Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-03-15
WOIAN'S DEPARTMENT.
MODEL PRISON FoR WOMEN.

80 ""AN so esq A@AVA AAANttT ANA1hAL
for Women at Sherboru. Mass, that
can not resist giving our readers q
slight account II n visit there last
week
II was ~ Friday. one % the coolest
dave uf the cold spell but every part
of the prison was Dsoderately but CON-
fortably warm aud the ventilation
good Order. quiet and aeatness
reigued throughout, and yet there was
a. little u severe restraint or forced
regularity Of behavior rs one could
imagine 20 exist f. a prison
The Laundry i supplied with steam.
with washing-machines. mangles, etc.
and the finest work 4. dome It Ia In
demand in the ueighboring townA and
it Is even sent to New York.
Its kitchen. with It's ample ran e, its
table covered with the welI-browned
l@oaves. and it, huge X ettle Of hsssy-
pudding. gave promise Il an abundant
meal after the DAYS work.
The shtrt-room showed a busy group
II ome who run ninety sewing
machines in the manufacture Of nice
white shirts They receive them all
cut from the H~aanufactory. and COM
plete them. even 10 the buttonholea
Il was gratifying % see the interest Of
the women in the work One of them
came Co say that misunderstanding
was out Of order and II can't get as
many shirts done n | want to-" she
said; when have a good pile OF
shirts done | csn sleep o nights"
The @dmirable superintenden. Mrs.
JeAn-0n. whose long experience in the
sanitary work and rs a commissioner
Of prisons has gwen her the practical
training for a work for which she Is
%emiaeutlv fitted by nature. IA The life
n handspring IT the whole. Her
faith ts lsrgN anl the starts on the
ei-f' < belief that every woman who
enters within the prison door NAV
there begin % lead a good life and 10
have the past behind her. She does
MT wi~h 20 ruru their ewes buck To
their sins. but forward to the b tier
daY th'i may lie before them. ard to
make them feel that their future de-
pends mainly rpon :heir own efforts.
while she maintains firm discipline
anal requires ste.plv work and
thorough obedience. she tries to help
the women to conquer the + own diff
%culties, rs often by Indirect means a.
by the exertioa - their wills. Let
any one % stter the lives which have
bel these women to- this place. aud
imagine The re~lles>ucss and nervous
Irritablllty which they must suffer
from iu "a confined and monotonous
round Of work and they will appreci-
ste the wisdom Of the superintendent
in giving them the help Of outdoor
work and even . few minutes play in
the open air. instead of threatening
tLeu with the solitary cell and the
dungeon.
Mrs, johnson feels this need. and
with wonderful success she has estab-
lshal e dairy on tIm grounds. with a
ga~trn and "a greenhouse. The
women do alb jl.c lutter-making. and
fiIe 6HoW .edgs II such work hts them
for p!eces 60 the country when they
go aHf- - &aiu@hie = the training
tsra received. tIst these women are in
demand for domestic service. and
many of them iuL good homes where
theY are Wcll treated and may lead
happy aud useful lives.
Time and space fail me to tell of the
many TNFHfara FHaaF FaH.wa-N-l -. = -
establishment. met the women in
the chapel at evening. and talked to
them OF the wonderful life of the plants.
and the work that they are doing. and
: think Twas not deceived in believing
that they entered fully into nv
thoaSht. and felt the wisdom and or
der and beauty Of the vegetable crea-
ton IL i easy To make a momentary
impression upon them. for thew are
generally NOT stolid. but excitable and
iutpre>sionahle. but il il only the
steady, quiet discipline ot year which
e1u give them strength to meet the
temptations Il the world when thew 20
out THIS ttush i never lost sight OF
by The superintendent. and she places
fidelity e. duty and thoroughness in
WORK above emotion and sentiment.
The graded system i - fully ear
riel ou. that the woman has always
something better ro look forward To,
wE5ch depeutls ID G1-hsF own exertfons
and Which j. with IA her own power.
III rstprulatory. for We hardly like
To call il a prison. ! wholly managed
by ulluel. 5ad q thousand lessons
may here bc learned If woman's ht-
ne>< for work and for government
When / saw the admirable industrial
education given. aud learned how il
opened sure employment even to this
class Of women. | asked myself:
Must women become criminals be-
fore they learn this b-son-that work
which 3, not we'll done Is worthless in
the market. and that all work re-
quire- preparation anil trainins7''
This great lesson taugut ut Sherborn.
il learned outside Of it. would 10
more than ausht else 10 make future
S~herhnrus unnecessary
Dir johnson welcomes ali who wish
Ia see TIE work done n the prison.
and every one Fan help IL BY learning
10 understand hsr o eets and methods
and sustaining her with sympathy and
encouragement
uurhf sas she tn III - =