I used to think at nite what you said, & for it i nocked off swearing months before my time was up, for i saw it want no good, nohow—­the day my time was up you told me if i would shake the cross (quit stealing) & live on the square for months, it would be the best job i ever done in my life.  The state agent give me a ticket to here, & on the car i thought more of what you said to me, but didn’t make up my mind.  When we got to Chicago on the cars from there to here, I pulled off an old woman’s leather; (robbed her of her pocketbook) i hadn’t no more than got it off when i wished i hadn’t done it, for awhile before that i made up my mind to be a square bloke, for months on your word, but forgot it when i saw the leather was a grip (easy to get)—­but i kept clos to her & when she got out of the cars at a way place i said, marm have you lost anything. & she tumbled (discovered) her leather was off (gone)—­is this it says i, giving it to her—­well if you aint honest, says she, but i hadn’t got cheak enough to stand that sort of talk, so i left her in a hurry.  When i got here i had $1 and 25 cents left & i didn’t get no work for 3 days as i aint strong enough for roust about on a steam bote (for A deck hand)—­The afternoon of the 3rd day I spent my last 10 cts for moons (large, round sea-biscuit) & cheese & i felt pretty rough & was thinking i would have to go on the dipe (picking pockets) again, when i thought of what you once said about a fellows calling on the Lord when he was in hard luck, & i thought i would try it once anyhow, but when i tryed it i got stuck on the start, & all i could get off wos, Lord give a poor fellow a chance to square it for 3 months for Christ’s sake, amen; & i kept a thinking, of it over and over as i went along—­about an hour after that i was in 4th St. & this is what happened & is the cause of my being where i am now & about which i will tell you before i get done writing.  As i was walking along herd a big noise & saw a horse running away with a carriage with 2 children 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 $50 green 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