, 1873-06-29
MISS EUNiCE:S GLOVE.

For long time, blithe and fragile Miss Eu.
not wholly without enthusiasm, thought tha,
day the unluckiest in her life on which she frs,
took into her hands that unobtrusive vet dra
matte book, Miss Crofutt's missionary Labo1s il
the Engliah Prisons.
It came to her notice by moro accident, not
BY favor OF proBc1yting friends and such wos it,
singular material that ahe at once de7oured
it with avidity, As its title suggests. il
was the history OF the nmelioratipg endeay-
ora OF woman in criminal society, and
it contained, perforce, q large amount OF tragic
and pathetic incident. But this Inst Was SC
blended and involved With what Miss Eunice
would haye skipped as commonplace, that ehe
WAS led to digest the whole volume, statistics,
philosophy, comments, and all She studied the
Analysis OF the atmosphere Of cells, the proper
ties and waste Of wheaton flour, the cost OF
clothing to the General Government, the WHY'S
and whereforos OF crima aud eril-doing and it
was not long before there Was generated within
her bosom fine and healthy a1dor to emulate
this practical and courageous pattern.
She was profoundly moved by tho tales Of mis-
sionary lnbors proper. She was filed with joy
to read that Miss Crotutt and her Ieutenants
sometimes cracked and broke away the formid-
able husks which enveloped divine kernels in the
hearts OF some of tho wretches and size fre-
queutly wept ut the stories OF victories gained
over monsters whose defcnses Of silence and
stondity had suddenly fallen into ruin shove the
allow but persistent .sspping Of constant kind
ness Acute tinglings and chilling thrills
would peryade her entire body when
she read that On Christmas every
wretch seemed to become for that day.
4An+t ~. -. I'd
penny tapors, or the possession OF handful Of
sweet stuff, or spray Of holly, or hot-house
bloom, would appear to convert the worst Of
them into children. Her heart would swell to
learn how they acted during the one poor hour
OF yearly freedom in the prison yards; that they
took long strides; that the singers an1iously
tried their voices, now grown husky; that the
athletes urestled, only to find their lmbs stiff
and their arts forgotten; that the gentlest Of
them lifted their faces to the broad sky, and
spent tho sixty, minutes in dreadful gazing ut
the clouds.
The pretty student gradually became possessed
with rage. She desired to convert some one !;
to recover some estray to reform some wretch.
She regretted that she lived in America, and
were to be found; she WAS sorry that the
gloomy, saturated prisons, which we're the
scenes Of Miss Crofutt's labors, must always be
beyond her ken.
There was 20 crime in the family or tho neigh
borhood against which she might strive; no one
whom she knew Hss even austere; she had never
met brute; a1l her rascals were newspa-
per rascals. For aught she knew, this tranquil
ity and goodwill might 50 On forever. without
affording her an opportunity. She must be de-
faces and figures; these bars and cages, these
defo1nitias Of the mind and heart, these curiosi-
ties Of conscience, ehyness, skill, and daring;
all these dramas Of reclamation, all thege scenes
OF fargent gratitude, thankfuluess, and intoxi
eating Iberty,-an OF any Of these things must
gave herself up to the most poignant regret.
But one day she WAS astoniahod to discover
that all Of these delights lay within halt an
hours journey Of her home and moreover,
annually set apart for the indulgence Of the in
mates Of the prison in question. She did not
stop to ask herself, Is abe might vail have done,
how it WAS that abe had 50 completely ignored
this particular institution, which Fas one
Of the largest and best conducted IN tie
t. visit o1e was so keen but she
straightway set about preparing for her intend
ed visit ir manner which ahs fancied Miss
Crofutt would have approved, had she been
present.
She resolved. in the moat radical sense Of the
word, to be alive. She jotted on some ivory
tablets, with gold pencil, number O: hints to
assist her in her observations. For example:
"Plenolog;cai ?S dsveopnont; ii size t: Of eeIls;
ducing % i food; IT, were ere mirrors mirror allowed allowed
If 50, what wss the effect ? jim
my and ekeleton-key, character Of; canary
birds; query, would not their admission into
every cell animate in the human prisoners
tho use of tho Spanish garrote in place Of the
present distressing gallows; to find the proper
ton Of Orthodox and Unitarian prisoners to
those OF other persuasions. But beaidee
these and fifty other similar memoranda, tho
enthusiast cast about her for something practi-
cal to do. .....-
She hit upon tho capital idea OF flowers. She
ut once ordered from = gardener Of taste 200
bouquets, or-rather nosegays, which she intend
ed for distribution among tho prisoners aho WAS
about to visit. aud ahe called upon her father
for the money.
Then she began to prepare her mind. Sho
wished to define the plan from which she was to
mike her contemplationB- She settled that eho
would be grave and gentle. She would be OK
quisitoly careful not to hold herself too much
aloof, and yet not to step beyond the bounds Of
that sweet reserve that abe conceived must have
been at once Miss Crofutt's sword and buckler.
Her object Was to awaken in the most aban-
doned criminals realization that the world, in
them. :; that society, having obtained requital
for their WlckednesH, was ready to embrace them
ngain on proof Of their repentance
She determined to select ut the outeet two or
three OF tbs most remarkable monsters and |
tu1n the full head Of har pereuasioua exclusively
upon them, instead Of sprinkling (as it Were)
The whole community with her grace. She |
would arouse at first very few, and then few |
more and few mora, and 80 on ad indnitun.
It was on hot July morning that sho jour- |
neyed on foot ovor the bridge which led to tho !
prison. aud there 6a1ked man behind her car !
rying the fowers- !;
Her eyes were cast down, this being the po- |
sition most signifcant Of her spirit. Her pace
Ras equal, firm, and rapid she made herself |
oblivious Of the hustle Of the streets, and she !
:epented TINT her vanity had permitted her to
1ear white and lavender, these Masking COM |
,ination in her dress which abe had been told |
became her we'll She had no right to embellish |
1ersak. Was nhe going to the races,
'r q match, or 5 kettle-drum, that ahe |
must dandify herself with particular shades Of |
:olor7 She stopped abort, blushing. Would
Hiss Gro But there was no help for it now.
t vas too late to turn back. She proceeded,
ceiling that the odds vera against her.
She approached her destination in such way |
hat the prison came into view suddenly. She
'aused, with feeling OF terror. The enormous |
ray building rose far above lofty white vail Of
tone, and sense OF its prodigious strength and
yFfn1 cfnnrn nvnrEba1Toad har N, the TIM nf |