Prisons -- United States; Women prisoners -- United States
Upon that she began to fret. "I haven't eaten any breakfast, nor any
dinner, and I've worked hard all day, and staid an hour later,"--some of
them had staid till eight o'clock that night in the shop--"and now I
can't eat any supper because my coffee is cold. I'll tell the Master,
and he'll make an awful fuss."
Of course I could not allow such talk as that, and I told her to stop.
"I have done the best for you that I could. You had the same chance to
eat that the rest had, and the same breakfast and dinner provided for
you. I am not allowed to provide anything else. If you haven't eaten, it
is your own fault."
"I can't eat brown bread, and I can't eat soup, nor I can't drink cold
coffee. The Master will be awful mad, and make an awful fuss, for me to
have cold coffee."
"Not another word, Haggerton! If you don't like the fare, you ought not
to take board here," I said. I thought, if the Master would feel so bad
that your coffee is cold, why don't his compassion lead him to provide
something that you can eat.
Upon that she went on to cry and sob, and make a great disturbance in
the prison.
I told her she must stop; but she kept on. I had not the heart to scold
and threaten the girl. I had no doubt that she was tired and hungry, and
I pitied her. I went for the Deputy, to see what I should do. He was
out. I stepped into the officers' dining-room to find some one to direct
me.
Mrs. Hardhack, the Shop Matron, was eating her supper. The Supervisor
sat there, talking with her. I stated the case to her. Before I had got
half through with it, she motioned me away, and exclaimed, in great
agitation,--
"You mustn't leave the prison alone a moment! You mustn't leave the
prison alone a moment!"
Mrs. Hardhack rushed past me as though every prisoner had got loose, and
was running away.
I thought they would probably be safe if she arrived without accident,
and followed at my usual gait.
When I entered the prison she was leaving Haggerton's cell door, and
from the second division saluted me with,--
"It's no wonder the girl cries! her coffee is cold! I went to the kettle
and tasted it myself! She hasn't eaten a mouthful to-day; and now, to
have cold coffee given her for her supper, it's too bad! The Master
shall know it, and he'll make an awful fuss."
I made no reply to her; but the next morning, I had several questions to
ask the Deputy.
"It is a rule, is it, that the prisoners are not to be left alone a
moment at night, after they are locked in?"
"Yes."
"Then how am I to leave the prison, go across the kitchen, and pass out
my keys? Sometimes it will be ten or fifteen minutes before I can make
the prison officer hear my rap."
"Of course you must do that."
"Then I must leave the prison alone. Have the Board of Directors
approved both those rules?"
He smiled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account