"I'm afraid I cannot, and I do not think it would be best." He understood how to make his refusal palatable. "I think you are getting along well. I have been intending to tell you that I am satisfied with your management. The kitchen is clean and quiet; and the meals are prompt, much more so than they were for a long time before you came. They are well cooked, too." "Thank you! but my women are worked beyond endurance. It makes my heart ache to see those poor cripples lifting out tubs of swill that two men could scarce handle; and bucketful after bucketful of that large, heavy coal from the cellar, with all of their other lifting and scrubbing." "I'll see what can I do about sending you another woman. Do the best you can!" "I will certainly do that." After he had gone out, O'Brien said to me,-- "The Deputy wouldn't be hard on us, if he could help it." I did the best I could. I told them I was sorry to make them work so hard; but I could not help it. I asked them to do things, when I could possibly do it, rather than give a command. When I had time I gave them a reason, for an order, and however tired they might be, that was sure to secure ready and prompt acquiescence. "You must get on more steam as quick as you can, because we are a little behind time with our dinner," was sure to set Allen's fire going at once. If I came in, and found them sitting down, idly gossiping away the time before their work was done, I had only to say,-- "Now, girls, start round, and get your work done; then, you can sit down and talk. A clean room is so much pleasanter than a dirty one to me, and I want my place to look the nicest of any one in the institution, and you wish me to have the credit of its being so. You like to have all of the visitors taken in to see the kitchen because it looks so nice." They would put the work about very quickly. Scrub and dust, and make the old kitchen shine like a new one in a twinkling. They were keen enough to fathom character, and took no advantage of my manner. They were conciliated; but did not lose the restraint of authority. They knew it was there, and could be used if necessary. They never gave me impertinence; nor refused to obey when an order came directly from me. That inspection day was a literal washing of the great Master's feet; not with my tears of penitence, but with the bitter remnants of pride and anger subdued to patience? My work was even more humiliating. It was that of the dogs, at the temple gate, cleansing the sores of the vagrant Lazarus. The prisoners were allowed the condiments of salt, pepper, and vinegar. Their boxes and bottles were filled every Thursday. That was to last till the next Thursday. If they were wasted, or extravagantly used, they were obliged to go without till the replenishing day came. To attend to that was one of the duties of the chambermaids.