Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02

der epistle Of the wife to her captive male.
When this administration began, rule that
had prevailed for years would not permit
the new arrival 10 write a letter until ne
had been here a month Now the hrst
month of the prisoners separation from ms
family is the bitterest and the hardest to
bear. bothsfor him and them--especially TOR
them-and to prevent him from sending
line Of comfort to them for four weeks was
cruelty. He left them; his person III the
hands Of the officers of the law disappeared
from the sight Of his mother, or wife and
children and was swallowed up in the
void whence came no voice nor word TO
them for time that seemed an eternity.
Few, except those who have experienced H.
know of the agony of that FIRST separation.
They knew not whether, in the unvisited
solitude of his cell his spirits had sue
cumbed to his surroundings and had cut the
thread that bound him to life and loved
ones, or whether he was i'll, or injured
knew nothing He could not tell them OF
his wants nor his sufferings so that they
could help or comfort him intelligently,
aud altogether that FIRST dreadful month
held the sting of deepest suffering for all OF
them.
Until the fall of 90 the prisoner could write
only once month, but if an important
necessity Of business required it, he might
get a special permit to write by applying 10
the deputy warden. If he had been user Of
tobacco and had wisely abandoned it, he
was permitted to write twice a month; but
if he had not used tobacco at all while in
the prison, he could write only once a
month This curious rule came not to
call the righteous, but sinners 10 repent
ance." Warden Coffin decided TO allow the
prisoners increased privileges of cores
pondence with their families and made the
rule that all who were in the FIRST grade,
might write on the second and fourth Sun
day in each month the members Of second
grade on every third Sunday. Third grade
men are not permitted to write while in
that grade, but their friends are notified Of
that fact, if such lprisouers wish it, to ex-
plain the reason for their not writing.
These privileges are appreciated highly by
the boys.
Altogether the o. p post-ofice is one Of
the greatest institutions in this great uni
verse-from the boys standpoint It gives
a man thrill every time he sees, lying on
the bed in his little hall bedroom, when he
comes in at eve, letter with the familiar
postmark, replying to one he has written.
And when he picks it up, he ought to re-
member L. c. Coffin, and take il for granted
that Sc c." stands for Ever Good. But
some people say that prisoners do not APP
preciate kindness. IL may be admitted that
appearances sometimes seem to indicate
that the criticism has some foundation in
fact, but if the evidence IS examined
closely, it will be found that the symptoms
are those of heedlessness rather than iu-
tention. And man in prison is disposed
to resent his confinement, because freedom
is his natural state; in few cases has abso-
lutte justice been meted out to the offender
he feels that he has, even if guilty, been
imposed upon to some extent and he can
not be altogether himself. But the major
ity of the boys accept their restraint philo-
sophically and while they say little, will
appreciate whatever is done for them to its
full value; although, of course, there are
some poor fellows who, never will have
sense enough to know when they are we'll
treated. But it is not their fault, they were
born with an diversified gall and abnormal
spleen, and there are far more men OF that
class outside prison than inside In closing
this account of the post-ofiice it is well to
state that letters written by youths to girls
of liirtatious OF hippant character find a
grave in the waste basket; the institution
wilDnot invest a stamp on them.
ITO be continued.