Then, if you please, I will expect you on Friday. All right, I'll come around Friday. Good day, sir. So on Friday the student goes to the prison of his own accord, and is admitted. It is questionable if the world's criminal history can show a custom more odd than this.
Nobody knows, now, how it originated.
One day I was listening to some conversation upon this subject when an American student said that for some time he had been under sentence for a slight breach of the peace and had promised the constable that he would presently find an unoccupied day and betake himself to prison. I asked the young gentleman to do me the kindness to go to jail as soon as he conveniently could, so that I might try to get in there and visit him, and see what college captivity was like. He said he would appoint the very first day he could spare. His confinement was to endure twenty-four hours. He shortly chose his day, and sent me word.