"Your shop women are just as well treated as my kitchen women. Some of the old ones have five or six blankets--they all have as many as they wish for. I have been to the doors, and asked every one of them if they wished for more. And now if any woman wants another blanket, speak! and she shall have it. You may be assured, every one of you, that you shall have every comfort, from me, that I am allowed to give you." No one spoke. That time Mrs. Hardhack failed to stir up jealousy on the part of the shop women towards me; or create disturbance in the prison. "I shall have it my own way about the blankets to-night," she said, and locked them in a black cell. I did not like to come in contact with her, so I went for the Deputy, to settle the matter. He was out. I asked for the Master. I was told that I could not see him. He was indisposed. I could not get access to him, and my women slept without their blankets till nine o'clock, when Mrs. Hardhack left the prison. After she was gone I returned them the blankets she had taken away. The next morning she came to me to know who unlocked the black cell door. "When you have authority to inquire into my actions, I will render an account of them to you." "You have no right to unlock a door after I lock it." "You have no further care of the prison after you leave it at night, and the last order given is the one to be obeyed. I had a plenty of blankets up-stairs, in a chest, to supply the ones you took away, if I had chosen to use them." I went to the Deputy in the morning, and he forbade her interference in such matters. She indulged herself in one more exhibition of her sweet temper with regard to the affair, and that was to tell me that she had secured my women a few hours of cool repose. IX. A BREAD-AND-WATER BOARDER. One night, when the women were coming into the prison, I observed great commotion and disturbance among them. I heard a confused, mixed up, talk about beds being taken out. Two or three of the women stepped out of the ranks, and looked up into their rooms, to see if their beds were taken out of them. Among the number was a woman by the name of Callahan. I had heard of her as being a desperate character; but she had behaved well in the prison. She was a tall, stout woman, with a loud voice. After she had looked into her room, and seen that her bed was gone, she turned to me, and asked,-- "What was my bed taken out for?" "I didn't know that it was out." She looked steadily at me for a moment; then, lowered her voice, and asked,-- "Do you mean to say that you didn't know that my bed was out?" "Yes, Callahan, I meant to say that I did not know your bed was taken out. Perhaps you are mistaken, it may not be out." "O, yes, it is out; I saw the naked bars." "Come, Callahan, go along like a good woman! Go to your room first, and see, before you ask why it is done."