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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CONCLUSION

In conclusion I wish to thank all those good people who have worked so hard and faithfully and done so much for the boys in gray. May the good Lord bless them and theirs. From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have extended to me the hand of friendship and good fellowship; I shall do my best to show that I am worthy of such friendship. Towards the state of Nebraska, my conscience is clear, as well as towards those unfortunate boys at Lancaster. I challenge anyone to show where I have converted to my personal use one penny belonging either to them or to the state, or to show where I have committed one single act unbecoming a gentleman while in the service of the state. I pride myself on having brought order out of the chaos that the former incumbent of the office so kindly left for me. I feel pleased and happy that the

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governor and the warden were satisfied with my work. Those who read this book, I thank them for their patience. To those busybodies who for a long time have been so busy criticising (sic) me, I have said much in foregoing chapters. To them I shall say no more except, to quote to them a poem by Richard Mansfield:

"If once at bay I touched a crime

In boyhood's hot-head heedless time

And all my neighbors rang the chime

Wherever I might wander,

Do you believe I could outlive,

Or that my neighbors would forgive

That stretching chain of slander?

Do you believe that I could rise

And by my doughty deeds and wise

Wash out that blot, I wonder?

Or if I strived in doing good,

And saving all the souls I could

Wherever I might wander,

Would that one stain upon my name

Outweigh my labor and my fame?

Alas! You know it would.

Would all my struggles, all my tears,

For days and nights, for months, for years,

Be ever understood?

My sorrow and my piteous prayer

Might reach Almighty's gracious ear

But would my neighbor hear?"

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"Oh, gentle kind!
Oh, kind mankind!
Oh, thieves and liars deaf and blind,
But never, never dumb.
Oh, beasts that drabble in your pen,
And beasts that wear the garb of men,
What honor to be one!
Could I have hid that early crime
And tuned. my sycophantine chime
To key with pleasing lies
And stuff beast's loathsome belly full
And pat his elephantine hull,
Or please his amorous eyes,
How good were I! How wise were I!
How well I'd live! How damned I'd die!"

My soul is filled with peace and my heart is full of joy. It matters not to me that my neighbors will not hear my piteous prayers, for well do I know that they will reach the gracious ear of Him, Who said to the robber upon the cross: "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

THE END

ANNOUNCEMENT

We beg to announce another book to go to
press about February 1, 1914, entitled,

SATAN'S WIFE
OR
Marjorie, Queen of Hell,

BY
WALTER WILSON
(Author of "Hell in Nebraska")

A book written for a purpose. Deals mostly with sin in high places. Written by a sinner for sinners to read. If you have not committed at least one sin in your life you will not be permitted to buy one of these books. Not a sermon by a long ways, yet it may serve as a text for one. Our artists are preparing a set of illustrations, the like of which you never saw before, illustrations that are extremely superb-oh, so rich! Our attorneys are looking it over. There will be no collision with the federal mail inspectors.

Watch for our coming out.

THE BANKERS PUBLISHING COMPANY
320 First National Bank Building
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA