Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1868-07-10
VOLUME 35, NO. 35.

would open its doors 10 repentamt female
sinner. except to turn her out of the house.
| On calling upon Mr.. Arnold the next day
we found him in his room ut the Mission.
with his head bowed upon the table. as tho
IN prayer: Looking up at us. with blazing
eyes. be exclaimed
"Sir. what is to be done about this?n
"About what" We asked.
These poor girls" be replied. 81 have
been thinking and praying. and praying and
thinking over it all night. but can see no
light. Sir. (pressing his head between his
hands), l shall 60 mad"
Poor, unsopbisticated babe Of grace. ho
does not know. nor would lie have the pluck
to acknowledge that his despair comes of
the terrible fact that there is no, Christiani-
ty enough on the Island Of Manhattan or
elsewhere. to meet the case.
The Rev. Charles Kingsley, in his Hy-
patia, relates how dance house girl of AL.
txandria. in the 9Th century. on finding her
brother. whom she had not seen since early
Childhood. and who had become n, lest os
f'~'@ "' PO"Nf' bStaihc tO"cTtcu, anu
loathcG her previous life. and longcd for re-
!gioas companionship, but could get it not,
and had finally to flee to n cave in the de.
sert, and there mourn and weep her life
away alone.
I'm that age" says Mr.. Kinsley, there
was no other place for such"
Is there any other place for them ao,c?
Yea. as desert caves are not now acces-
sible. is there any place for them, except
such as the Wickedest Man in New York
is ever ready to providcp
We auaign no one. nor do VIC assail any
sect. for permitting this state of things to
exist in Christian land. 1t may be in ac-
cordance with the principles OF Chiistiani-
~. as practised in this age and country, and
also in harmony with the eternal sweep and
fitness OF things. that, practically speaking.
fallen girl should have no opportunity for
reformation, but should be sent inexorably
to he'll by the shortest travelled route.
For the route is short. Five years is the
average duration Of the ouicast's life, rec
koning from the hour she enters upon her
career OF shame. Only FIVE years; SO that
every year one.fifth OF these creatures GO
down to their graves.
There are about forty dance houses in
MIR. Aliens neighborbood; that is to say,
within half-milc square. Of which No. 3o4
Water street Is the centre. The average
number OF girls in each OF these houses the
season through, is ten. making four hundred
in them all So that TO |, ed this half-mile
square OF iniainy requires eighty fresh girls
per annum. To feed the entire city requires
an average of two thousand one hundred
and eighty Hour year. ,ohich is triae ouer
sir day. Sundays Included Six fresh
girls day from the Sabbath Schools and
vIrtuous homes OF the land, to feed the IL
ceniious nav Of this metropolis Of the Wes-
tern world!
Where do these girls come fromp Why,
from Europe, and from nearly every State
in the Union also from ;be CanaJas. Ma
ny of them are from the clustering, peace
ful villages Of New England and Western
New York. Occasionally. one is filtered
from Fifth Avenue palace down through
brilliant dissipation and gilded immortality
to the relentless hard pan Of the sailor
dance house. Broad is The road that leads
TO destruction. and many there be who ira
vel il Aye. and numerous are the sinuous
paths which debauch upon the broad road,
much to the horror and despair Of those
who had no intention OF treading its sIimy
way when they first set out upon the elegant,
hallucinating journey OF wee.
We have amassed strange ard narrowing
facts in regard to where these girls come
from. and ho,o they happen 10 come; but the
proper ventilation OF these facts, together
with the complete summing up OF orr Wick
edest Man. will require the ample scope Of
another article, which, Providence permit
ting, shall be forthcoming ia the August
number OF this magazine.
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Taxing tho Counons