The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-06
Prisoners, Pets.

The Augusta Ca papers are narrat-
ing some interesting incidents OF the
prison life of the unfortunate woman
who was hanged in that State some days
since. During the last weeks OF her
Imprisonment she distracted her MIND
from the horrible fate awaiting her by
making friends of the numerous rats
that found ready access to her cell:
There were fourteen of them that would
come Mt her tap, climb upon her dress
and shoulders, and submit themselves
to handling end petting without the
least symptom of alarm.
1t is curious study, this disposition
of prisoners to make pets of something.
The annals of the French Bastile, In the
days when one who entered there left
all hope behind, losing name, identity,
in the simple number of his cell-the
annals of those days are full OF queer
little incidents of this kind. There was
Masaniello with his little mouse, whom
he grew to love with an intensity greater
than that of mother for her child, and
whose death grieved him so bitterly that
his own followed speedily thereafter.
The history of the Tower prisoner and
the plant is well known to all our chill
uren, Dut nOt 81 well no tiiot Va oi
known prisoner of Louis XIII. and Rich
elieu, who died in one OF the gloomiest
towers of the prison with the face OF a
china doll pressed close to his lips. 1t.
had been accidentally left III his cell,
one day, by the Governor of the Bastile,
who had purchased it for his child, and
had been forgotten. The prisoner had
tended and watched over it rather with
the care of husband for wife than
anything else. His devotion soon be-
came so intense that he would not suffer
it to remain for moment out of his
sight. 1t sat opposite him at his meals,
nestled on the side of his chair during
the day, and was folded closely in his
arms at night. The books of the Bastile
give little clue to his strange monomania
he was simply known by number,
and had been imprisoned so long that
the reason of his arrest had been forgot
ten, if it had ever been known. 1t is
not improbable, however, that he had
lifted his eyes to the face of some one
above him, and threatened danger to the
purpose or pride of the King or Richie
lieu. Certain il was that to his half
dazed brain the doll represented some
one loved and lost.
In fact, this resort to pets is the natu-
raj inspiration of the mind oppressed by
the unspeakable suffering of solitary
confinement, to save itself from absolute
insanity. Anything, however trivial, that
gives the mind occupation, and prevents
it from feeding upon itself, may save the
prisoner for after-years of reason when
otherwise he would soon be doomed to
raving lunacy The story of the impris-
oned nobleman who for long years occu-
pied the intervals between eating and
sleeping in throwing four pins across
the floor of his dark cell, and then CROP
ing about till he found them. 1t is ex-
actly the same impulse, or rather neces-
sity, which has produced the marvellous
escapes in history. The prisoner must
have something to do, or lose his senses;
so he works for his escape, not that he
has any hope to accomplish it, but be-
cause it occupies him. Then, some day,
he meets the light of heaven, the blue
sky, the bloom and fragrance of flowers,
and the sweet singing of birds.-Cin-
ci0nQE Chronicle