The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14
A WORTHY CHARITY.

One of the newest and most needed
organizations for Christian work, of
which Chicago has not few, is that of
1.-THE Protective Agency for Women
and Children" 1t originated little
more than year ago in the Woman's
Club, to which, with the aid of various
other benevolent societies, its success
is due. Its aim is to afford moral and
legal support to women and children
who are helpless or being trespassed
upon, either because they are ignorant
of their rights or because they are poor
and alone, and who, without encourage
ment, would never seek for whatever
protection is afforded by the laws.
When crime is heard Of against any
one of this class an agent is sent to
learn the circumstances and inquire
into the means and deserts of the vic
tim. For the worthy and needy, the
agency seeks to act the part of sister.
During its first year it received and in
vestigated 1876 complaints. In small
claims only letter, showing that the
one to whom money is due has friends,
is frequently allithat is needed to bring
about satisfactory settlement. But
when it is necessary, the agency does
not hesitate to appeal to the courts,
and so far it has not lost case invol-
wing money. Much of its work consists
in the collection of small debts to work
ingwomen, ranging in amount from
fifty cents to $50. Many cases are in
defense of the victims of designing
evil-doers, by giving them the requisite
courage and knowledge, and furnishing
them, if necessary, with trustworthy
legal counsel.
Very little Christian work requires
more self-denial than for delegation
of respectable ladies, of acknowledged
social position, to attend trial in a
police court, and submit to all the de-
lays and annoyances which the defender
of some undoubted william may subject
them to, for the sake of befriending by
their presence those who have no
friends. Very few deeds could give
such moral support to girl when the
lawyer on the opposite side seeks to ex-
culpate his client by blackening her
haracter, and her innocence may be
turned into sign of her guilt. Most
of the justices and judges encourage
the ladies', and have not seldom sent
for them when some woman needed a
friend. The ladies themselves in turn
represent an influence for which even
an unjust judge has a wholesome re-
spect.
Not the least of the work of the
agency has been the protection of the
virtue of women, and bringing its de-
stroyers to justice. Last year it had
twelve cases of criminal assault and six
cases of abduction. To its energy is
largely due the indictment and pros
spective punishment of a woman who,
on the pretext of furnishing employ
ment, has been taking girls up into the
lumber woods of Wisconsin, where a
guard of ferocious dogs, surrounding
the house in which they were kept,
made escape well-nigh impossible. The
president says: mo one unfamiliar
with the work would believe that there
are so many women in this city, often
mere children fighting brave fight to
gain an honest living. Shares and pit
falls are all about, most cunningly de-
vised to entrap them" To those who
think that modest women should not |
undertake such work, she pertinently
says that "the virtue of poor women is
as well worthy the protection of the
law as the purse of the rich man." and
that 1.-THE shame and scandal of these
crimes lies in the fact, not in the telling
Of it. Christian-at- York.