New-York tribune., 1872-06-17
IN URGENT QUESTION.

IN UHGENI QCEOIION.
The Bishop of Manchester, presiding the
other day at meeting of Trustees of an
Asylum for Female Penitents, expressed some
views which are as important in their bearing
on society in New-YOrk as in Manchester. He
strongly avOwed his distrust of midnight
meetings" as means of reclamation, stating
that he had himself taken part i'll one, and
pleaded guilty to having made a sensational
address which deeply affected the thirty poor
girls who had been gathered in from the
streets. OF these thirty women, fifteen were
soon after taken to the Penitentiary, and only
one now remained in the Home. Whether the
salvation of this one does not justify the mid
night meeting and sensational address appears
to us open to question. The Bishop, however,
goes on to state other facts about which, un
fortunately, there is no room for debate. In
reference to the proposal made to add to the
Refuge for Magdalenes a home for women
who had not absolutely fallen, but were in
danger, the good Bishop expressed his belief
that it must be built large enough to accom-
mOdate the 10000 young girls of the mid
die and laboring classes whose Haunting
dress and light air in public caused him
irrepressible anxiety. He called attention to
the evil influences at work in the cities, all
converging to one point; the ballet dances
and low concert saloons the frOthy, unclean
literature of the day and more than all, the
love of finery and show inculcated from their
earliest childhood in girls of the classes named,
instancing even the children brought before
him for instruction, their hair braided by
" their mothers into fantastic shapes, earrings
4 4 IL
about their necks." Here, he justly thought,
was the true ground for reform in Manches-
ter. Assuredly it is the true ground in New
York. Rosne Associations, Houses OF the
Good Shepherd, and Midnight Missions are
doing useful work; but it is, after all, the
slow, doubtful cure of foul cancer whose
traces will never be removed. The salvation
of the thousands of pure girls who are but
beginning to look curiously down the path
whose end is in death, is certainly a more
easy and hopeful task
word or two as to facts. Statistics show
that the number of fallen women $50 far as
the native population is concerned) are not
out of the more ignorant employed as domestic
servants, but from the class whose ambition
leads them to enter mills and sewing-shOps
or to do nothing. Now, the brothers of these
girls, with no better education than they
whose employment is of the same grade, as
suredly do not fill our penitentiaries or jails.
They are honest, hard working mechanics and
labOrers, carrying a weighty share of the good
sense and practical integrity of the nation.
Why should their sisters haunt along the
streets with vulgar dress and silly actions until
they crowd into the brothes7 Starting fair
together in the Lace, how is one baked so
soon with such tremendous disadvan-
tagei The reason, we fancy, lies just
here: that in both there is the
same untamed hot blood, love of adventure,
natural desire for some outlet for whatever
vitality or imagination is in them outside of
their unattractive homes or routine of work; and
that for the young man such an outlet is pro-
yided, while for the woman there is none.
Passing along the streets, we are faced by in
Vulnerable signs Of Reading Rooms, Free Lee
tures. Building, Beneficial, Political, Christian,
and Literary Associations; all exclusively for
men. The jouneyman mechanic belongs to
his Trades Union he is a Free Mason an Odd
Fellow, a Son of Temperance he fancies he Is
an orator and harangues his fellows, or he
goes to applaud, OF he is musical and plays
the fiGdle in club, or sings bass mot per-
haps all Or them the most commendable occu-
pations; but in any case he makes noise in
his little world, gains ideas outside of his
hammer or aw, finds vent for himself
The factory or sewing girl, her work being
over. has no recreation waiting for her but TO
read of silly tempted heroines, or to dress as
lashily as her purse will allow, and go out to
be tempted herself. Ii is true that churches
and Sunday schools are open to her; but we
are talking of class to whom churches and
Sunday schools are not in themselves attract
i've Whether there be not some way TO make
them more so, or TO show that virtues path
is not only as pleasant, but as easy to find for
the woman as the man, is question which
our reformers must solve or midnight mis-
sions will always prove, as now, but n slight
buwark against broad and ever widening
stream. The tendency in all our churches
lately is to make religion practical instead