Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-27
A TOWER OF STRENGTH.
TO HOW MANY UNFORTUNATRS IT PROVES A
BROKEN REEDl
What Happened in Pitssburg Might Take Place
in New York-Dr. Parkhursts Efforts Night
Prove Entirely AbOrtivs il Not Seconded
by Really Christian Workers
Ns,O York Adrsrfiser.

lice TO do their duty and close all tne
disorderly houses in the city, there
arises, even In the minds OF these sym
pathizers, one great question In relation
to the matter, and il is this: Suppose
that the whole of such houses in New
York were closed at once, what Would
become Of the inmates? Would the mere
throwing OF them upon the streets re-
form them, and reform all those upon
whose depravity they have hitherto lived
and make the city morally clean? Most
newspaper readers will remember what
occurred at Pittsburg only few weeks
ago when all tha disorderly houses there
were raided. The next day the inmates
appealed to the Mayor, who made them
a pretty speech about official duty and
told them to go home. "But we now
have no homes?" pleaded the woman
who headed the delegation. Nearly ev-
cry clergyman in the city expressed
his pleasure at the action that had
been taken; only one or two OF them
thought II any Of their business what
became OF the women. a Catholic
priest told the reporter the House OF the
Good Shepherd would take all it could
accommodate. Next day the Mayor
called all the ministers together and
said that all the diSOrderly houses being
closed in accordance with their desires,
he wished to ask what they suggested
doing for the unfortunates. Ia the dis
cussion which followed these clergy
men offered several very uncharitable
suggestions, to put it mildly, aud not
one OF them offered any scheme for the
reform of the women thus cast upon
the streets. Some left the city; others,
st the instance OF the Mayor, were
taken into institutions.
If the institutions had already been
prepared to receive them at the time OF
the police interference, it might have
availed something, but how much?
clever newspaper woman, whose sigma
ture Of "Annie Laurie" has long been
feature Of the San Francisco Examiner,
has been looking into the subject. One
OF the women who have been rescued,
and who is now rescuer, said Of her
late sisters:
"They don't want to be treated as II
they were some kind OF queer animal.
They don't want to be gazed at and
patronized. They don't want to be shut
up In an institution as il they were mad
dogs, and would bite If they were not
muzzled. They want chance 10 earn
their living, like honest girls. There's
where the trouble comes, TO get them
the chance.
81 took one Of our girls from the home
to lady the other day. She's Chris
tan woman, and takes an active part in
the church work. She refused to take
the girl into her house because she was
Rescue girl.
"What are you going to do In case
like that? That girl is good girl. She
has broken loose from all her old asso-
Citations, and she's trying to do the very
best she can. She's either got to back
to the home or she must 20 back TO the
Streets"
Therefore it seems certain that the
crusade of Dr. Parkhurst can only be
made of real lasting good II ii Is backed
by an auxiliary organization to take up
the work of reform. The lines upon
which this shall be formed will need
deep consideration. There must be
many girls and women who have strayed
from the right track, who soon get dis
illusioned and sick OF the life they arc
leading. These, it would seem, might
easily be led back il the proper encour-
agement we're extended. Perhaps moral
suggestion may lie in the pathetic story
told to "Annie Laurie" by Magdalen
who believed reform was too late in her
case.
"The Christian people," she said,
care all afraid of US. They are always
telling one another what tower OF
strength their religion is TO them, but II
doesn't seem to make them biz drawer
than ordinary sinners after all. I've
just come from Jail, and know every
crooked woman in town, and, l tell you,
| speak for em when ] say that church
people are afraid OF us.
"I'l tell you what / mean. I'm 90
Ing TO to talk plain English, too. | came
TO the city from the country two or
three years ago. l tried TO make my
living honestly, but l couldn't do 1t.
tried for long time, and then l gave
up trying.
81 hate the life I was led into. /
hated every one knew, and / hated
myself, but couldn't seem to get away,
somehow.
"Well, one day | was taken very sick,
l went out to the hospital and / was
there long time. One day some
ladies came to see me. They gave me
bunch of flowers, and they talked TO me
very kindly. l used to look for them
after that, and they always came every
week. One day one OF them came alone.
She was so good that l just burst out
crying, and told her all about my life.
"She spoke beautifully to me and she
read me the chapter In the Bible where
il tells about the woman who repented.
''She told me not to fear. She told
me to have faith. She said that religion
was tower OF strength. Those are the
very words she used - "a tower OF
strength Oh, I'll never forget 'em.
II suppose l was a fool: but I'd been
sick, and / was weak and babyish some
how, and | thought and thought about
that chapter. l made up my mind I'd
live straight when got out Of the hos
pital.
"Well, the very first thing I did
when | got out / went TO church.
slipped into back pew. The minister
preached a lovely sermon about the
Help OF the helpless, and they sang
lovely hymn, and felt encouraged ard
almost happy.
1.-THE next day vent to find the lady
who reod the chapter to me. heard
she wanted a servant, and was de-
lighted. | had done homework in my
fathers home, and thought could
please her.
found the lady at home. She didn't
know me at first. / asked her X she
wanted a servant and she said yes She
was just deciding TO take me when she