in darkest england and the way out-第54章

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aps　the　largest　and　most　efficient　effort　of　its　character　in　the　world。

It　is　difficult　to　estimate　the　results　that　have　been　already　realised。　　By　our　varied　operations；　apart　from　these　Homes；　probably　hundreds；　if　not　thousands；　have　been　delivered　from　lives　of　shame　and　misery。　　We　have　no　exact　return　of　the　number　who　have　gone　through　the　Homes　abroad；　but　in　connection　with　the　work　in　this　country；　about　3；000　have　been　rescued；　and　are　living　lives　of　virtue。

This　success　has　not　only　been　gratifying　on　account　of　the　blessing　it　has　brought　these　young　women；　the　gladness　it　has　introduced　to　the　homes　to　which　they　have　been　restored；　and　the　benefit　it　has　bestowed　upon　Society；　but　because　it　has　assured　us　that　much　greater　results　of　the　same　character　may　be　realised　by　operations　conducted　on　a　larger　scale；　and　under　more　favourable　circumstances。

With　this　view　we　propose　to　remodel　and　greatly　increase　the　number　of　our　Homes　both　in　London　and　the　provinces；　establishing　one　in　every　great　centre　of　this　infamous　traffic。

To　make　them　very　largely　Receiving　Houses；　where　the　girls　will　be　initiated　into　the　system　of　reformation；　tested　as　to　the　reality　of　their　desires　for　deliverance；　and　started　forward　on　the　highway　of　truth；　virtue；　and　religion。

From　these　Homes　large　numbers；　as　at　present；　would　be　restored　to　their　friends　and　relatives；　while　some　would　be　detained　in　training　for　domestic　service；　and　others　passed　on　to　the　Farm　Colony。

On　the　Farm　they　would　be　engaged　in　various　occupations。　In　the　Factory；　at　Bookbinding　and　Weaving；　in　the　Garden　and　Glasshouses　amongst　fruit　and　flowers；　in　the　Dairy；　making　butter；　in　all　cases　going　through　a　course　of　House…work　which　will　fit　them　for　domestic　service。

At　every　stage　the　same　process　of　moral　and　religious　training；　on　which　we　specially　rely；　will　be　carried　forward。

There　would　probably　be　a　considerable　amount　of　inter…marriage　amongst　the　Colonists；　and　in　this　way　a　number　of　these　girl's　would　be　absorbed　into　Society。

A　large　number　would　be　sent　abroad　as　domestic　servants。　　In　Canada；　the　girls　are　taken　out　of　the　Rescue　Homes　as　servants；　with　no　other　reference　than　is　gained　by　a　few　weeks'　residence　there；　and　are　paid　as　much　as　#3　a　month　wages。　　The　scarcity　of　domestic　servants　in　the　Australian　Colonies；　Western　States　of　America；　Africa；　and　elsewhere　is　well　known。　　And　we　have　no　doubt　that　on　all　hands　our　girls　with　12　months'　character　will　be　welcomed；　the　question　of　outfit　and　passage…money　being　easily　arranged　for　by　the　persons　requiring　their　services　advancing　the　amount；　with　an　understanding　that　it　is　to　be　deducted　out　of　their　first　earnings。

Then　we　have　the　Colony　Over…Sea；　which　will　require　the　service　of　a　large　number。　　Very　few　families　will　go　out　who　will　not　be　very　glad　to　take　a　young　woman　with　them；　not　as　a　menial　servant；　but　as　a　companion　and　friend。

By　this　method　we　should　be　able　to　carry　out　Rescue　work　on　a　much　larger　scale。　　At　present　two　difficulties　very　largely　block　our　way。　One　is　the　costliness　of　the　work。　　The　expense　of　rescuing　a　girl　on　the　present　plan　cannot　be　much　less　than　#7；　that　is；　if　we　include　the　cost　of　those　with　whom　we　fail；　and　on　whom　the　money　is　largely　thrown　away。　　Seven　pounds　is　certainly　not　a　very　large　sum　for　the　measure　of　benefit　bestowed　upon　the　girl　by　bringing　her　off　the　streets；　and　that　which　is　bestowed　on　Society　by　removing　her　from　her　evil　course。　　Still；　when　the　work　runs　into　thousands　of　individuals；　the　amount　required　becomes　considerable。　　On　the　plan　proposed　we　calculate　that　from　the　date　of　their　reaching　the　Farm　Colony　they　will　earn　nearly　all　that　is　required　for　their　support。

The　next　difficulty　which　hinders　our　expansion　in　this　department　is　the　want　of　suitable　and　permanent　situations；　Although　we　have　been　marvellously　successful　so　far；　having　at　this　hour　probably　1；200　girls　in　domestic　service　alone；　still　the　difficulty　in　this　respect　is　great。　　Families　are　naturally　shy　at　receiving　these　poor　unfortunates　when　they　can　secure　the　help　they　need　combined　with　unblemished　character；　and　we　cannot　blame　them。

Then；　again；　it　can　easily　be　understood　that　the　monotony　of　domestic　service　in　this　country　is　not　altogether　congenial　to　the　tastes　of　many　of　these　girls；　who　have　been　accustomed　to　a　life　of　excitement　and　freedom。　　This　can　be　easily　understood。　　To　be　shut　up　seven　days　a　week　with　little　or　no　intercourse；　either　with　friends　or　with　the　outside　world；　beyond　that　which　comes　of　the　weekly　Church　service　or　〃night　out〃　with　nowhere　to　go；　as　many　of　them　are　tied　off　from　the　Salvation　Army　Meetings；　becomes　very　monotonous；　and　in　hours　of　depression　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　a　few　break　down　in　their　resolutions；　and　fall　back　into　their　old　ways。

On　the　plan　we　propose　there　is　something　to　cheer　these　girls　forward。　Life　on　the　farm　will　be　attractive。　　From　there　they　can　go　to　a　new　country　and　begin　the　world　afresh；　with　the　possibility　of　being　married　and　having　a　little　home　of　their　own　some　day。　　With　such　prospects；　we　think；　they　will　be　much　more　likely　to　fight　their　way　through　seasons　of　darkness　and　temptation　than　as　at　present。

This　plan　will　also　make　the　task　of　rescuing　the　girls　much　more　agreeable　to　the　Officers　engaged　in　it。　　They　will　have　this　future　to　dwell　upon　as　an　encouragement　to　persevere　with　the　girls；　and　will　be　spared　one　element　at　least　in　the　regret　they　experience；　when　a　girl　falls　back　into　old　habits；　namely；　that　she　earned　the　principal　part　of　the　money　that　has　been　expended　upon　her。

That　girls　can　be　rescued　and　blessedly　saved　even　now；　despite　all　their　surroundings；　we　have　many　remarkable　proofs。　　Of　these　take　one　or　two　as　examples：　

J。　W。　was　brought　by　our　Officers　from　a　neighbourhood　which　has；　by　reason　of　the　atrocities　perpetrated　in　it；　obtained　an　unenviable　renown；　even　among　similar　districts　of　equally　bad　character。

She　was　only　nineteen。　　A　country　girl。　　She　had　begun　the　struggle　for　life　early　as　a　worker　in　a　large　laundry；　and　at　thirteen　years　of　age　was　led　away　by　an　inhuman　brute。　　The　first　false　step　taken；　her　course　on　the　downward　road　was　rapid；　and　growing　restless　and　anxious　for　more　scope　than　that　afforded　in　a　country　town；　she　came　up　to　London。

For　some　time　she　lived　the　life　of　extravagance　and　show；　known　to　many　of　this　class　for　a　short　timehaving　plenty　of　money；　fine　clothes；　and　luxurious　surroundings　until　the　terrible　disease　seized　her　poor　body；　and　she　soon　found　herself　deserted；　homeless　and　friendless；　an　outcast　of　Society。

When　we　found　her　she　was　hard　and　impenitent；　difficult　to　reach　even　with　the　hand　of　love；　but　love　won；　and　since　that　time　she　has　been　in　two　or　three　situations；　a　consistent　Soldier　of　an　Army　corps；　and　a　champion　War　Cry　seller。

A　TICKET…OF…LEAVE　WOMAN。

A。　B。　was　the　child　of　respectable　working　peopleRoman　Catholics　but　was　early　left　an　orphan。　　She　fell　in　with　bad　companions；　and　became　addicted　to　drink；　going　from　bad　to　worse　until　drunkenness；　robbery；　and　harlotry　brought　her　to　the　lowest　depths。　She　passed　seven　years　in　prison；　and　after　the　last　offence　was　discharged　with　seven　years'　police　supervision。　　Failing　to　report　herself；　she　was　brought　before　the　bench。

The　magistrate　inquired　whether　she　had　ever　had　a　chance　in　a　Home　of　any　kind。　　〃She　is　too　old；　no　one　will　take　her；〃　was　the　reply；　but　a　Detective　present；　knowing　a　little　about　the　Salvation　Army；　stepped　forward　and　explained　to　the　magistrate　th　at　he　did　not　think　the　Salvation　Army　refused　any　who　applied。　　She　was　formally　handed　over　to　us　in　a　deplorable　condition；　her　clothing　the　scantiest　and　dirtiest。　　For　over　three　years　she　has　given　evidence　of　a　genuine　reformation；　during　which　time　she　has　industriously　earned　her　own　living。

A　WILD　WOMAN。

In　visiting　a　slum　in　a　town　in　the　North　of　England；　our　Officers　entered　a　hole；　unfit　to　be　called　a　human　habitationmore　like　the　den　of　some　wild　animalalmost　the　only　furniture　of　which　was　a　filthy　iron　bedstead；