at last openly in Nismes.  Mrs. Fry recognized in them the kindred souls of faithful believers.  After this, the party spent a fortnight at a little retired village called Congenies, where they welcomed many others of their own creed.  A house with “vaulted rooms, whitewashed and floored with stone,” sheltered them during this quaint sojourn, while the villagers vied with each other in contributing to their comforts.

At Toulon they visited the “Bagnes,” or prison for the galley slaves.  These poor wretches fared horribly, while the loss of life among them was terrible.  They worked very hard, slept on boards, and were fed upon bread and dry beans.  At night they were ranged in a long gallery, and in number from one hundred to two hundred, were all chained to the iron rod which ran the entire length of the gallery.  By day they worked chained together in couples.

At Marseilles a new kind of prison was inspected by her; this was a conventual institution and refuge for female penitents, under the control of the nuns of the order of St. Charles, who to the three ordinary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, added that of converting souls.  Superintending ladies in the city, who bore the title of “directresses,” were not even permitted to see the women immured there; indeed, only one was permitted to enter the building in order to look after the necessary repairs, and even she was strictly restrained from seeing a penitent or sister.  It seemed hopeless in the face of these facts to expect admission, but Mrs. Fry’s name and errand prevailed.  Accompanied by one of these nominal directresses, she was admitted and shown into a large, plainly-furnished parlor.  After she had waited some little time, the Lady Superior presented herself at the grating, and prepared to hear the communications of her visitors.  In the course of the conversation which passed, it appeared that there were over one hundred penitents in the convent, who mostly became servants after their reclamation.  It seemed that they “were not taught to read or write, neither was the least morsel of pencil, paper, pen, ink, or any other possible material for writing permitted, from the fear of their communicating with people without.”  The Superior admitted that portions of the Bible were suitable to the inmates, such as the Parables and Psalms, but said that as a whole the Scriptures were not fit to be put into the hands of people in general.  Mrs. Fry departed from this “home of mystery and darkness,” very unsatisfied and sad.  She next visited a boys’ prison, conducted by the Abbe Fisceaux, which excited her admiration.

At the “Maison Penitentiaire” at Geneva, the arrangements appeared to be as complete as possible, and most praiseworthy.  The treatment varied in severity, according to the guilt of the criminals, who were divided into four classes.  They were in all cases there for long terms of imprisonment, but were allowed either Catholic or Protestant versions of the Scriptures, according to their faith.  After paying short visits to Lausanne, Berne, and Zurich, the party returned home.