The Opelousas courier., 1894-11-17
VANITY OF FEMALE coNvICTS.

The Ruling Passion Strong In a Condition
Worse Than Death.
One would think that the female con-
vict would be the last person in the
world to think of personal adornment,
but this, 1t seems, is not so. The ma
jority of convicts are pronounced, by
some n who has looked into the mat
ter, to be the vainest of the vain daugh-
ters Of Mother Eve.
A writer in an English paper says
that our hapless countrywoman, Mrs.
Maybrick, set the fashion in Woking
prison of wearing the skirt long, that
is, with a train, as she was wearing
such when she entered the prison.
The dresses served out to the con-
victs are constant sources of annoy
ance to them, and many an hour is
spent touching up and altering.
At Millbank, another English prison,
some years since, a female convict was
discovered to be in possession of three
tallow candles, which, if they had not
been missed, would no doubt have been
utilized as pomade! Periodically the
hinges of the cell doors are oiled, ana,
strange as it may seem, convicts have
been detected wiping the oil off and
putting it on their hair!
One of the women created quite a
sensation among the female convicts
in Woking prison by eason Of the brill
1iancy of the color of her cheeks and
lips. Many of her fellow-prisoners be-
came most envious, and exercised ev-
cry kind of Establishment in order to
induce the fortunate nj to part with
her secret-but in vain.
At last, NJ day she became quite
friendly with a young convict to whom
she took a fancy, and during the ten
minutes chat female convicts are al
lowed to converse with each other for
this allotted time) she confded the Sc
cret. 1t was soon all over the prison,
and very DON on most of the cheeks of
the women could be found traces of
color. The paint was obtained in
the following ingenious manner: In
the aprons that the women were wear
ing there was, running through the
pattern, a bright-red stripe. and this
was carefully drawn out. When un-
raveled and chewed in the mouth the
color or dye was released, and thus the
paint was obtained which decorated
their faces and lips.
In the same prison a convict had re-
peated fainting fits without any cause
discoverable by the medical officer.
n day she was attacked in chapel,
and,upon her removal to the inirmary,
she was undressed, when to their as
constituent the authorities found the
fits proceeded from tight-lacing, and
from the effects produced by the pieces
Of wood and wire which the convict
had managed to force into her stays in
order to make her waist slender.
The prison authorities in their wis
dom have not deemed it necessary to
supply the female convicts with that
ever-ready and Indispensable article SO
dear to the feminine gender-the hair
pin-but necessity, the mother of in.
vention, is ever at work, and the con-
vict will spend hours in tearing out
bits of wire from the window guard
and afterward bending them into the
required shape.
Leaves from the Bible are often torn
out to make the old-fashioned ''crack-
er" curls, but this practice, If found
out, involves a very serious punish
ment.
Even the life prisoners are not ex-
empt from this desire to make the best
possible appearance, and they will
scheme, plot and plan for mouths to-
gether in order to become possessed of
a piece of broken window pane in or
der to make a looking-glass.
While out in the exercise yard a ION.
vict will rapidly scar the ground in the
hope of coming across a piece of glass.
Once possessed of it, she will run tho
risk of solitary confinement on a bread.
and-water diet in order to get it into
her cell. A piece of black cloth at the
back of the piece of glass makes an ex.
cellent mirror. Here it will be hidden
in all conceivable places, and many a
violent woman, ill-favored by nature,
been known to become snbdued
after being able to admire her features
by means of the mirror.
Women convicts have been known to
break the windows of their cells, and
hide the largest piece in the bed, thus
running the risk of losing marks. or a
visit from friends. If discovered, and
the looking-glass taken away, many OF
them become most violent, and the
straightjacket has to be brought into
use.
1t is nothing uncommon to find q
convict, when she writes to her women |
friends, asking to be informed about |
the latest fashions, and one i%nvariable
request that the prisoner makes to her
friends is that when they come to pay
her q visit they will arrange their hair
and dress in the latest style.
One convict will start a particular
fashion Of wearing the bonnet, the
hair, n the cap, and, if it meets with
approval, will be Immediately copied
by the other convicts. Providing the
women are well behaved, no notice is
taken of the alterations, and many a
violent, half-witted woman has been
rendered tractable by permitting her
to copy some little innovation then
making itself fashionable within the
prison walls.-N. Y. Times.
A Pointed Reply.
Reginald-What pet name do you call
your father, Miss Laura
Laura-Pop.
Reginald (tenderlylEAnd what pet
name would you call me II ! should
ask you to marry me2
neutrality-suspicious..
UnfnldInr the Mysteries.
Hudson-At the next meeting Of tho