There was among the keepers a man who cherished some feelings, which
accorded very illy with his christian profession. In his very
countenance there was a something which indicated the peculiar quality
of his soul. Resentment, jealousy, cruelty, and suspicion, like so
many infernal spirits, kennelled in his eyes, and growled through his
snarling voice. This human shape had,--unfortunately for her--a wife
who was a weaver; and he brought some yarn into the prison to have it
warped for her. Robbins was at this time the warper, and the unlucky
task of warping for this lady, fell to him. He performed the duty
assigned him with his usual correctness, and the warp was sent out to
Mrs. ----, to be woven.
In beaming it on her loom, she broke and tangled the warp to such a
degree, that she could not weave it; and then said that it was spoiled
in warping. This was enough for her husband; he had long had a spite
against Robbins, and now he had a fine opportunity to glut his pious
vengeance. Accordingly he wrote a complaint to the Warden, covering
the whole warp which his wife had spoiled, and many other crimes,
which were not of any consequence alone, but which added to the great
one of the warp, made it look quite black. This report, drawing an
appendix of consequential _et ceteras_, as long as the pen with which
they were written, was sent to the proper officer, and Robbins was
doomed to lie fourteen days and nights in a solitary cell, and live on
four ounces of bread for each twenty-four hours. What makes this
treatment of a helpless prisoner the more abominable is, that Robbins
was always known to do his work in the best manner possible. No
comment is necessary; and I leave that gentleman's conscience tangled
in that warp, till he makes restitution to abused humanity.