St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-03

vi course L have very vicious girl
occasionally, one who has deliberately
entered a life of shame, and who is
brought here by some relative. had
such case last year. She was so hard
ened that she was inSenSible to all my
efforts. When she was released she
Immediately sought her old associates
and resumed her evil ways. Generally,
though, the less intelligent women fall
through ignorance. They don't realize
the enormity of their sin until they have
committed 1t, and when they are brought
to see it i'll the true light, and at the
same time are given assistance in
rising above it, their reform is sincere
and lasting. In many instances parents
are to blame for their daughters down
fall. was strongly impressed with this
last winter. There was pretty little
Swede girl, whose mother had kept her
flom learning how 20 work because she
was too beautiful. Her hands were soft
and white, and that they should stay so
the woman took in washing and sup
ported the girl in idleness. AS natural
consequence, she went astray. did not
wonder men loved her. She was such
SWEET LITTLE THING,
with refined, lady-llke manners. She
was only sixteen years old, and she was
set up in an establishment She had her
Ohii Nel1luSVf WO1C uduuSOllt
dresses made by the most fashion
able dresSmakers in town. Finally
she got into trouble and came here to
stay. 1t took some time to make her
understand her wickedness, but when
she did she seemed truly sorry and de-
termined to do better. After her baby
was born she commenced to work in the
laundry with the other girls. Her
mother came to see her one day and the
girl quite proudly told her she was
learning to wash. Learning to wash"
exclaimed the mother, you shan't do
it. If you have got to work here you
just pack I'D your things and come
home" The mother is a professed
Christian, too, and felt very badly over
the course her daughter had taken. The
girl did not go home. She staid on here,
and while she was in the house passed
her seventeenth birthday. | found out
when her birthday was and sent by one
OF the girls to get a little pres
ent for her. This put an idea
into the heads of the others.
and one brought her some flowers, an
other some crochet needles almost
every one gave her some trifie, and we
had them by her place when she came
down to the breakfast table. She pre-
tended not to notice them during prayer,
but we could see that she did. She
would bite her lips and twist her hand
kerchief nervously through her fingers.
When they all sat down to the table she
burst out crying and said: II don't de-
serve this; you are all too good to me.''
L told her that none of us deserve the
blessings we receive. But she couldn't
eat any breakfast: her eyes were full of
tears, and L guess likely there was a
lump in her throat. After the meal was
over she fnlInyUp1 m m to
though she had never presumed to do
anything of that sort before, she threw
her arms around my neck, and sobbing
as though her heart would break, vowed
that nothing could induce her to do
wrong again. She left the home not
long ago, and is working for her living
up north. | don't know how strong she
will be, but have great hope of her.
what usually becomes of the girls
when they leave here?'
81 have no difficulty in finding places
great many of them. Some leave the
town and go among strangers, where it
is easier to begin new life, and very
often they marry"
Il didn't suppose there were men
generous enough to marry them"
''Oh, yes, there are. We have had
number of weddings at the home.
About year ago, a girl whose lot had
been an especially hard one was mar
ried to prominent man from Duluth,
and now moves in good society there.
She lived i'll WabaSha and was BETRAYED
by her lover under promise of marriage.
He left her to come to st. Paul, agree
ing as soon as he was established in
business here, to return and marry her.
lime went on. matters were becoming
serious with her, and still he did not 90
for her. AT last one day she received
letter from him saying he was sick in
st. Paul, unable to leave his bed. She
at once came here, went to the address
he had given and found that no such
person was there or had been there.
She exhausted her supply of money
searching for him and was obliged to
seek refuge in the home. After she
had been with me couple of weeks a
letter came from cousin in Nebraska,
containing one the girls lover had sent
the cousin, saying that he had learned
that Minnie-that was the girls name
had left home, that he had been striv-
ing to obtain trace of her, and that he
would find her if it took lifetime and
cost him every cent he could earn. The
letter was as tender and interested as
the most loyal lover could write, and the
girl was overcome with 10y. She
same, begging him to come Immediately
and marry her, so that their child might
have legitimate birth. Our letters had
no more than gotten into the pOstoffice,
when one from the man himself came to
Minnie. 1t was written from the Mer-
chants, and told her that he would
leave the city that night for Deer Lodge,
Mont, and he said that when he could
afford it, he
WOULD SEND FOR HER.
In the meantime, he advised her, in
substance, to go back home and make
the best of a bad bargain. | put nv
coat and bonnet on and started right out
| for the hotel. AS l might have antici-
| pated, he was not there, nor registered
there. There was not time to return
home get a description of the man. l
did not know how he looked, so stopping
him at the train was impossible, and | had
to let him escape. When the girls
child was born she went back home,
and after time went out West, leav-
ing her baby with her people. There
she met this man from Duluth. and as I
said, he married her and has given her
and her baby splendid home.''
A .'wa-waing' from up stairs sug-
gested the inquiry. "What is usually
done with the babies?"
Il have them adopted out when the
circumstances or character of the mother
indicate that it is best for the child. In
some cases, though, cannot persuade
the girl to part with her child. Last
winter one of the girls left here with
her baby. and is taking in washing to
support it. There is not money enough
on earth to buy it from her. When
a woman feels like that, it is
better for her to keep the child.
1t often acts as a restraint on
any impulse she may have to sin
again. There is a woman here now.
who has hann with me over SiY months