Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12
Keep the Children Off the Streets
After Dark.
WORK OF THE SALVATION ARMY
Familiar Scenes at Twilight on
Pennsylvania Avenue.
WHAT MRS. SCHAYER SAW

ing over that brilliant thoroughfare pre-
sents a strangely deserted and unfamiliar
aspect. The well-dressed, respectable peo-
pie, who throng its broad paVements during
the day, are not to be seen. They are at
he me, dining, resting and preparing for the
evenings pleasures.
1t gives one strange sensation to stand
on a corner and look up and down the
avenue at this hour. Most Of the buildings
are closed and dark from basement to
caves. Some great show windows are still
brightly lighted, however, and before these
the hurrying shop girls stop for glance
at the unattainable splendors displayed be-
hind the plate glass. The street cars pass,
as usual, but carry few passengers. Along
the south side of the avenue. the side given
over for whole blocks, by common consent,
to dubious uses, the lighted WINDOWS OF
drinking saloons, pool rooms ana KINDRED
resorts, wink knowingly at the pubic,
which protests against. yet permits, ana
even tolerates their existence:
Pnssersby.
Now and then a married pair saunters
along. accompanied by children of assorted
Sizes The man invariably smokes pipe
and the woman generally carries an infant.
and all stop at each Illuminated window to
gaze upon and discuss Its contents. II Is
the family of poor but honest laboring
man, taking its inexpensive recreation AS
the twilight deepens groups of men, or all
ages but of one type. steal into view and
SLOUGH along, talking in hoarse, furtiSe
voices. their conversation. II SUCH II must
be called, broken by lurid oaths and vicious
laughter These are the frankly bad ana
degraded of our city's population, the crea-
lures who hide by day, not only because
their deeds are evil. but because their
filthy clothing. emitting gusts OF we alco-
hol ard tobacco as they pass. would draw
upon them attention that might Interfere
with the exercise of that personal liberty
which is the one proud possession remain
ing to them.
AS stood on the corner in the dusk
these champions of personal liberty passed
me by scores and hundreds-old men, s1uf-
fling tremblingly along. casting sly, bieary
glances to right and left, seeing Zoe in
every face; middle-aged men. bloated, gross
and hardened beyond care; young men,
cultivating assiduously their latent capac-
ity for deviltry. staggering foul-mouthed,
vain of their degradation, and-boys! Lit
tie fellows, from ten to fourteen or fifteen,
many of them well-dressed, and having
every appearance of belonging to respec-
table families-what were they doing on
Pennsylvania avenue at this hour?
Their First Lesson.
Taking their first lesson In vice and dis
sipation, perhaps. Many of them walked
already with knowing swagger, the dead
ly cigarette between their beardless lips.
"A
vive for anything in the shape of amuse-
ment or excitement. from fight to hre,
that might turn up. and all of them full of
the bumpt ous, foolish conceit of youth
and ignorance. And, saddest of ALL there
were numbers of girls-very young girls,
hardly more than children, their whole ap-
pearance indicating that they, too, like the
boys, belonged to at least respectable fam
lilies, and like the boys, were out In search
of amusement and adventure
fha MOI
dren? God pity them, when too late they
learn what their blind Indulgence and GRIM
inal neglect of duty have brought forth.
This good-natured careleSsneSs of Amer
lean parents, this absurd confidence in the
ability Of very young people Ito take care
of themselves" is sapping the foundations
of society.
A Sweet. Pure Voice.
Saddened by these reflections, was pur-
suing my way homeward, when all at once
a sound arrested my attention. Above the
noise of street cars and shutf1ing feet and
human conversations, arose a clear, sweet,
bird-like voice, that coming as it did out
of all that tangled hideous discord struck
to my very heart Of hearts. l stopped aud
listened. and then went toward 1t.
l half expected it to retreat from me- to
lapse in silence, but little farther along
the street saw the red banner of the Sal
walton Army waving above the heads of
crowd, and making my way thither found
my singer. She was-a slender bit of girl,
wearing the uniform Of the army. guitar
was slung over her shoulder by red rib
bon, and one little hand thrummed its
strings softly as she sang. The melody
was that of the old song: Take Back the
Heart That Thou Gavest, ETC." The words
were new-"sacred" words they would be
called l confess they did not impress me
they doubtless should have done. l was
was an astonishing thing to me to hear that
pure, lovely voice, to see that delicate young
girl in such a place.
OF the Salvation Army.
Grouped about her were several men and
women in the army ur form; one grizzled
old fellow in a scarlet jersey, carrying the
scarlet baLrer: others with guitars, tam
bourines, a violin, etc. At the end of each
stanza these Joined, softly and in good
tune, in a sort of refrain or chorus. When
the song vas over the singer addressed the
crowd. Her speaking voice, like her sing
ing voice, sweet, persuasive, pathetic in the
extreme. Then all the company knelt In
the dust Of the street, and one prayed with
much fervor. And II looked about upon
that crowd and wondered-wondered ii
perchance one seed of all sown by these
patient, earnest workers had fallen upon
fertile soil.
They were the usual faces of the street
croWd-no. a pleasant sight at any time,
in my opinion, but at this hour made up
still more largely OF the vicious and aban-
doned.
Stolld Indifference, vulgar curiosity, some,
but not much, open derision-that was
what saw. Only, as there came a fervid
appeal for lost womanhood, the lips of a
young girl near me quivered for an in
stant-lke the lips of child about to cry
1t was only an instant, then she took her
girl companion by the arm and went her
way with a reckless laugh. Yet, who
knows, there may have been down in that
poor lost girls neart a seed that will ger
inmate and grow into a saving penitence.
A Noble Purpose.
1t Is for this these people have set them
selves apart; for this they are working I'M
der conditions that fill the minds of the
ignorant and unsympathizing with incre-
dulity and scorn. But gradually it is be-
coming understood by the better classes Of
the community that the Salvation Army
is not a minstrel show, or a combination
Of freaks; that it is composed of earnest
God-fearing, self-sacrificing men and wo-
men, doing great work in an original
and powerful way.
Dear madam, as you settle your perfumed
draperies in your cushioned pew, and grace
fully prepare to listen to the smooth periods
of highly accomplished divine, and the
musical mouthings of an experienced choir,
far from the great unwashed who would
never dream Of intruding upon the hallowed
precincts of a fashionable church-at least
of ~