The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-12-24

Ind.
JEFFERsoNvILLE, Oct. 20, 1874.
EDITORS MONITOR, MARION, Ind.
Some tine ago you noticed in your
columns an incident relating to q
young Quakeress, who is laboring in
the missionary cause, and her prayer
of thankfulness in a railroad Presi-
dents office, on the reception of a
pass, passing her over the road.
She has just been on a visit to our
institution, and never will that visit
be forgotten.
Immediately upon her arrival, al
though at night, accompanied by our
kind Warden, she visited the hospit-
al, whispering words of cheer to the
convalescent, andbreathing prayers
of hope for the very i'll. Oh! it would
have done the cold heart of the world
good to have seen the hollow eye
brighten, the pale cheek flush, and
to have heard the broken heart beat
anew with hope and Joy at the sound
of that soft and sympathizing female
voice. After a kind word with each
one, she passed softly from the ward,
leaving those within to dream Of
home and loved ones.
On the morrow Sunday at chapel
services the pulpit was rendered, and
all the assistance possible shown her,
by our kind Chaplain, who is ever
striving to call out instructions for
his charge. This was not her first
visit here. Long ago we learned to
love her, and as she again came be-
fore this vastand hardened audience,
there ran through every heart thrill
OF affection and respect. She spoke
as she always does, earnestly and ell
egantly. The audience seemed to
hang upon her every word, drinking
in the flow of love like pure water
that falls on parched places.-None
but regretted the close of her ad-
dress, and many despairing hearts
took courage afresh from words of
hope and sympathy.
About dark there ran through the
prison, by that mysterious telegraph
only known to such places, rumor
that she would hold prayers in the
dollhouse. ALI was expectation. Seats
were prepared in the old cell house
near life time range, and through the
kindness of the Warden, who is ever
striving to promote the moral cul-
ture of his men, about a hundred
were unlocked to meet with her.
About seven o'clock the ''clang"
of the guard d-room door was heard
and ''She's coming!" flashed from cell
to cell. In two minutes not muir
mur could be heard. Silence reigned
supreme, and each one held his
breath to catch the first sound of her
voice. Pen cannot describe the
scene. All around her in ugly
roughness the huge walls and heavy
CRATES of the grim old dollhouse.
Each arched cell in the dim, uncertain
gas light, seemed to send forth
frown of darkness. Each step, no
matter how guarded, resounded
hollow echo upon the unearthly still
ness, like the clankings from death
in their partly hab-
iliments of crime, the rough men who
knelt around that rude altar, only
ad led to the weirdness of the scene.
There, sur1 ounded by all this dismal
gloom, upon the cold, damp bricks,
in the midst of us poor condemned
outcasts, this angel woman knelt and
poured out her soul to God. Clear
as silver clarion her sweet voice
rang out upon the awful stiffness,
echoing and re-echoing from arch to
arch, until within every cell there
fingered the sound of that prayer for
mercy, mercy for us poor wretcbes.
Time may sweep away these rug
Ged walls and leave no trace of pris-
on here; but within the hearts of
many who heard that prayer this will
forever be consecrated ground.-Dis-
ease may tamper with and drive the
flush from that fair cheek; death may
lay low that temple oftruth and sym
pathy; the grave may cover that form
of youth and purity, bnt within the
heart of every inmate here the name
of Sarah A. Sewell is immortal.
Neither will many forget as they stood
by the iron CRATES of. their cell doors
and listened to that prayer, they
made to strike glad hands with her
in that land where prison bars are
not forged.
P. S.-We understand that Miss
Sewell is resident in your county,
and we send you this as a token of
our respect-begging that you will
give it place in your columns, that
her friends at home may know the
good she is doing abroad.
The CoNv1CTs OF THE SOUTHERN IN
DIANA STATE Prison.
We are unacquainted with the
young lady spoken of above, and do
not know whether she is resident
of this county or not. If she is, we
would be pleased to make her &C
quaintance.- Ed. Monitor.
[From the Columbus o. Journal
A Sensation by a Pretty Young
Quakeress.
A heantifI1l vo1no lsdvI dressed as