Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-04
A MINUTE In A DARK CELL.
The Experience OF n Lady Who Re-
Gently Visited Nsvsate.
Boston Herald.

And suppose a woman is unbear-
ably aggrayating, kicks and shrieks,
etc. suppose you put her in a small,
dark cell2n / query. THAT we do
after all other measures are tried in
vain, replied my host. Well,
please put me in one for Eve minutes
l requested On this l ana led toward
the cell most politely as is sung in
Princess Ida. please, Mr.. Jailer, l
want a new sensation; l want to
struggle and be forced in, and hear
the clink in the lock with spiteful
snap; else how can write of the dark
cell realistically"
On this I proceed to throw my
arms about and behave otherwise in
| most rebellious manner. With
quiet smile am humored in my little
crank" and in second / find my
hands pinioned in a firm grip, aud
pushed into the dark cell, hearigg the
key clink IN the lock, over the one
wee bar at the top seeing the last of
the light. | know it was silly, but,
overcome with terror, l was speech
less for one brief second, and 1t seem
ed to me as if an icy cold hand held
my temples in cruel pressure. Then
from my dumb lips came a piercing
shrek, that echoed through those de-
serted halls with horrible distiuctness.
Five minutes, 1t was an hour before
they returned with the lanterns.
''Oh, dear" greaned, will l be here
always9 Have they forgotten which
one am locked in2" felt that much
longer of solitary confinement would
turn my brain, and | began to gasp
for breath. At last they come; the
CLEAN of light increases; the steps
sound more distinctly on my car re
turning to release me. 1 hear the
jailer's keys jingle with joyful sounds
of freedom from my self-imposed
tortdre, and the door flies open. l
can not speak, and, womanike, choke
down a sob instead.
At this my friend shows me his
watch How long have been
there?" faltered out. Exactly one
minute, he replies. Sure enough,
this is true; yet in that one minute
all mJ life seemed to come up before
my mental vision, just as it is said
ones life comes up to the drowning
man or woman.
am told that usually one dose of
the dark cell suffces the culprit, and
can not Danish the impression that
it is haunted with fiendish spirits. |
know it was silly of me to be so UNI
nerved, l, who have gone about Lon
don's slums, and know no fear of
living thieves in London's streets,
met at uncanny hours. Well, call
me sentimental if you like, for, all
the same, l solemnly assure you that
| had rather die on the instant, be
shot down in the twinkle of an eye,
than be locked and bolted for one
night in the dark cell at Newgate,
with no more tangible terror than
those born of my terror stricken ap-
prehensions.
1t is such a little place, only big
enough TO sit ina dark closet, in
fact. Some inhuman mothers shut
up their refractory children in a dark
clothes-pr as punishment. At
all times | believe the woman who
strikes child to be human monster,
unfit to hold the sacred Office of
mother" After this | shall still
more loathe the woman who shuts
her mischievous little child in closet
! for five minutes or even u minute, as
a punishment, for | know now by
experience the awful fright entailed.
On, mothers don't terrify the lit
tie folks. Perhaps their voxins little
pranks are only an overflow of ami
NAL spirits. Learn to curb your own
temper, and be gentle with the mites.
Take the hot, fretful girl in your
arms, undo the pinafore and wee
frocls, and, slipping her out of the
burdensome clothes, place her in a
warm bath dainty perfumed, and my
word for it, the nervous little one will
soon be splashing about the water in
merriment Don't forget that chill
dren have nerves as well as grown
folks, and that they have their
troubles in child land. But / implore
you do not place children in dark
closets as punishment. If you can't
control your own nerves, you are I'M
fit to quiet your children's nerves,
and had best employ some woman to
manage your offspring who is actual
ed by more lofty principles and more
we'll balanced nature than yourself.