2i8 MY LIFE 



effect was produced by Mrs. Fry on the female prisoners in 

 Newgate by her intense sympathy and affection for them ; yet 

 we still go on with our crude, harsh system of prison discipline, 

 which inevitably degrades and brutalizes the great majority 

 of those subject to it And we dare call ourselves enlightened, 

 humane, civilized, and even Christian! 



I also had some pleasant intercourse with Mr. Haweis and 

 one day we spent a whole afternoon in a private room, talking 

 chiefly about spiritualism, of which he had a considerable 

 practical knowledge. He was one of the few clergymen of 

 the Church of England who not only acknowledged his belief, 

 but preached the doctrines of spiritualism openly from his 

 London pulpit. 



Dr. Lunn arranged for his party some amusement for several 

 evenings in each week, either a concert, lecture, or conversa- 

 zione. Mr. Le Gallienne gave a very interesting lecture on 

 " English Minor Poets," reading selections from their works 

 to illustrate their style. Among those he included Grant Allen, 

 better known as a delightful writer on nature-study and a 

 novelist, but who was also gifted with the true poetic power; 

 and, the lecturer thought, had he devoted himself to develop- 

 ing his power he might have became a major instead of a 

 minor poet. As an example of his work, a very agnostic and 

 even atheistic poem was quoted. 



I cannot find this, as I remember it, in his little volume of 

 verse, " The Lower Slopes " ; but there is one which expresses 

 the same idea, and which perhaps may be it — A Prayer — as 

 follows : — 



"A crowned Caprice is god of this world; 

 On his stony breast are his white wings furled. 

 No ear to listen, no eye to see, 

 No heart to feel for a man hath he. 

 But his pitiless arm is swift to smite, 

 And his mute lips utter one word of might; 

 ' Mid the clash of gentler souls and rougher, 

 Wrong must thou do, or wrong must suffer.' 

 Then grant, oh, dumb, blind God, at least that we 

 Rather the sufferers than the doers be." 



