Part 5 (2/2)
These fellows are here to be punished. They must not be called men, but criminals, for such they are.”
Such in substance was my programme, on which this colloquy followed between myself and warden:
”Warden, you did not speak of admitting the female prisoners to the Sabbath wors.h.i.+p in the chapel.”
”No, I don't purpose to admit any females to that service.”[1]
[Footnote 1: I understood his objection to be, that the sight of a woman is demoralizing to a prisoner.]
”But we can have a screen so arranged, that the women can not be seen by the men, though a.s.sembled as formerly, and I will be at the labor and expense of fitting it.”
”No, I won't have a woman in the chapel.”
”But do not the rules require the warden to a.s.semble the females as well as males in the chapel Sabbath mornings for wors.h.i.+p?”
”Oh, I call the women's work-room their chapel.”
”But, if I am to hold a service with the women in their work-room after the chapel service, it will double my labors, and then not be as interesting and useful to them as if hearing the discourse with the speaker fresh and unfatigued.”
”I don't ask you to hold a second service with the women, for giving them a sermon. Only go into their room any time in the week, some evening if more convenient, and offer prayer, and that will be all sufficient.”
”How about commencing the school in the chapel?”
”Oh, I can't have anything to do with that, we are so tired, when night comes, with our other duties.”
Thus matters were before me. What a cutting off! The question would be, ”Is this cutting off a part of the proposed correction of prison abuses?” No secular school, no religious instruction of note to the female prisoners, and the screws put upon our prayer meeting so tightly as to render them of but little account to the prisoners.
As to the latter, I felt that, could the prisoners enjoy the privilege of taking part in them as previously, having only the warden, guards and myself present, it would be preferable to the new plan. This I proposed, to which the warden finally a.s.sented, and that from the fact, as I supposed, that it would rid him of so much outside attendance. This then was gained, though the other points remained immovably fixed.
I understood the warden to remark, ”It is of no use for the chaplain to preach and labor with a hope of reforming these prisoners, for they can't be reformed.” Then this expression, as of his saying, was told me,--”I will break up that Methodist camp meeting at the prison.” What did the a.s.sertion mean? Was it a slur on our previous religious efforts?
Or was it indicative of a shortening of our religious privileges? We had, at no time, any rush at our meetings, but few being admitted for want of room. A small number had attended and helped in our prayer meetings, more in the Sabbath school. All denominations were alike interested in the matter. Indeed, we had no denomination about it.
I brought the matter of the school and that of the females a.s.sembling in the chapel for wors.h.i.+p to the notice of the governor, but the warden prevailed.
2. _Chaplain almost resolved to resign, but decides to continue and arrange his work._ Thus things put on so forbidding an aspect in every way, that it did not seem that I could accomplish any further good at the prison. True, I could draw my salary with almost nothing to do, the name go out that the inst.i.tution had a chaplain, but being expected to drift on with the current, whichever way it might set, and at the end make up a glowing report of the prison doings and success, no matter what the facts might be. But my feelings rebelled at such an idea, and I thought, for a time, that I must resign, and almost resolved upon the step. Then the question would arise, Is it right to leave those who have appeared so earnest to improve and reform? Something said, ”No.”
Friends, too, learning my feelings on the subject, said decidedly that I must remain at the post.
I was in a hard place. There were the sentiments as uttered above, then the general spirit manifested, speaking louder than words, that ”reform moves are all interlopers in prison, having no sort of business here.”
After looking the ground carefully over in my mind and thinking of all the connections, I saw that, by a greatly increased amount of labor, I could furnish the prisoners with a partial subst.i.tute for the chapel school. I had a right to visit them in the privacy of their cells, from morn till the hour for retiring in the evening. I could therefore hear their recitations there separately. No one could justly complain of this. Hence, I decided to remain, and laid out my work thus:--Sabbath, usual service with the men from nine to ten, and services in the women's work-room till eleven; then in the hospital with Jones, the murderer, and others as their cases allow, till twelve; Sabbath school services in the afternoon, besides visiting cells as much as possible; on other days, to spend noon and evenings visiting the cells in turn, hearing recitations and imparting instruction in the common school branches; besides changing the books Sat.u.r.days, as already, to change them at any other time when called for.
Thus I voluntarily undertook three times as much real hard work for the prisoners as my duty had previously demanded. The new order seemed to render it imperative, for I could do nothing in the educational line without it.
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