Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1860-03-01
Jnterfstiag Storp.
PRISON ROSES.

PRISON ROSES.
A TRUE STORY.
All ones ideas of prison are con
nected with the most melancholy images.
Gloomy courts, high walls, narrow grated
windows, impossible doors, an appear
ance of strict confinement pervading
every arrangement--such are d few oil
the visions which our fancy coujures up.
Every thing that meets the view will, VIC
anticipate. confirm the unpleasing associ
atious that we necessarily form Of these
abodes of crime, sorrow and suffering.
and also sometimes ofipiured and wrongly
suspected innocence. TO case of the
later kind does our story refer. The
very cause, however. that led to the cir
cumstances Will We are about to relate
proves that thae may be other feelings
than those alrea1y named in connection
with prisons; % that, however we'll
founded our Rnd long established
associations wit particular thing or
Fevent may be, like all human
events liable toll But to Off story.
Full Of all the sfticipations Just
described, the ted the pfiiitely
Jail of -. b that would hot
enlighten the rea6eS! 1ofbeaf I'd disclose
the name. OF all the contrasts which
this place of intended reformation pre-
sented to my previous ideas Of penal Sc
clusion, the most touching was ain effort
of well meant Industry, which had
converted a small interior court, leading
200 often from prison to Judgment" into
a gay and trim pattcrre. blooming like
any 2 ,,,,. cottage garden ~is feses and other
"P.ison rosesi' calculated I, as for
the first time gazed on buds thus nur.
tured; watered no doubt with many a
bitter passing tear; and destined, from
their awful position. directly beneath the
gate way used as the place Of execution,
10 receive the parting gaze of many a
poor creature when on his way to that
bourne from whelaaaza Iaveler returns
| could not hl ing spelI-bound
beside the. mos |ng Of the rose
bushes, which June luxurianee
looked as if the of Eden, and not
an earthly pandd nm, would have
been its more app fate cline. asked
permission of the nkey, who accoupa
MED US, to gather one or two of the buds.
assigning as my reason the singularity oil
the situation ia which they had grown.
1t was but waste, uusightly bit oil
ground, ma ann" said tho jaiIor, when
our porter came here; but as he had
been bred as gardener aud had d great
deal Of spare time on bis hands he asked
leave to turn it Into those two lower-beds
which you see. Most folks say they are
out of character here, aud So may Hap
they may be, but / scarce think you II say
SO, when | tell you that rose tree saved
an innocent persons life.
How SO y asked with natural in
terest.
"It's long story, niaam," said the
officer, besitatiugly. "and my time viii
hardly allow Of my telling Of it; but az
you go out, if you'll please to rest in the
porter's ledge, you can't make the old
man Happier than by asking him ali
about it.
We followed the tarukey's advice when
we left the prison; and ptefacing my re
quest by some compliments to the old
florist on his choice collection of roses
he at once gave US the history of the bush
l hat been plundering.
It's good many years ago, ma'am
since poor woman was confined here
for being concerned in. the robbery of a
house entrusted to her care. She had
been the gentleman's laundress for sew.
eral years; and, from bis opinion Of her
honesty, was employed by Kim to keep
his house while the family were at the
sea side. The poor creature watched her
trust carefully, day and night, till she
heard of the dangerous condition of a
married daughter some miles off; when
Committing, as she said herself her EN-
ploy rs property to the care OF Provi
denee for enc night, she could not resist
to setting of to nurse her dying child
Some Williams, lurking in the neighbor
hood, avaiIed themselves Of the circum
stances to commit a burglary; so thai
when Martha returned from laying dead
baby in dead mothers arms, she found
her masters house rifFed Of every thing
valuable. She was at Grst blamed for
criminal negligence. and. afterwards
charged with being implicated in the rob
berry itself. The thieves; unable to- dis.
pose as quickly as they wished Of all The
stolen property; were obliged to hide
some Of it, a'nd no place appeared to then
90 TT as poor old Martha's garden, Oy
would naturally fall pn' her. The
ground was soft and v d ME time, ant
much as they had tries anceal theil
footsteps, they failed Ter will out
they say; and SO VII Try. While
Martha, half distrad( between bel
daughters death and Iae loss of hel
character, was crying before the magis
krAtaR Anpa cad IN thar ovayafn sfinr. hey