ART. XXIV.-I WAS IN PRISON.

CHAPTER I.

The Spirit needs no locality for it "wings the Infinite." But while it is manifested only by the aid of physical or gans, the body must have a place, and there we must look for the unemancipated soul.

For the locus of our meditations, let us turn to one of our western streams that flows by the Capital of a youthful Commonwealth. Silently the clear waters glide along under the umbrage of the elm, the sycamore and the willow, that skirt the streams and reach over many a luxuriant branch to bound at the throbbing of the tranquil tide. The Scioto winds its way toward the genial South, now breasted on one side by a bank not high nor of steep ascent, and bounded on the other by a wide plain of Eden fertility, and now, as if repelled by the bank, moving off diagonally across the plain to seek companionship with the opposite hills leaving the fruitful garden of the valley on the other side.

At the section of the stream where we are now located, was a scene of singular beauty combining both the natural and the artificial. On the west the stately forest, held from the axe and the plow by the monopolising landlord, stretches far away in sombre and solemn grandeur, broken only in the perspective by here and there a mansion almost sheltered by the o'erbranching oaks. On the east to the southward lay the Capital City, rising elegantly over a gradual undulation of surface. While toward the north is seen the Prison House of the State towering grimly amid the gray turretted battlements that seem to have been constructed to guard some mighty and infernal power.

It was on an evening of May that Elmira Lawrence, who dwelt on the bank opposite the Capital, walked out to enjoy the coolness, the quietude and the spiritual geniality of the evening. A beautiful day was closing, the sun was taking leave of the domes and the spires on the other side of the river, the whippoorwill was already heard

from the forest's depth, and around, above and below, myriads of insects united in the solemn chorus, as if to commemorate the dying day. Such an evening suited, well the tone of Elmira's feelings and she failed not to enjoy it in a solitary walk along the brow of the bank with the valley, the river, the city and the varied landscape stretching out before her. Having passed along reflecting upon what was before her, and the associations connected with them until her soul was full of strong sentiments and gushing feelings, she paused, leaned against a Mulberry, and fixed her eyes upon a single object on the opposite bank. But a few moments elapsed before the intensity of feeling opened the fountains of her soul, and she stood a monument of truth, and beauty bathed in tears. She was in a state of complete abstractedness, and she made no movement but that of wiping away the warm and sacred drops as they coursed along her cheeks.

While Elmira thus stood as it were in the sanctuary of the spirit, a young man of graceful mein, pleasant appearance and not unknown to her, passed that way, and beholding her situation, halted and hesitated whether it were allowable to disturb her for the purpose of lessening her grief and administering consolation. He was touched by the singular beauty that seemed to adorn her at this above all other times, and deeply moved by her tearful sensibility. Slowly did he approach-now softly stepping and now halting as if he were walking upon holy and forbidden ground. He kept his gaze fastened upon the young woman and soon found himself reciprocating her tears by brushing them occasionally from his own countenance. After doubting and hesitating for many minutes, he ventured to advance with sufficient noise to warn her of his approach while at a respectful distance. As she started at the noise and rustling of his footfall he said with a winning voice and manner :

"Pardon my intrusion-I would weep with thee. Why art thou sad amid all the loveliness around? What grieflies heavily at the heart that thou shouldst weep while every things seems so well calculated to make the spirit bound with delight and awake to joy our every sense?"

The maiden full of confidence from the frankness of man

ner and the echo her spirit voices thus seemed to meet, manifested no discomfort; and the character of her meditations was such as to need a reciprocating friend to whom they could be revealed for counsel and for strength. She had never before met one whose whole appearance indicated so fully an appreciation of her thoughts, feelings and emotions. She rarely found a sympathizing friend, and to be thus approached she felt the generosity of friendship and the congeniality of home. Unabashed and unembarrassed, therfore, she responded to the question so earnestly put; she pointed across the valley and in a tone of wonder accompanied by an expression of astonishment, replied: "Dost thou see that huge structure begirt with those gray walls of massy rock ?"

"Ah, and why art thou so sad in the prospect ?"

"It is the prospect that makes me sad-it is the Prison where human beings are guarded by unpitying keepers armed with guns and bludgeons, as if they were ferocious beasts from the wilderness."

"Hast thou a near relative under the care of those keepers ?"

Ah, verily—there are five hundred of my near relations within those walls, robbed of every principle of manhood, whose only companions and bosom friends are those in whose presence they dare not breathe a generous feeling, and whose instruments of death call up sentiments that choke down every virtuous inclination!"

"Is this the cause of your tears that have flowed so freely ?"

"Is it not enough, that such things should be in the face of the deep blue sky, in the presence of the sun, moon and stars, on the bosom of such a fruitful earth, surrounded by such charming scenery, and within hearing of the song of the free birds, the music of sportive insects, and the general joy of creation? Oh, sir, five hundred of those beings whose bodies are chained and whose spirits are crushed, should be enabled to enjoy all the fullness of the soul for which nature has made such ample provision ?"

"But they are criminals-individuals so wicked as to be dangerous to the peace of society, the security of property and the safety of life. They must be punished, or none

would be able to enjoy the bounties of nature. It is, therefore, to preserve every beautiful prospect on earth from being converted into a black desert, that the Prison house is erected, and the violent confined with the strong arm of the law."

"If my principles were those of the world," replied she, "I would pity these unfortunates as little. But I know by an unerring knowledge that with every stone that composes those grim walls, is associated a falsehood-a lie destructive alike of the virtue of the free, as of the reformation of the convict. I know that other means of dealing with the erring are the true means, and that injustice of the deepest die is done to those upon whom the law thus lays a ruthless hand."

These announcements created some surprise in the young man, who, nevertheless knew what belonged to true gallantry, and did not press an argument further, both for the purpose of first satisfying himself concerning the position his fair companion of the evening occupied, and to gratify a feeling of reverence that her words and questions had excited, He, therefore, cut short the conversation on this point by silently acquiescing in her remarks, and saying that the subject was new to him and must be revolved in his own mind.

"It is growing late, she added, and I must retrace my steps."

"Shall I obtrude myself if I accompany you?"

"Not at all—I am not a strict observer of the arbitrary rules of a false society. While sustained by the consciousness of the rectitude of my intentions and conduct, I little regard what others may think or say in reference to me.'

They filled up the time required to walk back to her residence by a desultory conversation. When they arrived at the gate, he desired to know if he could serve her on any occasion; to which she replied, that she would be pleased to attend Church at the Penitentiary on the next Sunday, and if he should be pleased to call for her, she would endeavor to appreciate his kindness. Here they separated -he to digest the thoughts he had heard, and the extraordinary circumstances of the case, and she to meditate in silence and solitude the intuitions of her holy naturé--in solitude I say, because those with whom she resided were

not of her spirit-could not understand her philosophy, and regarded her as somewhat disordered in mind, and one of those day-dreamers whose idle vaporings were worthy of no attention. For the same reason she had little or no society in that section, as well as for the reason that she despised the affectation and hollow-heartedness that prevailed, and because the great interests of humanity, so dear to her, were overlooked by those who have the power An incongenial mind is of another species and

to save.
a stranger.

CHAPTER H.

Junius Langdon, the young man introduced in the foregoing chapter, was of the best society, being connected with an important State functionary, and having means enough to pass him in the genteelest circle. But he was not, as the reader has already discovered, destitute of good mental qualities. His susceptibility of feeling has been tested, and his good intellectual inclinations will be conceded when the object of his visit across the valley is made known. He was a youthful devotee of science, and had come over to study the rock formation as developed in the quarry, and to gather the fosssil remains of animals, which lived in a former period of the earth's history, but long since became extinct, leaving their places in the future for more perfect beings occupying higher places in the climax of progress. Junius had gathered many fossils of which there are an abundance at this locality; among which the most interesting are varieties of the Strophomenæ, Orthis, Delthyceris, Orthoceras, Pleurotomaria, &c.

The formation is the Cliff Limestone of the Western Geologists. He had already made quite a collection of mineral and fossil specimens of this section of the country, and was in correspondence with several industrious collectors of other sections, with whom he exchanged duplicates of such as he had multiplied, for those which he could not otherwise readily procure. His taste for science had done much to ennoble his philosophy and exalt his thoughts. He was, therefore, above much of the light and frivolous that prevailed, and it is not a wonder that he so well ap