The Thoughtful Warden

by Ambrose Bierce

　　THE Warden of a Penitentiary was one day putting locks on the doors of all the cells when a mechanic said to him:"Those locks can all be opened from the inside - you are very imprudent."The Warden did not look up from his work, but said:"If that is called imprudence, I wonder what would be called a thoughtful provision against the vicissitudes of fortune."