The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-28
A DAY AT SOCKANOSSET.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE l.

victed of serious offenses, OF which only
one is now occupied
How do you do. Katie?" said every
body TO its inmate. aud Katie Judd. the
Newport fire bug, bright, neat, quiet
little woman jumped up TO give bnncn
of sweet peas TO the foremost OF her
visitors.
Katie's room-one Of the women called
il ''cell" and then apoloRized, saying II
didn't mean to speak OF il that WAYS
full of pictures and Is a cheerful place in
spite of its windowless walls and its grated
doors. Katie has been eight or nine years
in prison now, aud Is In for twenty. five.
She is fond OF flowers, aud afterward the
women saw her at work in garden bed
under the workhouse windows.
This is Maine" she said, "aDd that
one down there is Texas; 1t is
quite a journey between them. ! stay in
Maine to-day because it's cooler" Katie
is kept pretty steadily at work, but, being
alone, she gets privileges.
There isn't time to tell about the store
houses and the great workhouse kitchen
where they steep twelve pounds worth Of
tea in huge copper all at one time, nor
the laundry and ironing rooms The car
riage was waiting aud it bowled along
through shaded woodland roads to that
most beautifully situated of all the insti-
tutions, the Oaklawn School for Girls.
Mrs. Butterworth came to the door In
W
cool, and how In dog days she had man-
aged to keep so spick and span, was more
than anybody felt capable of explaining.
She had the buttery flour barrels in white
muslin petticoats, and the eggs were In
a grape basket that was covered and lined
with white, like baby basket. Down In
the furnace room In the cellar there was
glass tnmbler on window ledge, and
that tumbler had white crocheted mat
to stand on. Mrs. Butterworth's wine
cellars" as she facetiousy called them,
were empty. but her preserve closets were
full and tantalizing,
The. girls play room had gnarly tree
branch up in one corner full OF birds
nests. One OF the women said that rob-
.ins, orioles, yellow birds, song sparrows,
humminR birds and half a dozen more
kinds had vacated the array OF empty
tenements.
The girls dining room was afiutter
reason and indeed there isn't any for hur-
rying to take the Fourth Of July decora-
tions down.
The girls own rooms were running
over with pictures and picture cards.
Everyone tries to fix up prettier than her
peighbor, and gay little places they were.
brilliant with colors.
And how the girls sang whom they were
called into the school-room. "Something
cheerful now" said Mr. Coggeshall; /;
nothing dismal" And the young voices
rang out merrily. There was one slim,
quiet girl, with pure, clear soprano, who
stood up by her desk and sang a solo; Her
voice was rare one, and mad she friends
to help her would be well worth careful
cultivation.
There are thirty girls In the school now
and their earnest faces as Mrs. CoRRes-
hall and then Mrs. Barney spoke to them
were as intelligent and interesting a. you
would find in Amy any city publ. !. school,; School
ISLAND flower garden and begged them
not to let the weeds choke the flowers.
Then there was writing lesson and then
more singing.
The carriage was waiting all this time
and went rolling on the, Sockanosset
school for Boys. There was only minute
minute was stretched industriously
enough TO give q peep into the armory
whore the boys soldier things were hang
ing, into the printing Office, whence the
H0sCdrd Times is issued, into the carpen-
ters' and machinists' shops, into the chape!
above the altar and into the hospital
where nobody was sick, fortunately.
Then a boy with two bright eyes. two
bare feet aud lots Of tan wound his horn
to sound the call and out OF
the school rooms in the diher-
ent cottages the lads OF the Sockanosset-
battalions came marching. it made the
they had been taken unawares aud hadn't
their uniforms on. But they drilled
bravely Just the same, and when the Or
der double quick" was given the pat, pat
Of the bare feet as the companies IN per-
feet time set of on run was worth hear
ing, though it made you wonder IL boys
never mind heat, and IL not. why not,
when visiting boards mind 1t such n very
great deal. The boys saluted as
they passed their guests and though the
women don't visit them regularly they
all knew Mrs. Sanders who takes perhaps
even more interest In them than In the
girls.
1t is no wonder that she does, for the
work Is hopeful. The lads at Sockanos-
set are learning good trades and stand an
excellent chance of making creditable
citizens. It's question for the future
whether IL may not be wise aud possible
to give the girls also the benefit OF some
such varied training as the boys receive.
With their housewofk and their sewing
they are now fitted to fill places in fami-
lies, which offer safe refugees for them out
OF the way OF temptation. But IL seems
to be the general testimony that such
places are hard to get. Women with
children are apt to shrink from the re
sponsibility OF introducing reform school
holds. The boys with the broader
Of range Of work taught them
are provided for much more easily, and
80 omen are beginning TO question IL the
girls could not sometimes become assist
ants to the trained nurses in the hospitals
Of the institutions aud thus be taught
remuuerative work that would draw out
the better sides of their natures, or
whether there are not other industries
that might assist In the mental develop
ment Of such Of the girls as stay long
enough In the institution to make some
thing Of beginning In practical things.
But yesterday was too not for such dis
cussions. The field lilies stood up tall
at them and thought of many things AS
they rode To the Sockanosset station and
said good by to Mr.. Eastman and the in
difatigable Mr.. Coggeshall who went
back TO do more inspecting.