Wood.] |[26 IJune. 



of one year's personal observation of the working of the new plan 

 in the Cherry Hill Penitentiary, which abundantly confirmed the pre- 

 vious conclusions of his judgment. It must be understood, however, 

 that he distinguishes very decidedly between the plan of entire se- 

 clusion, without occupation for mind or body, and that in operation 

 at the new prison, which, while most carefully debarring the convicts 

 from all intercourse among one another, whether by night or day, 

 permits a cautiously regulated intercourse with others, and gives 

 every facility for needful exercise, useful labor, and profitable read- 

 ing. It is the latter system only that he commends, abandoning the 

 former, apparently without reserve, to the very serious charges, made 

 by the enemies of solitary confinement, of inflicting tortures of mind 

 conducive to insanity, and most deleteriously influencing the physical 

 health, by the deprivation of fresh air and exercise, and all mental 

 recreation. 



In the year 1818, soon after having established himself as a prac- 

 titioner of medicine in Philadelphia, Dr. Bache married Aglae, the 

 daughter of Jean Dabadie, a French gentleman then resident in this 

 city. Perhaps by the merely worldly-wise this may have been re- 

 garded as an imprudent step, as their united incomes were insuflS- 

 cient for the support of a family; and for many years, with all that 

 he could add to that income by his best exertions, the young couple 

 labored under many difiiculties from deficient means, which were, of 

 course, aggravated by the constantly increasing family that was 

 growing up around them. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that he 

 acted most wisely; for the match was one of aff"ection; the lady was 

 intelligent, amiable, and in every way worthy of him; and it is im- 

 possible to overvalue the influence of mutual love in estimating the 

 sources of happiness in this world. What, if borne singly, might 

 be regarded as trouble or misfortune, when shared with an aff"ection- 

 ate partner often scarcely deserves the name, and sometimes may 

 be even looked on as a blessing, as it calls qualities into exercise 

 which might otherwise have remained dormant, and which, when 

 developed, are alike a cause of happiness to their possessors and their 

 objects, and an honor to our nature. Unhappily, Mrs. Bache, after 

 bearing with her husband the difiiculties of his earlier career, was 

 called away from him just as his pecuniary aff'airs were beginning to 

 be no longer a source of anxiety. She died of consumption in May, 

 1835, leaving him, as her best legacy, a young family of sons and 

 daughters to give exercise to his aff'ections, and comfort to his de- 

 clining years. 



