgot to tell you of my mission school,sunday school class--the school is in the sunday afternoon,i went out two sunday afternoons,and picked up seven kids (LITTLE BOYS)&got them to come in.
Two of them new as much as i did &i had them put in a class where they could learn something.i dont no much myself,but as these kids cant read i get on nicely with them.
I make sure of them by going after them every Sunday hour before school time,I also got 4girls to come.tell Mack and Harry about me,if they will come out here when their time is up i will get them jobs at once.
I hope you will excuse this long letter &all mistakes,i wish i could see you for i cant write as i would talk--i hope the warm weather is doing your lungs good--i was afraid when you was bleeding you would die--give my respects to all the boys and tell them how i am doing--i am doing well and every one here treats me as kind as they can--Mr.Brown is going to write to you sometime--i hope some day you will write to me,this letter is from your very true friend C----W----who you know as Jack Hunt.
I send you Mr.Brown's card.Send my letter to him.
Here was true eloquence;irresistible eloquence;and without a single grace or ornament to help it out.
I have seldom been so deeply stirred by any piece of writing.
