The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-04-04


model prison, couducted on the solitary
system.
Slowly we passed down the long. mel I
,ncholy corridors, now and then enter-l
ing one of the cells. to exchange word /
OF human cheer with its lonely Inmate
utterly lonely but for the mute compan- :
ionship of his labor, that primal penalty
of sin, transformed into a consolation
and blessing. Occasionally we paus
ed at cell, but did not enter, being in
vitel by the warden to look in upon the
prisoner through minute loop hole in
the heavy iron door. ~
Thus gazed upon some of the most
hardened and hopeless criminals in the
penitentiary, as they bent over lap stone
or loom, or stood at the carpenter S bench
all unconscious that a human eye was
dwelling on them, watching the dull
gloomy face, the eeaanical movements
with sorrowfnl awe, a sombre curiosity
a shuddering yet yearning pity. The
women looked thinner. paler, more bag
gard and desponding than the men, tho
some seemed making desperate effort
at defiance. 1t is hard to defy solitude.
silence and that dismal, annihilation of
identity, where ones very name is merg
ed in the number Of prisoncell.
Evidently these things told more upon
their spirits than on those of the male
81 OF ND
tonous nature Of their occupations seem
Ell to weary and wear upon them. Their
ewes met ours with dull and stony ex-
preston, or retreated with shy, evasive
glances. Yet the most sad or suiien
among them followed US to the cell door,
with a look of longing and mournful en-
w more touching than the widest ap-
peal for freedom and human compan
ionship.
On the floor of one of these cells we
found little child, a baby girl, some
what less than year old The sight
surprised me, as the appearance of La
povera paeciota. the poor flower, spring
ing up from between the fagstones of
his prison-ya surprised the sad cap
tivity of Fenestralea. a pale and sick
ly blossom this seemel though not with
out certain plaintive beauty in her wan
and wistful little face. She was very
fair, too fair. There seemed no sun
shine in her veins, no stir Of life in the
ale golden hair which hung dejeetedly
about her waxen forehead.
The eyes were blue, but Of the dull
uncertain hue of violets that have grown
in the deep shade. I fancied they
might have caught all they lacked OF
light and color from the CLEAN of run
ming waters, or the rich depth Of sum-
mer skies. They had, too, a strange
blank look-from striking ever against
dull prison walls. thought. They GER
tainiy had not the eager, distant reaches
Of expression. flashing out from the eyes
of happier children. Was the infants
sight dwarfed to suit the dimensions of
its mothers cell
How strange and sad it seemed! The
earth had almost made its mighty revo-
luton around the sun, passing throagh
all the wonderful changes of the seasons,
through the countless phenomena Of ma
ture, since this baby was born in the
prison; and she knew nothing vet of
springs fair bloom, of summers glory,
of autumn ripeness. of winters splen-
dor; nothing OF winds, or waves, or
woods, or birds, of skies, or stars. or
rain, or snow. l fear her little feet had
never been set in the grass, her little
play fellow. / fear she Lad never looked
into the heart of rose or the face of
little child. Surely the sight of either
would have kinflled a faint momentary
flush in her paid cheeks.
1t was a cloudy, showcry day. and
double gloom pervaded the prison. Sud
denly the sun shone out. and sent glad
beam through the high. narrow, grated
window. to fall on the prison floor, be
side the child. For the first time l saw
the little creature smile Us she bent for
ward and clutched ea cerlv 1t the dane
ing ray 1t was Il pretty, yet piteous
sight. that instructive. hungry grasp az
her small ration OF Colts free Sunshine
ter crulnb fallen from tie Masters
tahle-while the whole outside world
we're feasting half unconscious. and all
too unthankful, on the rich, life giving
bounty.
In another instant, pitiless cloud
swept over the sun, and the radiant
stranger was gone. Then the bereaved
baby cried, in silent, old way, which
showed one that tears were more native
to her than smiles. The mother took
her up and strove to comfort her with a
few feeble love words and languid ca
ress. Then regarded the mother. She
was little more than a child herself "a