St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-06
A MINUTE IN A DARK CELL,
The Experience of a Lady Who Recently
Visited Netc0ate.

The Experience of a Lady Who Recently
Visited Netc0ate.
A-writer on the Boston Herald contributes
the following:
"And suppose a woman is unbearably ag
gravating kicks and shrieks, etc. l suppose
you put her in small, dark cell?" l query.
''That we do after all other measures are
tried in vain," replies my host. swell,
please put me in one and go away for five
minutes" l requested. On this l ana led
toward the cell most politely" as is sung in
Prince Ida. "Please, Mr.. Jailer, l want
new sensation; want to struggle and be
forced in, and hear the key click in the lock
with q spiteful snap; else how can l write of
the dark cell realisticallyl'
On this proceed to throw my arms about
and behave otherwise in most rebellious man
ner. With quiet smile l am humored in
my little 'crank," and in second I find
my hands pinioned in firm grip, and am
pushed into the dark cell, hearing the key
click in the lock, and over the one wee bar
at the top seeing the last of the light l
know it was silly, but, overcome with terror,
was speeches. for one brief second, and it
seemed to me as If an icy cold hand held my
temples in cruel pressure. Then from my
dumb lips came piercing shrek, that echo
ed through those deserted halls with horrible
distinctness. Five minutes! 1t was hours
before they returned with the lanterns.
ooh, DEAR" groaned, twill be here al
wayss Have they forgotten which one / am
locked in?'' felt that much longer of soli-
tary confinement would turn my brain, and
I began to gasp for breath. At last they
fba orla e 1;..I%
sound more distinctly on my ear returning
to release me. hear the jailer's keys jim
gle with joyful sound of freedom from my
self-imposed torture and the door flies open.
l can not speak, and, womanlike, choke
down sob instead.
At this my friend shows me his watch.
Elbow long have l been there? l faltered out
''Exactly one minute,' he replies. Sure
enough. this is true; yet in that one minute
all my life seemed to come up before my
mental vision, just as it is said ones life
comes up to the drowning man or woman.
1 am told that usually one dose of the dark
cell suffices the culprit, and I cannot Danish
the impression that 1t is haunted with fiend-
ish spirits. know it was silly of me to be
so unnerved, / who have gone about London'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 | solemnly assure you that | had
rather die on the instant, be shot down in
the twinkling Of an eye, than be locked and
bolted for one night in the dark cell at New
gate, with no more tangible terror than those
born of my terror-stricken apprehensions.
1t is such little place, only big enough to
sit ina little dark closet in fact. Some in
human mothers shut up their refractory chill
dren in dark clothes press 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 l
shall still more loathe the woman who shuts
her mischievous little child in q closet for
five minutes. or even minute, as a punish
ment, for l know now by experience the
awful fright entailed.
Oh mothers! don't terrify the little ones.
Perhaps their yexing little pranks are only
an overflow of animal spirits. Learn to curb
your own temper and be gentle with the
mites. Take the hot fretful little girl in
your arms, undo the pinafore and wee frock
and slipping her out of the burdensome
clothes, place her in warm bath daintilly
perfumed, and my word for it, the Aervous
little one will soon be splashing about the
water In merrime nt. 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 put your
children in dark closets as punishment.
If you can't control your own nerves, you
are unfit to quiet your children's nerves and
had best employ some woman to manage
your offspring who is actuated by more lofty
principles and more well balanced nature
than yourself.