The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-01

seldom treated rudely by the poor girls, for
these are only too glad of kind word
but the brutes of the male persuasion who
fatten on their ill-gotten gains are sometimes
very savage. They have been known to
break into the meetings and try to drag out
their companions by main force The writer
is allowed to accompany one of the gentle
men escorts for purposes of observation.
The two ladies are ahead of u.s. out of sight
frequently to me- but to the practiced eye of
my friend still visible. Now and again, as
they stop to deliver their invitation, we over
take them and watch their method of work.
They are good judges, but they sometimes
make mistakes. They have accosted one girl
who seems to feel insulted. She halls tram
car and leaves them in disgust She, evil
IDENTIFY, is not one of the class sought, but
such an unfortunate error does not occur
once in hundred times. Standing in front
of corner publics are haggard and ragged
women who are now slipping the dregs of
life of shame. They have gone through all
the stages and have reached the lowest. Lit
tie hope for such, but the ladies give them
card, and drop kind words into their hard
ened ears. In front of the railway station,
where the electric light serves to reveal traces
of former beauty, without showing the lines
of sorrow and woe which sin has left on their
faces higher class are met. With some the
conversation is long and earnest. At first
they seem anxious to get away, but some
word calls up soft memories and they
linger Their, gaze seeks the ground,
as if ashamed to meet the look
weep Not always, however, are these tears
the tears of contrition oftener they are those
OF remorse and black despair. Our route is
down Waterloo road and across the New Cut
into misunderstanding road and we return
by quieter thoroughfares. NY companion
informs be that the houses we are passing,
in the windows of which apartment cards
are displayed, are mostly of questionable re-
Dute. But their occupants, he adds, DO not
walk the streets in this locality, but go to
the more fashionable quarters. They are
just starting off One is stopped by the la
ladies. A tall, dark-featured girl, with black
velvet cloak, trimmed in fur and hat of
latest pattern to match. She is not offended
at being spoken to. She takes the card and
listens with interest to the entreaties. Her
heart is touched. The one addressing her
an elderly person with speclacles, has per-
haps, family imaged to her mind an old and
still tenderly loved mother. But she cannot
go to the meeting she says, as she has an i'm
portant engagement. She volunteers, how
ever to give the ticket to friend and to try
and induce her to 60 VIII she? Can it be
possible that the lost sometimes yearn over
the lost, and that those who see no hope of
reformation for themselves are willing to do
what they can for the rescue of their fallen
comradesP
SCENES AT A MIDNIGHT MEETING.
But we must get back to the mission room.
Near the entrance we meet a gray-haired gen
tleman, with a genial, sparkling eye, and a
slight Scotch accent who is introduced to us
as Mr.. John H. i. Christien. A kindly,
fatherly-looking man, of whom we have
heard so much that is good in connection
with work of this kind that we involuntarilv
raise our hat to him as a token of respect
of la uaU nf !, iS
man, and all have confidence in him. A
leader of band of leaders, he is also if oc-
casion demands, one OF the hardest toilers in
the ranks, and tonight finds him doing more
and better street work than any of them.
Two girls have stopped to look at the display
in a tobacconist's window. He knows their
character and approaches them. He has
surely thrown some happy charm over them,
for after few words they follow him into
the mission house. Up the stairs they 60
and as they reach the landing the voice of
song meets them. 1t is an old and sweet re-
frain just suited to the time and place, and
the younger OF the two girls no sooner hears
it than she bursts into flood of tears. The
stranger is surprised at this manifestation
but the others have seen so many such sights
that they take it as matter of course. All
tears are plentiful in meetings of this kind.
The tables are pretty we'll filled now No
speeches are made, but the poor heart
broken creatures are talked to quietly by the
ladies, some speaking to several at time,
others to one. The object is to get them to
reform, and those who express a desire to
do so are taken at once to a place of refuge
One poor girl is an object of special interest
Fair-haired and pretty-looking as she is, with
large eyes that have only the faintest trace
of guilt in their expression, 1T seems too bad
to think of her as one of the common women
of the street. She is dressed very modestly
and her fresh young cheeks are wet with
school teacher and had happy home. To
night she is an outcast and the tenderest
words of the ladies are powerless to inspire
hope in her bosom. This feeling of despair.
which is so common to women who have
lost their most precious possession, is, l am
told, one of the greatest obstacles to the sue
cess of such work as these noble women are
trying to do.
Take another look at the workers. Some of
them have had a long and varied experience.
That calm-faced, patient-looking lady of
about thirty-fve, is fulfilling a charge laid
upon her by dying mother, who, having
engaged IN such work herself could conceive
of no loftier occupation for a Christian
daughter The venerable woman whose
steps we followed in the streets first began
to rescue the fallen many years ago in Cal
cutta, where, she tells me, a sinful life is
very common among the girls of half-caste
But the majority have a nunnish look and
belong to the order of Deaconesses of the
Church of England. Their garb, l should
say would be help to them when operating
on the streets, as it would proclaim at once
that their object was a religious one. OF the
experiences of Mr.. Christen, more anon.