hope and
inspiration here gained, prompting them to strive for their own best
good, from which no little advantage, to them, might be hoped. But under
this rule, how different! Men fully admitting the justice of their
sentence, and having come with the purpose of serving it out
submissively, and with not a word of fault-finding, would go away
complaining of the wrongs done them in the general prison fare, their
hearts filled with bitter feelings, prompting them to execrate those
from whom they had suffered these wrongs, and curse the State for
putting such men in power over the prison. One who was so reduced that
he found it a task to walk about, remarked, on leaving, "I have some
accounts to settle with them over there" (meaning the warden and
deputy), "and if I recover, I shall return to Concord and settle with
them. I will have my pay unless they are the strongest." Some would
leave with the feeling of _don't care_ as to what course they should
take.

What was said above as to losing flesh among the prisoners, should be
taken with some exceptions. The cooks could manage to satisfy their
demands of appetite. So also could those doing common chores. Some were
naturally very small eaters, and some would eat all furnished them,
however prepared. The females had such food as went to the warden's
table, and, so far as I learned, what they needed, and ever appeared in
good heart, except when sick.

A female prisoner, for some offence, was condemned to her cell for a
week and to feed on the rations from the other part, which was held by
her probably as a God-send rather than a punishment, for it gave the
females the very opportunity desired for really seeing on what the men
had to live. After this, when a woman left she was not slow in her
declamations against the miserable fare of the men, and how they must of
necessity suffer.

36. _Comparative prison order for the two years._ Some represent that
the present warden found great abuses in the prison, all of which he has
corrected. No doubt, this idea has quite extensively prevailed, and that
interested parties have taken no little pains to extend the impression
as widely as possible. Let us, then, look to the point with care, and
give full credit for whatever has been gained in that direction.

The warden banished from the prison all bouquets and flowers, and talked
of them in the most sneering manner, contending that the practice of
presenting them to prisoners w