Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction
“Unfortunate means one whom we are bound to respect as well as pity. Has
that been your character?”
“No,” was the mournful reply.
“Then why print a falsehood? Falsehoods lurk in adjectives as well as
substantives. Misapplied terms are strongholds of self-deception. Nobody
says, 'I am unfortunate, therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust
and ashes.' Such words are fortifications to keep self-knowledge and its
brother repentance from the soul.”
“Oh, sir! what am I to call myself?” She hid her face in her hands.
“My dear, you told me a week ago you were--a penitent.”
“So I am, indeed I am. Sir, may I change it to 'a penitent girl?'”
“You would make me very happy if you could do it with truth.”
“Then I can, indeed I can.” And she took out “an unfortunate,” and put
in “a penitent.”
“There,” said she, glowing with exultation and satisfaction, “'Life of a
Penitent Girl.'”
Oh; it was a pretty sight. Their little hearts were all in it. Their
little spirits rose visibly as the work went on--such beaming eyes--such
glowing cheeks and innocent looks of sparkling triumph to their friend
and father, who smiled back like Jupiter, and quizzings of each other to
stimulate to greater speed.
In went the sheets, on went the press, out came the tales, up grew the
pile, amid quips and cranks and rays of silver-toned laughter, social
labor's natural music. They were all so innocent and so happy, when the
door was unceremoniously opened, and in burst Fry and Hodges, followed
by Evans crawling with his eyes on the ground.
The work-women looked astonished, but did not interrupt their work.
Fry came up to Mr. Eden and gave him a slip of paper on which Hawes
had written an order that all work not expressly authorized by the law
should be expelled from the jail on the instant.
Mr. Eden perused the order, and the color rose to the roots of his hair.
By way of comment Fry put the prison-rules under his eye.
“Anything about printing, or weaving, or watchmaking in these rules,
sir?”
Mr. Eden was silent.
“Perhaps you will cast your eye over 'em and see, sir,” continued Fry
slyly. “Shouldn't like to offend the law again.”
Mr. Eden took the paper, but not to read it--he knew it by heart. It was
to hide his anguish from the enemy. Hawes had felled him with his own
weapon. He put down the paper and showed his face, which was now stern
and composed.
“What we are doing is against the letter of the law, as your pillory
and your starvation of prisoners are against both letter and spirit.
Mr. Hawes shall find no excuse for his illegal practices in any act of
mine.”
He then turned to the artisans. “Girls, you must leave off.”
“Leave off, sir?” cried No. 3 faintly.
“Yes, no words; obey the prison-rules; they do not allow it.”
“Come, my birds,” shouted Hodges roughly to the women. “Stand clear, we
want this gear.”
“What do you want of it, Mr. Hodges?”
“Only to put it outside the prison-gate, sir. That is the order.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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