The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-10
Humorous "Reminiscences OF Ludlow
Street HALL

A facetious Rhode Islander, who appears
to have had cheerful experience as pri-
eoner in the Ludlow street Jail, in this city,
| tells his story through the columns of the
Providence Journal. he says;
1t would fill a volume to describe all the
| original characters | met. To relate their
various struggles and vicissitudes, until
| they all came TO anchor in this quiet place:
Men who had been worth fortunes and
| courtcd on the cxchange-men of scicn-
titic attainmcnts. and profound thinkers.
| What pleasant discussions we had oil all
| the questions of tho dav, relating to science,
| theology. and speculative philosophy.
| AS old Bill Thurhcr used to remark in refer
| cnce IN his game fowls, on all these subjects,
l found some one of them "gafted.' One
day conceited young fellow, with gold
eyeglasses, was entertaining us with some
| new theories about the sun and the hea-
venls bodies generally, when an old Ger.
man professor. who had not shaved or
changed his shirt for three months, came
down on him and used him up in short or
der.
a sham could not live with US. He
| would feel az uncomfortable as Polar bear
| in Turkish bath.
You have no idea how trying It Is to SUBJ
| iect q man to the test Of what he Ia and
what he knows, and not by the universal
| standard Of what he owns. and what kind
| of note he makes. 1t made me have some
serious reflections, In reference to my final
| appearance before the Great Creditor Of
| all, when, as we are told, not even our wit
or wisdom will avail US, nothing but pure
| heart and 'our unseen acts Of veracity and
| herosm" will be accepted as legal.tenders
to discharge our spiritual liabilities.
We also had to complete our happiness
the eleyating and refining influence Of
woman. The State of New York, although
tardv in bestowing the priceless boon Of
| the ballot on woman, does not debar her
from participating with proud man in the
greater privilege Of being committed to
Jail. One morning as was taking my usual
walk ! observed a fine-looking old lady
| seated In q rocking-chair, with smelling
bottle in one hand and large fan in the
other. She was dressed in black silk
gown, and her gray hair was curled and
pulled up over her head.
She looked as respectable and digni6ed as
any OF the old Boston dowagerS you see on
Beacon street. At first avoided her, as
had suspicious that she might be the Vice
President Of the "Female Poor Debtors
soul Diagnosis Society" and did not care
that morning to have my mind agitated by
those profound and metaphysical questions
which only an elderly female, piously in
ever, that She was "in," and as my old
Roman-noscd friend remarked, cone of
Us. sir ana let me tell you dcvilish plucky
old one at that"
1t seems that on the death Of her daugh-
ter the old lady took violent possession of
her little grandchild, Lucy Emelne by
name, and would not give her up to her
father, who was drinking, worthless fel.
low. The father got an order of court, but
the only lady firmly declined to acquiesce In
the Judges demands, and he committed her
tor contempt.
She STAYED with US almost g month, and
we al loved her. You can't help loving 4
woman when she is as brave az Joan of Arc,
ana as tender rs Florence Nightingale. She
would probably have remained there until
now, or until the Supreme Judge Of all had
issued q hdbeGs corpus, returnable to some
New York undertaken, Lad not some one
suggested taking her before Judge Barnard
When Barnard heard her story he promptly
| released her.