Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume] (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830, 1827-02-10

~ '~ P'""'S WHICH olOssOm NJ
IS. flourish nnder the light ofthe sun a,
e. the airs from heaven, but which in Il
n noIsome damps Of dung con lose the
IL freshness, change their odour for ra nj
Al ness and Their beauty for deformit
IL these men seem to have been lowere
:e from their first nature, and to have un
IS dergone similar degration. But frigh,
p fu' and painful as was the approach /
b this scene ofhorrors, every further ste
i became infinitely more so.
At the period of nay visit 10 thi
; place for some reason-peihaps on &C
count OF the large number of criminals $
they were not confined in the cells con
monty allotted for such purposes, bu
were all placed together, in a long room
on wha: might be called the first floor
OF the building. A staircase of stone
led to Il, and as the edifice stood with.
ina courtyard, the entrance 10 Which
was secured by several lates and pas.
! sages. il mad not been thought necessa
ry 10 fasten The door Of the room. II
was long whitewashed chamber, light.
ed by small windows, which we're Sc
cured with thick iron bars. At one end
lay the mattiesse and bedding of the
inmates, rolled up in as small a compass
as possible. 10 be out Of the way a
small wooden desk, furnished with ma.
tcrials for writing, stood near them. Al
The other end of he chamber .bere was
chimney, in which fire, as dull az
the weather, was c0n.uiri ng. A icDg
deal table, with benches on each side.
stood in the middle of the room and
on the lighi hand was large leaden
sink, furnished with water for the use
of the prisoners. Everything was kept
scruPulously clean but. at the same !
time, 30 bare and desolate an appear
ance prevailed throughout the room,
that if all the other circumstances of
horrour had been absent, there was e.
nongh in the mere look of the pla:e to
make ones blood run cold. But the
people the huniad beings Of whom
This was for time The abiding place
they formed IA sight. the most revolving
and which wors9 can hardly Iesc,i ibe.
At The desk bear the lower end of the
room young man was engaged in writ
Ing letter. lie was pale and looked
i'll, but his features were hand, ONE and
his clothes made in the extreme off
fashion: hanging ever him stood a
yoang woman dressed in gay but awk-
ward manner her clohe we're Of very
description, but tawdry, and
unsuitable for the weather and the time r
Of days When she looked up, recog. a
nised one Of those unfortunate women, :
whom " the dangerous gift of beauty !
las brought to the most fatal dest,uc-
ion. The appearance OF these two c
PERSONS in this place Of unmixed wretch s
'dness. aud among people upon whoma
'rivations and confinement had fixed :.
heir hard and degrading stamp. form !
ID distressing contrast and sense =
{ the ridiculous which intruded itself a
mong the other sensations to which
he scene gave rise, made it horrible. u
The young man was an artist of re spec =
able talents he had been long pur-
ulng dishonest courses, and at length, .
eing engaged in a burglary, he was L
en'enced to death. The female had Ie
hared his short lived prosperity. aid b
ow with rare fidelity, clave to him in {,
is lost fortunes, when all the world 7"
esides had abandoned him. This in. 20
ance Of the power Of that passion N.
hich rules the world, struck me as n,
ore remarkable than many Of those "a
stances Of sffection that are cited as in
eroic. Here were two persons whose M
yes had been base and proalgate to the SC
ST degree that Of the woman too vile y
be thought upon -and yet the holy 4,
ID purifying passion which neither e.
&c, nor crime, nor misery e0ai'l ex. I