The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-06-25
MRS. GRIPP's EXPERIMENT.


MRS. GRIPP,S EXPERIMENT.
Ii was hot afternoon, a very hot after
noon, close and breathle,s in the down
town streets, the crowded tenement
houses. the populous lanes, and teeming
cellars of the city. A wearisome heavi-
ness weighed down the atmosphere every
where. Good Mrs. Grip, stout Mrs.
Gripp, wha in her capacity of prison ,is-
itor was reading aloud from learned and
leather-bound volume profound dis
course 10 the female prisoners assembled
in the Tombs chapel felt herself less COM
placent over the task than usual. Mrs.
Grip was. as have observed. stout, very
stout. as well as very pious. Sturdiy
bent on doing her duty and hitherto quite
undisturbed by doubts as 10 her manner
of doing IL, on this afternoon. for the first
time. the good woman felt her spirits nag.
and the nameless odors that floated in the
reformstory atmosphere of that dingy
chapel the gray moisture Of its walls,
the colorless and hopeless aspect OF the
whole place sickened her as they had
never done before.
As her eve wandered over the dingy. i'll
- looking crowd, she wondered If any of
them cers weary, If any Of them would
really be glad TO get out OF this way of
life, or coveted rest from their ill-doing.
There they sat-Red-headed Mol, who
had reyolved back and forth from work
house to Jail ever since Mrs. Grip had
been visitor: Monkey-faced Sal. with the
dreadful squnt and the broken nose; and
Meg, with her sulphurous red-rimmed
eyes and wanly wicked face; and-Did
"A her eyes deceive her? No. il was too true I.
There. on the furthest end of the furthest
bench. sat Kate, Gallows Kate, as she was
called in the prisons-kate, whom she had
helped with money and clothes when she
went out not two months since-kate. for
whom she had prayed and read sermons,
and had inierceded with the authorities
many time. This girl. then. with her
black eyes and handsome face, was ire
deemable. like all the rest. She was in
corrigihle. As every body said.
Kate had won her sobriquet among her
facetious comrades by constantly turning
up in the prisons. by her success as pick
pocket, and by certain defiant reckless
ness of consequences, which rendered il
probable she would one day graduate
with the highest honors out of the school
of crime.
Mrs. Gripp sighed again as she looked AT
this living evidence Of her failure. Kate
SAT- i'm the shadow. carelessly blowing of
bit of feather from the tips of her fingers.
and catching il as il fioated away. incon-
sequent. inattentve, and very dirty and
disheveled. But the good woman had
seen her brought in, after long and sue
cessful raid at her profession" arrayed
like lady. founced and gloved to periec-
ton. and looking down haughtily upon
all about her, a. though she were indeed
of gentle birth and breeding. Yet there
sl'e sat among the vilest of the vile, one OF
lem, as low rs the very lowest.
Kate was not celebrated for her meek
temper, and her sharp tongue and keen
retorts were held in some dread by those
who had 10 deal with her; but to day there
was worn and weary look upon her
face that made Mrs. Grips heart yearn
toward her.
Kate" she said, making her way
through the crowd-"Kate, / want TO
speak with you"
No time now, you know, ma'am.'
said Kate, shortly, pressing forward with
the rest.
But the matron was not to be rebuffed
so. She stretched out her hands almost
as If to clasp this waif away from the
frouzy crowd with which she was drifting
cellward. Kate she said. 'are you sent
up again, after allG'
up for month, ma'am. Go up with
the next gang"
..Oh. Katei" cried the big woman. her
voice trembling as this one soul to whom
she might have laid claim seemed slipping
from her grasp-"oh, Kate! aren't you
tired Of all this ~
The sudden unlocked for appeal took the
girl by surprise. ''Ma'anp ~ said Kate,
Wnlle nush passed over ner lace. words
of real sympathy, without cant or self
righteousness In them, are the raresi
things in a prisoners life. Kate halt
paused. but there was no further time for
delay, and passing down the great stone
passage, the motley assemblage disap-
peared
Was there, then, nothing more to be
doneg Should Mrs. Gripp give up her
hopeless task, and take her ease hence
forth? IL only she could free herself from
the remembrance Of katei All night
long the girls dark face haunted her
dreams, until at length bright inspiring
idea flashed upon her. IN do it." she
said; "I'll write to Jasper. He can keep
a secret, know. At any rate, he'll do II
for his old aunt's sake. He shall use his
Influence to get place for her in the fac
tory. Tll-Tll make the experiment"
And the next morning found Mrs.
Grip. eager and overheated, on her way
to the Tombs. She fingered somewhat
doubnully. II Is true, as she approached
the cell where she expected to meet
Rates sharp eyes flashing upon her de-
fiantly from the grating. No such greet
ing awaited her. however. Kate had TALL
EN- III In the night. She lay stretched on,
on her cot, pale "a death, and looking In
the gray light strangely worn and wasted.
Her eyes were closed n Mrs. Gripp enter
ed, almost doubtful IL this were the wo.
man Of whom she was In search.