Mr. Simmons was the sheriff and he told the prisoners to “smoke all they pleased,” that he would keep them in material, and he kept his word.  Tobacco smoke is poison to me and cigarettes are worse.  The health-board belonged to this republican whiskey ring, and was in conspiracy to make me insane, so they put a quarantine on the jail for three weeks, and I was a lone woman in there, with two cigarette smokers, and a maniac, next to my cell.  John, the Trusty, smoked a horrid strong pipe, and he also was next to my cell.  Strange to say, when that jail had so many apartments, and so few in them, that four inmates should have been put next to me; but there was “a cause.”  Mr. Dick Dodd was the jailor, and for three weeks he was the only one who came in my cell and I was not allowed to see anyone in that time, but Dr. Jordan who called once.  I cried and begged to be relieved of the smoke, for I do not think Mr. Dodd realized how poisonous it was to me.  I would have to keep my windows up in the cold January weather, and the fire would go down at night.  I had two blankets, no pillow and a bed that the criminals had slept on for years perhaps.  I would shiver with cold, and often would lay on the cement floor with my head in my hands to keep out of the draught.  Oh! the physical agony!  I had something like La Grippe which settled on my bronchial tubes, from which I have never recovered, and I expect to feel the effect to my dying day.  I had a strong voice for singing, which I lost, and have never been able to sing, to speak of since.  Hour after hour I would lay on the floor, listening to the ravings of this poor old man, who would fall on his iron bed and hard floor, cursing and calling out names.  One night I thought I could not live to see day.  I had in my cell sweetest of all companions, my Bible.  I read and studied it, and this particular night I told the Lord he must come to my aid.  As I often do, I opened my Bible at random and read the first place I opened to, the 144th Psalm.  I have often read the book through, but this chapter seemed entirely new.  It reads, Verse 1:  “Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight. 2.  My goodness and my fortress my high tower and my deliverer; my shield and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.”

God told me in this chapter that He led me to “fight with my fingers and war with my hands;” that He would be my refuge and deliverer; that He would bring the people to me.

David had just such enemies as these when be says in this chapter:  “Cast forth thy lightnings and scatter them; shoot out thine arrows and destroy them.”

7.  Send thine hand from above; rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children.

8.  Where mouth speaketh vanity; and where right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12.  That our sons may be plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a palace.”