Prisons -- United States; Women prisoners -- United States
We were allowed one hour more of sleep on this morning than on the
others. I had waked at the usual hour, but settled myself comfortably to
rest again hoping to obtain it. Tinkle, tinkle, went the bell over my
head. I paid no heed to it for a moment. Rattle, rattle, rattle went the
noisy thing for full ten minutes. By that time, vexation had expelled
all drowsiness.
I vowed, in my own mind, that I would muffle it the next Saturday night,
in retaliation for the unseasonable summons. At first I determined to
disregard the call. It must have rung from habit.
The next thought that suggested itself brought me to my feet. Perhaps a
new order had been issued, and subjected to the approval of the Board at
that early hour. In that case the august mandate was not to be
disregarded. I rose, unlocked my women, and set them to work.
The ringing of the bell so early proved to be a mistake of the watchman,
who was a new hand, who fearing he should be late, gave me that
untimely warning. I judged, from that circumstance, that the orders were
as distinctly given, and the duties as definitely arranged on the other
side as on ours.
I grudged that hour of lost repose both for myself and my women. I was
hungry for rest; and my women were worked to sheer exhaustion.
Sunday all of the women were unlocked at six o'clock. They were called
out of their rooms, in the same order as on other days, left their
skillet pans, and the quarts in which they had taken their suppers to
their cells the night before, at the slide, as they went out. They were
marched to the shop to wash and be dressed for chapel. While they were
gone, their dishes were washed, and their breakfasts put into them to be
taken to their rooms when they returned to them.
At nine they were marched to chapel, where they remained till half-past
eleven or twelve, when they returned to take their dinners, and remain
in their cells till half-past one. Then, they went to chapel again, and
returned at three to take their suppers to their rooms, and be locked
in.
After that the presence of only one Matron was required in the prison.
One of the other three was required to remain on the premises. Two might
go where they liked.
Sunday breakfast and supper was of bread, mush, and rye coffee, the same
as other days. The dinner was of roast beef, which was cooked at the
bake-house, and sent in to us to be carved and served.
The gravy was to be made in the kitchen, and the potatoes steamed: the
meat and potatoes put into the pans, and the gravy poured over them.
To get that meat to its right destination required sharp care on my
part. There were extra women sent in from the wash-room to help on
Sunday. They, with my own, were possessed with a disposition to get
possession of the greater part of that rarity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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