The Express.
London, England, 1865-01-21 00:00:00

4

MIDNIGHT MINTINGS.

The results of such assemblages as have been re-
medy described in these columns ass only be esti-
mated by a perweal inspection of the Homes and
Muses connected with the movement. Here we
MS the women actually reclaimed ; and here, too,
we bare laid before to books and statistics which
show what, in the opinion of the leaders of the
movement, have been the precise benefits wrought.
There is most undoubtedly a widely spread feeling
that the outward and viable signs of repentance--
the convulsive sobs and revivalistic writhinge said to
take place under thehigh pressure of spiritual excite-
ment—are unairoompanied by better results. The
mental intoxication to which weak, shallow, and bu-
rnable matures are notoriously prone is, it is fre-
quently alleged, the only phase of feeling to which
y exhorted street-walkers are proved to
Cir:vielle way ; and it has been seemed that the
teal:aim from this has left them harder and more
tt thsa before. Again, the Houma of the
5:111 societies which act in connexion with the
midnight meetings are said to be fullest in bad
weather end dull times, and to be in
alert little more than a pasture land wherein
the exhausted harlot recruits her strength, in
order that her degrading calling may be pursued
with renewed vigour when she once more emerges
isle the world. Coaverestions on this subject
often hinge on the ages and personal atmetions
of the reclaimed, end Swift's profane but shrewd
axiom about " making a sacrifice to God of the
&Wire leavings" bas been unconsciously para-
phrased in many a speech on the worn-out, mat-
thelive women who are supposed to form the only
minatituency to whom the midnight missioeary
seceessfully appeals. It is obvious that nothing
bat personal observation can satisfactorily solve
swab queetions as these, and as a fitting corollary
to the two meetings of fallen women already de-
scribed, we propose to show the after- workiugs, of
the society, the nature of its charitable Homes, the
precise clam of women sheltered therein, and the
ultimate career of the great bulk of those with
whom the society has dealt.
The central and chief office is at 5, Red Lion-
square. Here the honorary secretary, Mr. &ebb,
waives all girls who accept the printed invitation to
'allot% him, which is given to each female attending
• meeting. Here, too, all inquiries from the phil-
anthropist, all communications from the friends
sad relatives of the fallen are received, and all ar-
movements as to the place of the next gathering
are fixed. Daring one of our conversations
with Mr. Stahl), a poor woman in heavy trouble
IMMO into the room. She was the mother of a girl
of 16, who was at the meeting at St. Jamea's-ball,
and who had shown her parent the tracts and ins
wapiti= she had received, at the same time proud'.
fog to call at the headquarters of the society. In-
stead of this, she had been traced to a well-known
refreament sad music-room, where she was well
known both to the proprietor and habitues, and
which she had left with a gentleman, who took her
away in his own carriage. Very handsome, tall,
sod well-behaved, as the poor woman averred
with tearful eyes and quivering mouth, this girl's
devouring anxiety had been not to be a
burden on her mother, who is in service in a
gentleman's family, and who is ill-able to bear the
Marge of her daughter's support. This was more
than once insisted on SI the chief cause of the girl's
fall, and though the mother seemed oontideut that
if she could be once seen either by an agent of the
society or by herself her reclamation would be a
thing of course, it was difiilnit to avoid the con-
elusion, that, with painfully narrow means ou the
me baud and the temptations of the vicious luxury
she bad tasted on the other, the old temptation would
lave its old effect, and remonstrance and counsel
be unsysiling. While she good resolutions inspired
at the meeting, and by the tract, were still fresh,
she had, as it seemed, deliberately pursued her call-
ing, in preference to seeking aid ; and as au earnest
fee the future the fact is not encouraging. The •
known haunt& of the girl were, however, to be
visited by the mother and au agent of the society,
the usual arguments and pleadings were to be uaed
cm her being found, and first shelter and subse-
quently domestic service would be probably offered.
Through the courtesy of . Mr. Stabb we were pro-
vided with orders of admission to two houses,
either of which is a fair example of the sort of
abode is which this girl and others of her class
are lodged, on their placing themselves in the
beads of the society, and during the period of pro-
bation they have to undergo.
We hest visited the head-quarters of the London
Female Preventive and Reformatory institution at
No. 200, Ruston-road? a house which has no ex-
ternal symbol to distinguish it from one occupied
by private tenants. There is not even a door-plate
to mark it for what it is, and it is a commendable
feature in the arrangements of this and other of the
Homes that not • penny has been spent in archi-
*sauna or other display. They are fitted up
modestly, but comfortably, and we ware assured
that the average cost of furnishing per head did
sot exceed five pounds for each inmate. The
secretary, Mr. IL W. Thomas, has been engaged in
the task of reclaiming women from tee streets since
1861, and assured us, and quoted figures iu support
of his assertion, that the theory as to winter bang
the meet prolific season for conversions is utterly
fallacious. There are four Homes in connection
with this central one, all of which are reformatory.
This particular establishment is what is called pre-
ventive, but the books of all are kept here, and
were freely shown us. They are posted up with
great regularity and clearness, and save from the
peculiarity of their subject matter might belong to
some methodical tradesman of an arithmetical turn
of mind. From them we find the age of each wo-
man taken in, the assigned cause of her fall, the beat
or walk wherein she pursued her trade, her previ-
ous avocation, the length of time she has been a
prostitute, the number of times she has been in
prison, the Sunday or other school, if any, at
which she was educated, and her avowed reason
for coining to the Home. The average age of the
best 12 fallen women admitted we found to be 20,
and the length of time they had been on the
streets to be respectively, 3 years, 2 years, 14 weeks,
mouths, 1 month, 3 weeks, 9 mouths, 6 months,
U months, 12 months? 18 mouths, and (though
this is barely credible in the case of a girl of 20)
9 years. In addition to these figures Mr. Thomas
@applied as with the annexed paper :
The Lima= repel* Preventive sod P.eforrnatory
lastitution Mos, 200, Boobs-road, N. W.
The fotlowieg are some of the statistics consented with
the working of the above betttatiow daring the pest year :
—At its commeenemeet, yin, let Sao., 76 were already
%mates of the Homes ; during the year 311 new ewes were
meshed, and 74 bad ben readmitted for short pseuds
until fresh Academe meld be provided for them. The
paler of situations provided is 1884 were 226, 49 wen
sistered te their friesele, 2 were married, 3 emigrated, 15
were dismissed, 77 left voluntarily, and at the close of the
year, 89 still mended under the owe of the committee,
waking w total of 461 who have partaken of the benefits of
the charity during 1864. Of this number of 311 sew
mass, 75 were received ea their own spoil:ratios, 44 on
the reeerameadatiour of rabecoibees, 47 as that of other pri-
vate individuals, 27 by the latervistios of the ministry ;
eity ramicioarire seat 10; magistrates, 2 ; former inmates,
; the Midnight Nest* Movement, 56 ; Ridermatory and
Heinge iJeies, 27 ; other kindred moieties 12 ; while
2 had heard of the institution by mats of the peen.
As to the causes to which thew Young poem
seethed their fall, they are as follows : —Bomb of /amino
of marriage, 62 ; bid company sad isebriety, 53 ; diet.
listen, 39 ; gaiety, love of dress, and endue Macy, 24;
19 attributed their fall to the depravity of their employers,
"Sib 22 meld sot be elusilled under any special head, sad
IS rem were preventive. The number of new admitted so
the various Homes from Sept., 1857, to the elm al 1884,
haw been 1,478, 53 of whom had never any employment,
1.826 WWII domain servants, sad 399 were mulleriemse
or same handicrafts ; 283 were fatherless, 231 motherless,
co satire orphans, 406 had both pima liviogdwad 89
wee ignorant as to whether their parents were alive or
Asa. The emirs nembir of situations provided he. bees
1113, 346 have bees received bock to their families, 23 have
asseried, 12 have emigrated, 5 died, 46 have been dismissed.
led 381 have lett the Some volastailly, sad if the fore.