62 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1806 



in any degree. The worst thing of all is idleness, for idleness 

 tends to corruption of soul and body. The only object of help- 

 ing women in prison is to shut out self and employ each woman 

 at whatever work will best be calculated for her mental and 

 physical welfare, and also prepare them for living when they 

 return to the world. If a woman comes to prison who does not 

 know how to sew, she is taught. The women who cannot read 

 or write are placed in school at once, or as soon as received 

 from the hospital. We now have a hospital and every woman, 

 after she has passed through the bath room, is taken to the 

 hospital and kept there as long as it is necessary, so that no 

 disease may be brought into the institution. 



They are taught to read and write until they can avail them- 

 selves of the library privileges and write their own letters. 

 Sometimes, a woman will say, " If I had known how to read 

 and write, I should have had something to take up my leisure 

 moments.'' The day schools are compulsory for those who 

 cannot read or write. The evening school are for the grades 

 and all may join; the studies taught are similar to those taught 

 in the grammar grades with especial attention to arithmetic. 

 We have had a class in physical culture but find it is not very 

 successful because they are too weak-minded or too old, so that 

 has been dropped. It is my pleasure to meet my women for 

 one half-hour once or twice a week and give them a talk about 

 home life, the care of the home, care of children, and whatever 

 pertains to the welfare of the home. 



We have a mulberry park and in the summer we go there for 

 our services. We have a small baby organ, and music holds a 

 very prominent place in our service. Two evenings a week we 

 devote here to song. 



That the body may grow strong a variety of industries are 

 carried on. In our sewing room are made a large variety of 

 garments for institutions in the State beside our own house. 

 In our shirt room we make only shirts. The hospital gives an 

 opportunity for our women to become trained in taking care of 

 the sick. There is not a pauper in the institution I am glad to 

 say, for a pauper should never have the stigma of prison life. 



