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!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
nmore like the den of some wild animalalmost the only furniture of which was a filthy iron bedstead察a wooden box to serve for table and chair察while an old tin did duty as a dustbin。
The inhabitant of this wretched den was a poor woman察who fled into the darkest corner of the place as our Officer entered。 This poor wretch was the victim of a brutal man察who never allowed her to venture outside the door察keeping her alive by the scantiest allowance of food。 Her only clothing consisted of a sack tied round her body。 Her feet were bare察her hair matted and foul察presenting on the whole such an object as one could scarcely imagine living in a civilised country。
She had left a respectable home察forsaken her husband and family察and sunk so low that the man who then claimed her boasted to the Officer that he had bettered her condition by taking her off the streets。
We took the poor creature away察washed and clothed her察and察changed in heart and life察she is one more added to the number of those who rise up to bless the Salvation Army workers。
SECTION 6。A PREVENTIVE HOME FOR UNFALLEN GIRLS WHEN IN DANGER。
There is a story told likely enough to be true about a young girl who applied one evening for admission to some home established for the purpose of rescuing fallen women。 The matron naturally inquired whether she had forfeited her virtue察the girl replied in the negative。 She had been kept from that infamy察but she was poor and friendless察and wanted somewhere to lay her head until she could secure work察and obtain a home。 The matron must have pitied her察but she could not help her as she did not belong to the class for whose benefit the Institution was intended。 The girl pleaded察but the matron could not alter the rule察and dare not break it察they were so pressed to find room for their own poor unfortunates察and she could not receive her。 The poor girl left the door reluctantly but returned in a very short time察and said察 I am fallen now察will you take me in拭
I am somewhat slow to credit this incident察anyway it is true in spirit察and illustrates the fact that while there are homes to which any poor察ruined察degraded harlot can run for shelter察there is only here and there a corner to which a poor friendless察moneyless察homeless察but unfallen girl can fly for shelter from the storm which bids fair to sweep her away whether she will or no into the deadly vortex of ruin which gapes beneath her。
In London and all our large towns there must be a considerable number of poor girls who from various causes are suddenly plunged into this forlorn condition察a quarrel with the mistress and sudden discharge察a long bout of disease and dismissal penniless from the hospital察a robbery of a purse察having to wait for a situation until the last penny is spent察and many other causes will leave a girl an almost hopeless prey to the linx´eyed villains who are ever watching to take advantage of innocence when in danger。 Then察again察what a number there must be in a great city like London who are ever faced with the alternative of being turned out of doors if they refuse to submit themselves to the infamous overtures of those around them。 I understand that the Society for the Protection of Children prosecuted last year a fabulous number of fathers for unnatural sins with their children。 If so many were brought to justice察how many were there of whom the world never heard in any shape or form拭 We have only to imagine how many a poor girl is察faced with the terrible alternative of being driven literally into the streets by employers or relatives or others in whose power she is unfortunately placed。
Now察we want a real home for sucha house to which any girl can fly at any hour of the day or night察and be taken in察cared for察shielded from the enemy察and helped into circumstances of safety。
The Refuge we propose will be very much on the same principle as the Homes for the Destitute already described。 We should accept any girls察say from fourteen years of age察who were without visible means of support察but who were willing to work察and to conform to discipline。 There would be various forms of labour provided察such as laundry work察sewing察knitting by machines察&c。 Every beneficial influence within our power would be brought to bear on the rectification and formation of character。 Continued efforts would be made to secure situations according to the adaptation of the girls察to restore wanderers to their homes察and otherwise provide for all。 From this察as with the other Homes察there will be a way made to the Farm and to the Colony over the sea。 The institutions would be multiplied as we had means and found them to be necessary察and made self´supporting as far as possible。
SECTION 7。ENQUIRY OFFICE FOR LOST PEOPLE。
Perhaps nothing more vividly suggests the varied forms of broken´hearted misery in the great City than the statement that 18000 people are lost in it every year察of whom 9000 are never heard of any more察anyway in this world。 What is true about London is察we suppose察true in about the same proportion of the rest of the country。 Husbands察sons察daughters察and mothers are continually disappearing察and leaving no trace behind。
In such cases察where the relations are of some importance in the world察they may interest the police authorities sufficiently to make some enquiries in this country察which察however察are not often successful察or where they can afford to spend large sums of money察they can fall back upon the private detective察who will continue these enquiries察not only at home but abroad。
But where the relations of the missing individual are in humble circumstances察they are absolutely powerless察in nine cases out of ten察to effectually prosecute any search at all that is likely to be successful。
Take察for instance察a cottager in a village察whose daughter leaves for service in a big town or city。 Shortly afterwards a letter arrives informing her parents of the satisfactory character of her place。 The mistress is kind察the work easy察and she likes her fellow servants。 She is going to chapel or church察and the family are pleased。 Letters continue to arrive of the same purport察but察at length察they suddenly cease。 Full of concern察the mother writes to know the reason察but no answer comes back察and after a time the letters are returned with ;gone察no address察─written on the envelope。 The mother writes to the mistress察or the father journeys to the city察but no further information can be obtained beyond the fact that ;the girl has conducted herself somewhat mysteriously of late察had ceased to be as careful at her work察had been noticed to be keeping company with some young man察had given notice and disappeared altogether。;
Now察what can these poor people do拭 They apply to the police察but they can do nothing。 Perhaps they ask the clergyman of the parish察who is equally helpless察and there is nothing for them but for the father to hang his head and the mother to cry her self to sleepto long察and wait察and pray for information that perhaps never comes察and to fear the worst。
Now察our Enquiry Department supplies a remedy for this state of things。 In such a case application would simply have to be made to the nearest Salvation Army Officerprobably in her own village察any way察in the nearest townwho would instruct the parents to write to the Chief Office in London察sending portraits and all particulars。 Enquiries would at once be set on foot察which would very possibly end in the restoration of the girl。
The achievements of this Department察which has only been in operation for a short time察and that on a limited scale察as a branch of Rescue Work察have been marvellous。 No more romantic stories can be found in the pages of our most imaginative writers than those it records。 We give three or four illustrative cases of recent date。
A LOST HUSBAND。
ENQUIRY。
Mrs。 S。察of New Town察Leeds察wrote to say that ROBERT R。 left England in July 1889察for Canada to improve his position。 He left a wife and four little children behind察and on leaving said that if he were successful out there he should send for them察but if not he should return。
As he was unsuccessful察he left Montreal in the Dominion Liner ;Oregon察─on October 30th察but except receiving a card from him ere he started察the wife and friends had heard no more of him from that day till the date they wrote us。
They had written to the ;Dominion; Company察who replied that ;he landed at Liverpool all right察─so察thinking he had disappeared upon his arrival察they put the matter in the hands of the Liverpool Police察who察after having the case in hand for several weeks made the usual report ;Cannot be traced。;
RESULT。
We at once commenced looking for some passenger who had come over by the same steamer察and after the lapse of a little time we succeeded in getting hold of one。
In our first interview with him we learned that Robert R。 did not land at Liverpool察but when suffering from depression threw himself overboard three days after leaving America察and was drowned。 We further elicited that upon his death the sailors rifled his clothes and boxes察and partitioned them。
We wrote the Company reporting this察and they promised to