proper treatment and privileges they will soon learn to have a taste for literary work. A few prisons give the prisoners the privileges of general literary work, such as delivering orations, recitations, essays, debates, etc. These things, while they educate and develop the mind, have a tendency to divert the mind of the prisoner from the feelings of disgrace and the deplorable situation; and instead of spending hours brooding in despondency it awakens an activity of the mind and new thoughts for consideration during the solitary hours. Every prison should supply each cell with a Bible. Many do this while others do not. The prisoners should also have access to the library and permission to call for any book in the library. Where they are thus looked after it is the duty of certain prisoners to go to each cell and learn what book is desired for the coming week and to take up the one which was in their possession during the past week. These requests are taken to the librarian and the books selected and distributed according to number. Prisoners who mutilate or destroy the books in any way are denied the privilege of having a book to read for a few weeks. If the offence is repeated the punishment on this line is more severe and they are then neither allowed to receive a book or paper or are refused all privileges of the library and not even allowed to have paper or writing material to communicate with their friends. With most prisoners this is a severe punishment. One who has not been thus incarcerated or had to spend weeks and months in solitude can scarcely realize the value of good books to read under such circumstances. But he who has had the actual experience knows just how to appreciate such a privilege.