The morning call., 1892-01-31
VANITY IS HARD TO DOWN.
TL8 Greatest Trial Of Female Prisoners Al0ll-
msnt Under Difficulties.

An ex-keepeT OF a penltentiary, being
asked the other day to- describe some of the
characteristics Of the female prisoners in
the wards. said that one of the things that
struck her most forciby was the way in
which the personal vanity of women pris-
ouers remained strong within most Of them
to the last no matter what other traits
prison life crushed out, says the New York
Tribune. When bustles were fashionable
many prisoners would sacrifice the warmth
Of their petticoats, even in mdwiuter, in
order to roll them up under their skirts, to
give them fashionable hump behind. No
man but the chaplain and the Warden saw
them, and then only occasionally; and what
satisfaction II gave them that would offset
their shiyerlng It IS hard 10 see.
The wearing Of prison uniform is great
blow to them Few of them when they
enter seem to expect that 1t never occurred
to them that they would have to take off
all their ornaments and wear the ugly con-
Yict garb, and they plead for a ribbon or a
ring more pltlfuily than they would for
food. But when it comes 10 cropping their
hair close. that IS the finishing touch, you'd
think their hearts would break. They may
have remained stOlid and stoical all through
their trial, received their sentence even in
silence, but when 1t comes to cropping off
their treasured locks, their pleadingS and
prayers and tears and cries would move
heart Of stone.
| remember the case of one woman in
particular" said the speaker "WhO man
aged to excite and sustain the envy of
nearly all her companions in misfortune by
keeping her short black hair shining with
oil. How she did it, where she got the oil,
was mystery that | set myself TO find out.
1t took me long time to find out, but
finally | was rewarded. She used to let her
aaf ltv anil hA m
carefully skim off the grease that had risen
on the top and use it on her hair Then she
drank the soup. Try 20 drink cold soup
yourself, and you will be able to appreciate
the sacrifice she made for vanity's sake.
Another woman managed to rouge her
cheeks, on which the prison life was settling
its inevitable pallOr. This caused even
more stir than the oiled hair did, aud when
cOaXing failed to draw her secret from her,
the other prisoners made charges of fav-
orltsm against her, lntimatlng that let the
rosy-cheeked woman have privileges l de-
MED to others. l watched this prisoner
also for some time before | found that she
could make her gums bleed easily by scratch
ing them with her nails, and this blood she
applied to her cheeks with gratifying sue
cess.
ITO do this she had to have looking
glass, something prohibited by the rules
And yet she had one, piece of ordinary
glass with a black rag behind it for quick
silver When | found it on her bed | re-
membered that weeks before she had sub
jected herself to extra punishment by break
ing a pane of glass. With a piece Of
the broken pane she had constructed
this primitive mirror, in which she got a
distorted view Of her features that no doubt
gave her great comfort; though why 1t
should not rather depress her spirits to look
at herself in such clothes and with cropped
hair never could understand"
A wel-known compoundcr in Cambridge,