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'From this time [7pm] till nine o'clock, the prisoners are allowed to read such books as they may have obtained from the library. To show us that the men were generally so occupied, the officer who had attended us throughout the day now led us from cell to cell, and drew aside the small metal screen that hung down before the little peep hole in each door, when, on looking through it, we found almost every prisoner whom we peeped in upon seated close to the gas-light, and busily engaged in persuing either some book or periodical that was spread out before him.'