The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-12

by two iron bars, with no glass, but s wooder
| shutter on hinges, to close it. The ioor wa,
about four feet by two, and double, tae innel
leaf being of iron, and the outer one of thicl
wood There were two beds, one double and
one single.
On the last of these he seated .imself the
instant the officer had locked him IN, bowed
himself covered his face, aad let tie black
Niagara of his longpent grief sweep over him
He hoped that if he suffered it thus, once
for ALL to have its free course, it wor Il pass on
and off; but it did not, and how leg he sal
there, and stupefeG and drowned in egony, he
never knew.
Atlength he was startled by dista4f jangline
sound, like that of " many pairs of OK s walking
over a wooden bridge, with chains dangling
from their yokes, mingled with the eating Of
bolts, the clang of iron doors, and t6t banging
of wooden ones. They were just II king up
for the night, then Could it be, that he whole
endless night was yet to come? The ffamping
banging, grating, and jingling, dbs5 nearer
and reached his door. 1t burst op9si and two
dark forms came crouching and stu.sE bling in
dragging their chains behind thefs as was
plain, more from the noise than b. the wan
dering CLEAN of the jailer's lamps One Of
them was horse stealer, and the othsr muir
derer. 1t struck upon Herman as ataggrava
| ton of his misery, to find that he " afto have
companions in it; but perhaps it SAIL his rea
son. 1t turned his thoughts, and fofeta him to
rouse and control himself.
Before long, he was brought befos. synod
consisting of the two wardens and ts : or three
of their friends, the overseer, and turnkey,
in the guard-room. One of the SEQ former
officers, Captain Robespierre (comns.uly called
Robby Spear Rodrick, who appe,se1 to be
somewhat in liquor, and on the veryeof delir
ium tremens, or spontaneous combgst on, took
the word. He questioned his prisoner about
the underground railroad and the principles OF
the Abolitionists, proposed to "se:ze him up,
and give him fifty lashes." unless lie would
CONFESS his guilt" and at the same G7me went
through an alarming sort of single-ss,ck exer-
else with his hickory cane, which he t9urished
in Herman's very face.
To all this Herman, folding his arms, quietly
and decorously replied, taking up ttse4h heads OF
his interlocutors discourse in their Greer so far
as they had any, that he knew scarcely any
thing about the underground railSasd; that
there was almost as great a variety opinions
and principles to be found among Z different
classes of persons called Abolitionist :, rs among
those opposed to them; that he did IA consider
himself guilty of any crime; and Il =, even if
he been, he could not legally be sssared to
eliminate himself" -
"You he!" said Captain Rodrick. e
Herman said nothing. Mr.. RoyaS Jog, the
senior warden, to whom Herman,s z>atters of
recommendation had had been directeGss6dgeted
and whispered to his colleague, w7o Presently
proceeded in a somewhat lower t1nss1though
none of the lowest, and with his wi sf g cane
slightly lowered to correspond. 3
ave don't have no gentlemen fhs-,l We
won't have no gentlemen here! W. dsl't have
no misters here, but Tom, Dick, AID s~tarries.
We're Democratic here, ace are. -ts.4are and
share alike here with our black nigee s-yithout,
and our Yankee white jail-brds vita, when
we cotch 'em-eat hog and hoe cake q Carve
work or be hided. Needn't go to va a to us,
through friends or otherwise, about DC - O your
advantages to home"
Herman stood patiently, waiting sar more, if
Howl Why DOH yv~
spoken to? 2" roared the dignitied Official.
81 thought what you said unansw liable, sir ;
but should consider the advantage you al
lude to disadvantages, if they had ,pampered
me into being lazy or dainty. | believe you
NAV find me equal to quite as much labor and
endurance of all kinds as the average of healthy
men,. -
ave will see, sir we will soon see. We will
make You toe the mark here, and no mistake.
| If you wanted lesson to learn you to stop home
and mind your own business, you've got to the
'cadeny now. Such cantng traitors, like you,
is always approaching about the laws of God
We 60 by the laws of bondage here, You bet
ter acquaint yourself with them, reckon, now
you've got little leisure and arement fol
reflection. / will now purceed to communicate
the regulations of this here penia institution
and you will comply vigorously, or wish yourself
in Tophet, and find it's pleasant change When
you get there.
"You will converse with no other convict, in
YOUR cell or out; nor with any visiter, nor LOOK
up from your work at him, if one comes in, with
out permission, not if it's your own brother
if you do, as sure as you live, You shall SET
the black cell in lieu of him, and the frs
time ! have leisure, I'll give You the strap
Twa'n't by no invitation of our you come here
disturbin our peace and tranquility; and nov
you've saw fit to come, you'll be subservient t
our ordinances.
You will receive and send no letter tt
friends, only after inspection of warden o.
wardens-penalty, complete interdict of CORES
pondence.
"You will always pull off your cap before
you speak to any officer, or when any office
speaks to you, on pain of having the hea'
shaved.
"Get out, and carry yourself straight
After Herman had been again locked init
his cell, the Overseer came to him, and ad
dressed him with sincere though rough kind
ness, encouraging him especially with the as
surance that if he behaved in future, tn
past would be overlooked for that he, himself
treated every man, not aceordin to bis reputa
ton, but his conduct" He further exhorte'
him to " wink his eyes up, and go right alonl
off to sleep, cause the fust night o comm wa
alters the wust on it an 'twould make tn
mornin come in a jiffy; an then he'd git int
the workshop with plenty Of company, am
everythin would look so kind O. cheerfullel
and home-like to him ; an he feel like anotI
er man. and never think o carin for it no NOR
, arter he'd got somethin or nuther to do; an
the five years would 60 slidin off just like tn
half of no time What nd he ha' done, had b
| been oncarcerated for life? ?" He followed u
his remarks by stirring up Kane, the murderer
| who had in the mean while ensconced himse
in the single bed, and driving him off to shar
? that of Spur, the horse-stealer, who was a
ready fast asleep.
S Herman obediently threw himself in hi
J prison uniform, on the miserable little dessrte
y pallet, wrapped its one coverlet-a thin an
l. much too short Indian banket-corner-wis
e about him as well as he could, and strove fo
u rest, In vain. The nearest approach whic
e he could make to it was one of those disms
e frances, in which the two lobes the brain a,
pear to work together for double wretchednes
in harmony though not jim unison the one b.
ing occupied in keeping up a constant col
sciousness of present misery, and the other
getting up busy panorama of misery, absen
vet scarcely less real. He never for an instal
forgot where he was, his cell, his bed, the dar
ness. the iron bars and doors that pent him il
the cold fetter that clutched him fast by til