, 1876-12-17

Board of Trade, smashed the pork and cor1
corners. warned the specu1ators, demoralizee
the scalpers, and showed the lmpenlten'
gamblers in grain the wickedness of thel'
ways. He collected the young men together
and snatched many one from the tempta-
tions that beset the feet of giddy youth.
He collected the young women togetner'
and, with most persuasive words, scat"
tered their fneries, feathers, and tur-
bellows, their chignons, panniers, and trous-
seaus, their airy vanities and delightful
frivolities, to the winds, as he convinced
them of the realities Of life and death, OF
things temporal and things to come, and 80
wound himself into their confidence and
good graces that he became as much
the burden Of their talk as the
last new sensational novel, the latest
style Of hat, OF that dreadful secret in the
| FrzBooD1E family. Then he commenced
| upon the drunkards, tipplers, and guzzlers,
with such good results that many forsook
their cups, and hardened old topsrs swore
off on sour mash, and youngmen dwelling on
the edge.of rosy or golden danger fed from
| it to the safety OF that innocuous fluid over
which the man at the Crib rules in solitary
grandeur
! These successive attacks required much
time, since sinners do not yield willingly.
The campaign was drawing to close, and
there was yet one class whom he had not
reached, and whom, perhaps, with instructive
! delicacy, or with feeling of hopeless ina
bility, he did not intend to reach. It was
the Magdalens. They reminded him, how
ever, Of his neglect in frequent letters, some
| of them sorrowful, some OF them sharp and
pungont. The great evangelist devoted him.
self to the work. He gave it his best thought
and all his energies. His address upon
| the occasion was model. It was earnest,
tender, and yet strong. It was perhaps the
most effective appeal he made during his
stay, and yet it is impossible to read it with
out the feeling that the evangelist himself
felt the hopelessness Of the work he was do
ing and the difficulty of the problem he was
striving to solve. Whatever may have been
his success in other directions, here was
sin against which his sharpcst lances were
shivered. So far as restoring them to society
is concerned, many believe that it might just
as well be preached to the sands of the desert
or the ice-does of the Arctics, admirable as it
WAS in manner and texture. The unpardon-
able sin Of all the ages, the misfortune of
universal humanity, the crowning sorrow of
womanhood, is not to be wiped out by ser
mon, and the fallen restored to her home
and friends like prodigh sons. Had it been
possible, it would have been done thousands
Of years ago. The utter despair Of this
problem is that, when once flower drops out
of the great bouquet Of womanhood, soiled
andwithered, no hand can place it back there.
Between the purity and impurity, the virtue
and prostitution, of womnnhood there is IN
impossible barrier. The AIagdalen is never
to be taken back and forgiven of woman.
She may get into Heaven, but not into ''good
society" Against this unforgiveness of
purity is arrayed the resentment of impurity,
and between these two the conflict will be
waged to the end of time that hns been
waged since the beginning The daughter
Of virtue will never cease to draw her robes
about her lest they come in contact with the
daughter Of shame, and the daughter of
shame will never cease to hate the other with
that intensity that grows out Of recklessness
and despair. It does not add to the proba-
bilties of helping this unfortunate class that,
upon the spur Of Mr.. MooDY's sermon, there
are plenty of Missionaries, spectators, and
philanthropists with their heads full Of prof.
ects for new institutions wherein they may
make q living as matrons, masters, agents,
and collectors Of subscriptions to be spent
mainly upon themselves. There is no
need of additional reformatories for
abandoned women. The city is already
full of half-starved charities. The Prot |
estants now have an Erring Womans |
Refuge, and the Catholics have their House !
Of the Good Shepherd, which are open at all
times for the reception of prostitutes desir-
ing to reform, where they can have good
treatment and shelter, and find that home
which is shut out from them in st society"
Instead of multiplying institutions Of this
sort, and at the same time multiplying ex-
penses, these philanthropists, if they are
honest, would dc we'll to find funds and fill |
up the two to which We have alluded. In
these institutions the unfortunate will find
kind treatment, food, shelter, and work.
Beyond this there is little hope Of solving
the problem Of their restoration to society
and in view OF this the letters Of the Magda-
lens to Brother MooDY seem like q bitter
irony and despairing protest against the in
Justice of their sex. Yirtuous women will
help to support them when they quit their
lives Of shame; but there is no earthly power
or influence strong enough to induce the pure
TO receive back to their society and 6reaides
the impure, and no good is accomplished by
upbraiding them for their refusal
TIE PRIMA-FAC1E CASE
The sober judgment Of the patriotic citi-
zens of this country is to the effect that the
Electoral vote must be counted as it has been
returned, without any reference to allega-
lions Of fraud on either side. In the ab-
sence of any compromise, this is the only
constitutional method of proceeding. No
other can be adopted which will not open