The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-09-19

he could let us hold a prayer-meeting IN his sal
Don, after . little reflection, he replied:
"Well; no, gentlemen; / can't 60 that. You
know that every man must have regard 70 ms
profession and the opinion of his neighbors.'
What with my OjSsrrer and Independent, and
YOU fellows coming here and singing camp meet
ing hymns, | am already looked upon in the
neighbOrhOOd a. being rather loose and unsound,
and If, atop of all that, | should let You hold a
PRAYER meeting here. l should lose what little
character ] have left"
But our friend Arnold, of the Howard Mission,
was determined TO achieve the prayer-mectinG.
And during tho fourth week in May last, wien
there were many Of his clerical friends in the
city, Mr.. Arnold thought he'd bring n heavy
spiritual cannonade to bear on Allen, and see
what would come of it. ~, on Monday night,
May 18th, after a carefully conducted prelimina-
~ season of prayer, an aSSaulung party was
formed. including six clergymen from different
PARTS of the country, 10 march upon the cltdel of
the enemy. When we arrived it was half-past
twelve; the window shutters were closed, and we
feared we were too late. But u light shown
through the window over the door, and on apIli-
cation we We're admitted, and received a hearty
welcome. Allen Was Just then undergoing Il
shampooing process for the purpose, as lac frankly
stated, of enabling him TO 90 to bed sober. lie
added:
You see, gentlemen. it won't do for a business
man to go 10 bed drunk, nor for a literary man
either. ~, now, you Just take my advice, and
III W AAAA ttAEN AAAAR eFtoN N@NE1@S
YOU Just take n good shampoo, and You will find
the investment II pay a big dividend in the morn
ing. But walk in the saloon, gentlemen; walk
in. The girls are in there, taking a rest and a
smoke, after the labors of the evening. Walk
in"
We walked in, and found the girls smoking
pipes and sitting and ~lounging about the room.
In n few minutes Allen came III and proposed to
lave the girls dance for us, but we declined.
"Well then, Arnold, let's have a song he
said.
Mr.. Arnold, as usual, asked the girls what
they would like to hear, and they at once asked
for their favorite-".T There is rest for the Weary"
~'ilere, mother, give me my fiddle, p" said Allen
to his wife, land bring out the books" meaning
the Little Wanderers Friend, of which he keeps
a supply.
As soon as this song was finished, a couple of
the girls, simultaneously asked for There's a
light in the Window for Thee, Brother, :" which
was sung with emphasis and feeling.
At tie conclusion of the last mentioned song,
Mr.. Arnold believed that the appointed hour had
come, and, tapping Allen ON the shoulder, he
said:
well John, old boy, give us your hand; l
feel just like Praying here with you"
Alien took the extended hand. and gruffy said:
"What-pay? Do you mean pray?-No, sir,
neycri"
well, John, - responded Mr.. Arnold, 81 am
going TO pray here anyhow. If don't pray loud
I'll pray soft. You shan't lose the prayer, at
any rate"
hear you, mind that. l don't know anything
about it. l won't hear YOU
And backing slowly out of the room, and re-
peating 81 won't hear you,' over and over
again, Allen went through the door leading to
the bar, and closed i. after him.
Mr.. Arnold then invited the girls to join in
prayer with him, which they did, some Of them
kneeiing on the floor, as did the visitors, and
OthC.s bowling their heads upon their hands,
while Allen peered through the window of the
PARTITION door upon the singular scene.
Mr.. ArnOld's heart was almost too full for ut
terancc, but his iervor soon unloosed his tongue,
and he poured out n simple, direct and heartfelt
prayer, which told powerfully upon the hearers.
Many of the girls arose, sObbing to their feet,
and several of them crowded around Mr.. Arnold,
and begged him, in the name of God, to take
them from that place. They would work their
haDds OFF, If honest work could be got for them
they would submit to any hardship, if they could
only be restored TO opportunities Tor virtue and a
Christian life.
Poor Arnold lie was the picture of despair.
Ii came upon him, all Mt once, that there is no
help for such, this side OF the grave. lie had ut
last conquered his opportunity, and prayed with
these children Uf sin and shame, and now that
they were calling upon him TO answer his own
praycr-to give them a chance to eat the bread of
iife-hc had 10 put them off with the stone of
evasion.
Take them from that place, Where could he
take them? In all this Christian land there is
not Il Christian home that would open its doors
TO Il repentant female sinner, except to turn her
out of the house.
There are about forty dance-houses in Mr.. Al
lens neighborhond, that is TO say, within a half
mile square, OF which No. 394 Water street is the
center. The average number of girls III each of
these houses. the season through, is ten, making
four hundred in them all. So that, to feed this
half-mile square of infamy requires eighty fresh
girls per annum. To feed the entire CITY requires
an average of two thousand one hundred and
ninety-iour n year, which ia Il irife over six a
day, Sundays included Six fresh girls a day
from thu Sabbath schools and virtuous homes of
the land, TO feed the l~icentious NAV of this met
ropolis of the Western world.
WOMEN WORKING IN ENGLISH Coal MrNES.-An