The case is a special instance of the cruelty inseparable from a stupid system, for the present Governor of Reading is a man of gentle and humane character, greatly liked and respected by all the prisoners. He was appointed in July last, and though he cannot alter the rules of the prison system, he has altered the spirit in which they used to be carried out under his predecessor. He is very popular with the prisoners and with the warders. Indeed he has quite elevated the whole tone of the prison-life. Upon the other hand, the system is of course beyond his reach as far as altering its rules is concerned. I have no doubt that he sees daily much of what he knows to be unjust, stupid, and cruel. But his hands are tied. Of course I have no knowledge of his real views of the case of A. 2. 11, nor, indeed, of any of his views on our present system. I merely judge him by the complete change he brought about in Reading Prison. Under his predecessor the system was carried out with the greatest harshness and stupidity.--I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, OSCAR WILDE. France, May 27th, 1897. Transcriber's notes: The following is a list of changes made to the original. The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one. whom Warder Martin gave the buscuits, the child was whom Warder Martin gave the biscuits, the child was sight of him at the corner of the stoneyard, walking in sight of him at the corner of the stone-yard, walking in End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Children in Prison and Other Cruelties of Prison Life, by Oscar Wilde