The evening times., 1896-01-04
PRISON ANGELS 1t WORK
How They Bring Christian Hope
to Cherries Cells.
LIGHT FOR DARKENED LIVES
Stories of the Operations of BenevO-
lent Societies Among the Ignorant
stitutiOns-Figures That Fail to
Measure the Sacrifice of Women.

The Womans Christian Temperance Cnior
will hold its quarterly meeting on the l4ti
| instant at the Baptist church in Anacostia
The reports of the various superintendent
| connected with this excellent OrganiZa
| ton are now in readiness. Some OF these
documents make very Interesting reading
| Those relating to prison and Jail work ar,
emincntly SO. just at the present stage ol
Miss Wilburs developments in regard Il
| the District worhouksc.
| Nearly all charitable or benevolent so
cieties havea contingent known S ''pris
on angels" whose duties are to visit the
carccration, To bring them suitable litcra-
| turc and to offer words of Christian hop.
and CONSOLATION. The prison and jail de-
! partment of the W. c. T. U. is perhaps bet
ter known than the others, although til,
Salvation Army and the Central Union
Mission are doing good work also.
The superintendent of this noble charity
who represents the white ribbon brigade.
Is Mrs. :. F.. Cowsill. Her principal assist
! ants are Mrs. Il. B. Dorman, Mrs b. Bout
well, Mrs. ii. II. HeDdrickson and Mrs
| Harry Johnston, wife. OF the well-knOwn
| grocer. Mrs. +. g. Jones, superintendent
| of the flower mission, is also an earnest
| laborer in this fruitful field.
IN SPITE OF HOME DEMANDS.
! Mrs. Cowsill and her assistants aim to
( visiteach prisonat least once n week. Some
| times through sickness, inClcment weather
| or "A variety of causes, they are unable TO
| accomplish this amount of good, but, as
| their report says, they ina kc a fair average.
| The ladies engaged in this work are nearly
! all narricd, and have homes and little ones
| to care for. Nevertheless, they arrange
| to steal many moments to devote TO the
| stray bits of humanity, who, through vari-
| Gus causes, find their ways to our prisons.
Mrs. Dorlnan, superintendent of the Cha
| pin Auxiliary, gives an excellent idea OF
the work In her report to Mrs. Cohen, the
| president.
IL have made in the last quarter six vis-
| it's TO the Jail, three 10 the almshouse, two
to the male and female warehouses;. Ihavc
| distributed ,6G5 papers, 273 tracts, 20
| magazines, 10 tcstamcnts. 80 picture
| cards, books and bouquets. / have
carried fruit to one sick prisoner.
'The jail was crowded al my last visit.
| At one time l found no less ihant fifty
seven women. The matron said that she
| never knew OF such large number being
| there at one time. but she could assign no
| reason for the increase. One woman had
| a nursing babe and another Il very small
| child not yet year old.
II found also great many small hOys.
| both black and white. 1t ma kes ones heart
| ache TO Sec them in such place, and We
| cannot but tremble for their future. Some
of them were not eight years old.
pray for this work. ItEeeds yourprayers
| sadly. If ii is GCd's will tl.at should have
charge OF this department for another year.
pray that ! may DE able tc DO more faith
! ful and better work next year"
Mrs. Do-man has been az tive in this field
| for some time past, and is one of the most
| successful workers in 1t. She is a very
| young woman, very pretty and altogether
| attractive. 1t is easy to conceive that hcr
| coming into the dismal, cbeerless abodes
| OF crime and misery, is Ike TIE visitation
| of an angel 10 tic unfortunate inmates.
FAIRY GODMOTHER'S VISIT.
Mrs. Harry Johnston is another busy
oman around the Jail. On Monday last.
in company With Mrs. Cohen Mrs. Jones
| OF the Flower Mission; Mrs. Bout well and
| Mrs. Cow sill, she paid a fairy godmothcr's
| visit to tie almshousc, the WorEhouse and
! the houses of correction. The ladies wer.
| laden with good things, flowers and books
| and ii is needless TO say that they brought
hope and sunlight in lives that are dark
cned and hopelorn.
1 lhts itplll Ntl AoI'uiuS lhti
| dents that happen in the course OF theil
| visits. Not long since a young man, who
| had been convicted Of housebrea king. told
I one OF the ladies that her kindness hat
touched his heart. He promised her that
| with Gods help. he win lead an honest lif.
hereafter and never touch anything tina
| is not purchased with clean, honest none.
that he had earned.
The ladies always talk of their believe,
\ tptnnar1Dc SiIhigrI and often fhf. result
most gratifying. Nearly ali the prisoner
| express thankfulncss for the Christian he'll
they have received, for the broader out
| look, and for the opening OF a better
horizon for them hereafter.
The report Of al the branches of the "
c. T. T., through its superintendent. Mrs
| Cowsili. states that in the past quartc
| the Jail has been visited twenty seven
| times. the almshouse fourteen times, hos
| pitfalls fourteen. womens and mems work
| house, fifteen times; papers distributed
| 5,141: magazines. 2I5; Bulletins, GO: leaf
let's. 5T1; copies OF the :" Changed Cross.
| / Testament, innumeratas picture cards
| and 20 bundles OF writing paper and envel
| opes.
| Mrs. Clara Raynsford is the most known
"prison angel in the Central Union Mission
Mrs. Raynsford's speciality is children
| and her aptnesS IN converting Childish dc
| pravity is somewhat marvellous.
| The Salvation Army counts its converts
| by hc score, when the dcmurcly clad mis-
| sionaries make their weekly tours. The
singing of the hyms is a pleasant feature OF
| their visit, and according to prison officials
and matrons makes more converts than /;
| ton of tracts and yards of good advice
| There is something tangible about an ear
| nest sung hymn. Thercarcfew, even among
|
| lives did not know something of the bettel
| things that religion represents. The simpl,
| strains of a wcli-known melody often form
| a connect ing link to those past blessing.
| and Il wa ken new hopes and new courage Il
| take up the burden of life.
| The Salvation Army, though the subjec
| OF SO much sarcl SIN a nd riiicuic, does more
| rar-rca ching work than its statelter and
| more aristocratic sisters. The reason i:
| obvious. The SalyatioDistS do not hold
| themselves aloof from sin and misfortune
They mipgIc freely where il most abidcs