"At early mass to-day the church regent again ripped up the ear of one of the choir boys." An elderly man in the uniform of a retired soldier coughed aloud and remarked: "These choir boys are such loafers!" A short, bald, little man with short legs, long arms, and protruding jaw, ran officiously up and down the room.

Without stopping he said in a cracked, agitated voice: "The cost of living is getting higher and higher.

An inferior quality of beef, fourteen cents; bread has again risen to two and a half." Now and then prisoners came into the room--gray, monotonous, with coarse, heavy, leather shoes.

They blinked as they entered; iron chains rattled at the feet of one of them.

The quiet and calm and simplicity all around produced a strange, uncouth impression.