and were very kind in their manner towards me. I went to work in a
bungling way and with a sad and heavy heart. At 12 o'clock we were
marched from the shop to our cells, each man taking from a trap in
the wall, as he went by, his pan containing his dinner, which
consisted, that day, of boiled beef and potatoes. It was probably
the worst dinner I had ever eaten, but I had yet to learn what
prison fare was. From one o'clock to six I was in the shop again;
then came Supper-mush and molasses that evening which was varied, as
I learned afterwards, on different days by rye bread, or Indian
bread and rye coffee. These things were also served for breakfast,
and the dinners were varied on different days in the week. The fare
was very coarse, always, but abundant and wholesome. After supper
prisoners were expected to go to bed, as they were called out at six
o'clock in the morning.

I stayed in the brush shop three or four months, but I made very
little progress in learning the trade. I was willing enough to learn
and did my best. From the day I entered the prison I made up my mind
to behave as well as I could; to be docile and obedient, and to
comply with every rule and order. Consequently I had no trouble, and
the officers all treated me kindly. Warden Robinson was a model man
for his position. He believed that prisoners could be reformed more
easily by mild than by harsh measures--at least they would be more
contented with their lot and would be subordinate. Every now and
then he would ask prisoners if they were well treated by the
officers; how they were getting on; if they had enough to eat, and
so on. The officers seemed imbued with the warden's spirit; the
chaplain of the prison, who conducted the Sunday, services and also
held a Sunday school, was one of the finest men in the world, and
took a personal interest in every prisoner. Altogether, it was a