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"And, as if to punish her for feeling pain by this applica-tion of scalding water, she ordered her to go naked to a screen-room where she locked her in and kept her in that condition in the depth of winter for more than a whole day, without a mouthful of food to eat and nothing to wrap about her body except a piece of an old comfort.

The next day as Dr. McFarland came round on his daily visits, she heard Miss Smith say to him:

Mrs. Commonsforth has had a very exciting time, and has torn all her clothes from off her, so she has nothing to wear, and therefore I keep her locked up!"

The Doctor believes the statements of his attendants and without question or investigation acts upon them. Of course, he would not look in upon a naked woman and thus her scalds would escape his notice. When Mrs. Commonsforth after-wards was telling me these facts, I asked her:

"'Why did you not halloo to the Doctor and tell him she was lying about you?'

"'If I did, I knew I should have to suffer for it when he was out of hearing, and the Doctor would not be likely to take any notice of what I said.'"

It does seem as if the State ought to attach a penalty to this perversion of the bath-tub in this prison house. Only let the law-makers take but one bath here, under the hands of these furies, and I think they would vote for some penalty to their tormentors.

Miss Tomlin told me of one act of her's which reflects much credit upon her moral courage and integrity. On Sunday morning the Doctor ordered Miss Goodrich from off her bed, as he passed through, and when out of hearing, Miss Tomlin ordered her back again, for she felt that she knew better than he did what her health demanded.

She said she had concluded to pursue this independent course, without talking much about it, hoping thus to evade the rule without opposition. If she was complained of, she said, she would then give her reasons, and she thought any intelligent person would be satisfied.

I assured her this was the right course: still, I was sure it would awaken decided opposition, for the more reasonable, the more virulent the opposition it would arouse.

And so it proved. Instead of promoting her, as she deserved to be, they willingly allowed her to resign her trusts to others far less fitted to honor them. And in defence of this course, I heard one of the authorities say:

"Miss Tomlin is insane, in some respects, like Mrs. Packard!"

Her insanity, like my own, consisted in her immovable defence of the principles of uniform kindness to the unfortunate.

Another most kind and faithful employee, Mrs. Hosmer, was accused of this same charge of insanity, for the same reason. Indeed, one of these authorities remarked:

"If we could but get Mrs. Hosmer into the wards as a patient, we would treat her as we do the maniacs!"

This is doubtless true, for her persistent regard for the patients' interests, was a constant reproof to their own indifference, and aroused the same antagonistic feelings towards her, which my course has elicited towards me; and the position of a patient here affords a noble opportunity for seeking their revenge in full measure.

I will close this chapter by inserting here a beautiful paraphrase on a passage in Psalms, which Miss Tomlin wrote her-self, and handed me for my solace.

"I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness."

In this dreary vale of sorrow,
Oft my heart is sick and sore,
Waiting for a brighter morrow,
Waiting, waiting evermore.

Hope deferred my heart is breaking,
And I long to be at rest --
Aye! the sleep that knows no waking,
Would be welcome to this breast.

Did I say, "that knows no waking?"
Nay, I would not have it so,
Better far to bear this aching,
Than to sleep forevermore.

But I would awake like Jesus --
Like unto the crucified --
When I'm fashioned in His image,
Then shall I be satisfied.

Affectionately your friend,
M. TOMLIN.

CHAPTER XXVI.
Mrs. McFarland -- The Matron.

It is due Mrs. McFarland to say, that after I gave my written reproof to her husband, she seemed to be induced by its influence, to see the debased condition the prisoners were in, and expressed this feeling in these words:

"Mrs. Packard, I never realized, until I read your Reproof, what a condition we were in. It has led me to determine to do what I can to reform some of the many evils which I can now see do exist here. We had so insensibly sunk into this condition, that we did not realize it until you showed it to us in your Reproof."

To Mrs. McFarland's credit it should be stated, that she did try to alleviate the dreadful condition of the patients as much as possible.

After Mrs. Waldo left, she became matron, and filled this office as well as she was capacitated for. Her kind and generous sympathies rendered her a general favorite amongst the patients, and atoned greatly for the undeveloped woman in some other respects. She sympathized with me in many ways, and tried to favor me, even in defiance of her husband's known wishes to the contrary.