"Perhaps, when you have been in the institution as long as I, you will get as many favors."
"I could not take them, if I got them by robbery. I could not enjoy my liberty if the work which belonged to me were imposed upon another, making her burden double, for me to have it."
A smart rap was all the woman could feel. I really grew in her esteem by cutting her up with my sharpness, and she attempted to ingratiate herself into my favor. I will relate how, and how I discovered it.
The next night I was called to lock a woman in solitary. She walked into her cell in silence, and I as silently turned the key upon her. I did not ask the Deputy why she was put there. She was brought up from the shop, and I supposed some miserable tale was appended to her incarceration which I did not care to know.
The next morning, when I went to give her bread and water, she asked me,--
"It was for mocking you. I know it was wrong; but the others did it, and I did it too, and I got caught."
"Mrs. Hardhack. I know it was wrong, I was foolish, but I'll never do it again. The others did it, and so I did it, too."
"And you hadn't courage to do right when others were doing wrong. You are a brave girl! Do you know that there must be order kept in this place, and that there must be rules in order to keep order, and that you must treat those who have the rules in charge with respect?"
"Yes, ma'am; and I never will do it again. Will you get me out?"
"I'll try; but you must always treat me with respect, and all of the other officers in the same way. I shall never intercede for you again."
"Is Mary Muran in solitary for mimicking me?"
"Was it for the second offense? Had she been admonished once?"
"Your Rules and Regulations make no conditions that they know better. They shall be admonished once, and, for the second offense punished."
"They wouldn't do exactly the same thing twice, perhaps; but they would do something as near like it as they could."
"We have no help for that, if we obey the Rules."
"Wouldn't that be better than constantly punishing? Isn't it better to err on the side of mercy than on that of severity? It seems to me a very severe punishment to put upon a girl for so slight an offense. I think I could have administered a rebuke that would have prevented her repeating it towards me. It really makes me very unhappy to think she is locked up there for a disrespect shown me."