ver look back to that as a suffering winter.

The women probably suffered less from the cold than the men. Still, they
were put on short allowance and were obliged to carry their wood up
those two flights of stairs, taking it from quite a distance out of
doors, some of it being very large. One of those cold Sabbaths, entering
their room for meeting, I found it so cold as to endanger my health,
and, not then knowing the restrictions, I attempted to kindle the fire,
but found only a few coals in the stove and one large stick in the box,
which I placed with the coals, but with little effect. We had short
exercises, and I left them to endure this temperature as best they
could.

The women would watch the warden and steal a little extra, when he
stepped out of sight, thus occasionally enjoying the genial warmth; if
detected, however, to receive a gratuitous lecture. Finding, at length,
that this extra labor was preying sadly upon their health, and having
repeatedly importuned the warden for relief in vain, they turned to his
wife, who informed him of the real effects being produced, with the
assurance that the continuance of this drudgery would shortly bring the
sufferers upon beds of sickness, requiring him to hire outside help, to
care for them and perform the tasks in which they had failed. This
gained the victory, but not till great injury had been done to the
victims, the strongest, on whom the burden of carrying the largest had
fallen, having thus laid the foundation for weeks of severe sickness and
leaving prison an invalid, though previously a robust, healthy woman.

21. _Lighting the hall._ The candles having been banished from the
cells, the gas was set at work when evening arrived. But at length the
men began to complain of the great strain upon their eyes, and finally
of failing sight. Advising them to lay aside reading and study till
relief could be had, I reported the matter to the doctor, and, I think,
to the governor. Not seeing any remedial move, however, I resorted to
the dollar and cent consideration, and, on investigating, found that,
while they were paying $50 per month for that poor light, I could light
the cells with candles, three a week to a cell, probably for fourteen
dollars. I offered to obligate myself to do it for twenty, and receive
only the actual cost whatever it might be below; also to see that no
additional trouble came from the melting of the tallow. This argument
prevailed, and th