Thefoundersofanewcolony,whateverUtopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,haveinvariablyrecognizeditamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallotaportionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanotherportionasthesiteofaprison.
InaccordancewiththisruleitmaysafelybeassumedthattheforefathersofBostonhadbuiltthefirstprison–housesomewhereintheVicinityofCornhill,almostasseasonablyastheymarkedoutthefirstburial–ground,onIsaacJohnson’slot,androundabouthisgrave,whichsubsequentlybecamethenucleusofallthecongregatedsepulchresintheoldchurchyardofKing’sChapel.
Certainitisthat,somefifteenortwentyyearsafterthesettlementofthetown,thewoodenjailwasalreadymarkedwithweather–stainsandotherindicationsofage,whichgaveayetdarkeraspecttoitsbeetle–browedandgloomyfront.
Beforethisuglyedifice,andbetweenitandthewheel–trackofthestreet,wasagrass–plot,muchovergrownwithburdock,pig–weed,apple–pern,andsuchunsightlyvegetation,whichevidentlyfoundsomethingcongenialinthesoilthathadsoearlybornetheblackflowerofcivilisedsociety,aprison.
Butononesideoftheportal,androotedalmostatthethreshold,wasawildrose–bush,covered,inthismonthofJune,withitsdelicategems,whichmightbeimaginedtooffertheirfragranceandfragilebeautytotheprisonerashewentin,andtothecondemnedcriminalashecameforthtohisdoom,intokenthatthedeepheartofNaturecouldpityandbekindtohim.
Thisrose–bush,byastrangechance,hasbeenkeptaliveinhistory;butwhetherithadmerelysurvivedoutofthesternoldwilderness,solongafterthefallofthegiganticpinesandoaksthatoriginallyovershadowedit,orwhether,asthereisfarauthorityforbelieving,ithadsprungupunderthefootstepsofthesaintedAnnHutchinsonassheenteredtheprison–door,weshallnottakeuponustodetermine.
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