Prison work

A quote from William Thackeray’s novel Men’s Wives published in 1852. At the time, Thackeray was almost as highly regarded as Dickens, but Dickens could never have written this, or ever made such a comparison :-

Mr Dickens, in his Americal book, tells of the prisoners at the silent prison, how they had ornamented their rooms, some of them with a frightful prettiness and elaboration. Women’s fancy-work is of this sort often – only prison work, done because there was no other exercising-ground for their poor little thoughts and fingers; and hence these wonderful pincushions are executed, these counterpanes woven, these sonatas learned.