ar charm. Many a choir outside might
have listened with advantage. The Scripture reading was responsive, the
chaplain repeating a verse and then the audience. As the speaker
commenced his sermon, every convict's eye was fastened upon him,
apparently with the deepest interest, continuing thus to the close.

This fixed attention, with all the connected circumstances, acted as a
powerful stimulus to his intellect and heart, causing thoughts and
words to flow almost unbidden, and those of a peculiar unction, thus
rendering preaching in the place easy. The numerous moistened eyes and
earnest countenances seemed plainly to say, "Here are minds responsive
to the truth, a field which can be cultivated for God and humanity."

Those anticipated feelings of repulsion did not arise, but rather the
assurance that success and pleasure would attend a faithful dispensing
of the word for reforming and elevating the prisoner in his bonds, as
well as in efforts to save sinners under more favorable surroundings.

3. _The Sabbath School._ This met Sabbath afternoon in two places, the
females, eight in number, in their work room, with the matron and other
ladies who might attend from the city as teachers; the males in the
chapel, a number of Christian ladies and gentlemen from outside
attending and hearing classes, some having long been laborers here in
the work, one having, years previous, helped set the school in
operation. The toils of these earnest workers were evidently being
blessed, under God, to the good of their pupils, producing impressions
upon some, which greatly aided them in their efforts at reform. My
attendance was with the latter, and the interest was fully equal to that
I had witnessed in the forenoon worship.

The prisoners were required to attend the latter, while the Sabbath
school attendance was left to the inmates as a voluntary matter, and yet
some ninety males attended this, about three-fourths of the whole
company from which the audience was usually drawn,--a much larger
percentage probably than any outside congregation can boast of.

4. _General appearance of the convicts._ Judging from appearance as they
sat in the assembly, a few were evidently hard cases, narrow-minded,
sordid, ugly. To a number, dame Nature had dealt bountifully on the
score of mind, they having noble foreheads, and bright, sparkling eyes,
indicative of no small natural ability. One would think that some of
these would have shon