"Comfortable!" she echoed. I was not surprised that the word sounded so strangely to her, connected with any other person than herself.
Discipline had become a mania, and it was applied as severely to the officers as the prisoners, so far as it was in her power to effect it.
The whole study, it appeared to me, was to keep them on duty all day, without relaxation; and they were cut off from every means of enjoyment which was not connected with their care.
There was a common sitting-room where the male officers and Matrons sat and talked together, when they were not on duty, when I went there; but that was taken away, and made into a bed-room, so that there was no place for them to meet except in their own bed-rooms, the halls, or on the grounds.
If human ingenuity were to set itself to work to invent a position of unmitigated discomfort, that prison life would give some excellent hints. The heads of the establishment were certainly very keen in discovering ways to circumscribe the comforts of its inmates.
I made a statement of my circumstances to Supervisor; not with any expectation of obtaining any consideration, but merely to place my view of things before her.
"You cannot wonder that I do not consider that I am made comfortable when you think of my seventeen hours of labor in the day, to which is added the care of the prison, nights."
"The care of the prison, nights!" she echoed, and turned up her nose in disdain.
I did not explain; but reminded her that the Housekeeper had two hours and a half more rest in the morning than I.
"I am glad she can have it; and it would be only kind to give me my tea a little earlier, as I cannot have it."