Washington sentinel., 1854-01-01
Fanny Fern In the Tombs.


what she says about it in the New York Musical
World and Times:
81 am weary of this hollow show and glitter
weary of fashions sterreotyped lay-fgures-
weary of smirkiDg fops and brainless bellies,
exchanging their small coin of fattery and
their endless genuhexions. Let us go out
OF Broadway omewhere-anywhere Turn
round the wheel, Dame Fortune, and show up
the other side.
"The Tombs! we never thought to be there
nevertheless, we are not to be frightened by a
grated door or stone wall, so we pass in; leav-
ing behind the soft wind of this Indian simmer
day, to lift the autumn leaves as gently as does
loving nurse her dropping child.
We gaze into the narrow cells and draw q
long breath. Poor creatures, tempted and tried.
How many to whom the world now pays its
homage, who sit in high places, should be in
their stead? God knowest. See them with
their pale faces pressed against the grated win
dows, or pacing up and down their stone floors,
like chained beasts. There is a little boy not
more than ten years old; what has he done?
"Stolen pair of shoes
"Poor child! he never knew Of sSwartwout.'
How should he know that he was put in there
not for stealing, but for doing 1t on so small a
scale!
Hist! Do you see that figure seated in the
farther corner OF that cell, with his hands
crossed on his knees? His whole air and dress
are those of gentleman. How came such a
man as that, here?
"For murder! how sad Somewhere in
the length and breadth of the land mothers
heart is aching because she spared the rod to
spoil the child
There is coffin, untenanted as vet, but kept
on hand for death laughs at holts and fetters,
and many poor wretch is borne struggling
within these gloomy wall, only to be carried to
his last home, while none but God may ever
know at whose freside stands his vacant chair.
Sand here is a woman's cell. There are two
or three faded dresses hanging against the
walls, and bonnet for which she had little
use. Her friends have brought her some bits
of carpeting, which she has spread over the
stone floor, with her womanly love Of order.
(poor thing) to make the place look home-like.
And there is a cruci6x in the corner See. she
kneels before it. May the Holy Virgins
blessed Son, who said to the SHINING one, Hnei-
ther do condemn thee" send unto her stricken
heart the balm of holy peace
"Who is that? No! it cannot be!-but, yes.
it is he-and what wreck See, he shrinks
away, and bright flush chases the marble pale
ness from his check. God bless me! That
r should come to this! Still intemper-
ance, with her thousand voices, crieth, "Give
givep and still, alas! it is the gifted and gene
rous, and warm-hearted who oftenest answer
the summons.
More cells but there is no bed in them !;
only a wooden platform raised over the stone
floor 1t is for gutter drunkards-too foul, too
loathsome to be placed upon bed-turned in
here like swine, to wallow in the same slough.
Oh, how few who, festiyely slipping the rosy
wine, say my mountain stands strong eer
dream of such an end as this.
"Look there tread softly; angels are near u.s.
Through the grated window the light streams
fall family upon q little pallet, where sweet as
dream OF heaven, lies sleeping babe Over
its cherub face smile is fitting. The cell has
no other occupant; angels only watch the
slumbers of the prison cradle. The place is
holy. stoop to kiss its forehead. From the
crowd Of women pacing up and down the
guarded gallery one glides gently to my side,
saying, half sadly, ''Tis my babe
1t is so sweet, and pure, and holy said I.
The mothers lip quivered, wiping away
tear with her apron, she said, in choking
voice:
"'Ah, it is little the likes of you, ma am,
know how hard it is for us to get the honest
bread
"God be thanked, thought I, that there is
one who judgeth; not as man judgeth; who
holdeth evenly the scales of justice; who
weigheth against our sins the whirlpool of our
temptations; who forgetteth never the count
less struggles for the victory ere the despond-
ing, weary heart shuts out the light of heaven!"