Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-12
MAKES PLEA FOR
FALLEN WOMEN
TELLS OF TEMPTATIONS OF
SHOP GIRLS
Founder Of the Door Of Hope Wins
Sympathy Of Large Audience
with Her Stories Of
HardshIps


In plea for fallen girls, women OF
the streets and the unfortunates who
are scorned by society, Mrs. M. Il.
Whittemore, founder of the Door of
Hope and known to hundreds of women
who are today leading better lives be-
cause she had spoken words of love
and help to them, addressed large
audience last night at the First Con-
gregational church. Standing on the
platform with the self-possession of
long experience and the love of her
subject, Mrs. Whittemore spoke in elo-
quent words that many a minister of
the gospel might have envied, SO force
full and full of meaning were they.
Mrs. whittemore told in simple man
ner, the life stories of girls, poor but
honest and as ambitious as their more
fortunate sisters, who had entered the
strife of life, perhaps alone and un-
protected, and of the varied snares
placed for them. From early girlhood,
purity and chaste character, after
standing long hours in crowded
store, unused to work and fatigue.
through the first temptations of evil,
the first fall, downward course and at
last the work of the Door of Hope, as
its name indicates, a place of refuge,
| where the world is shut out, and the
girls are led to their forgiving Savior
and to better life. In many cases
these girls have left various homes
and have done much good work in the
world, helping their unfortunate sis
ters.
Workers Are Few
| DR.. Warren F. Day, pastor emeritus,
of the church, introduced Mrs. White
more. Mrs. Whittemore took her text
from Luke IL, speaking of the few
workers in the vast field.
Friends, as truly as in the days
when Christ trod this earth, the har-
vest is great, but the workers are few
How pitifully comparatively few are
! the willing workers to carry the glad
message of his love- He freighted men
/ with his power. He has been bounti-
! fully good to us, but we can't give out
even tracts, for it is so conspicuous.
Not long ago while resting in quiet
place / met a young woman. who
spoke to me, and told me of the little
! home for unfortunate girls she had
opened. That girl, many years before,
! had been cared for by our workers., and
reclaimed from life of sin. Our God
is faithful God and he gives joy and
gladness. Jesus found Judgement in
| her heart
FRIENDS, the laborers are few and the
harvest is great. Our Lord would have
/, us send forth like those other seventy
We must expect to go as lambs
among wolves, and all the wolves are
not dead in this day, but the workers
are affrighted of the shadow of the
wolves and therefore never meet them
face to face. We should tell of the
efficacy of our Lord, Jesus Christ"
Women Underpaid
J Isnl, f,;apde tha ti,,,a ,,,,,cf ba oloca
| at hand when Christians shall assert
themselves against the twaddling price
| offered to young women in stores. This
opens the very gates of hell, and
speak feelingly. as we have had so
many victims from this alone. No girl
willingly and willfully goes wrong.
| But after weeks, perhaps months of
! struggle on starvation wages, during
which she must keep up her appear
ances or she knows she will be dis
| charged, the tempter comes and she
! loses herself for little and goes up,
and up the ladder of dissipation until
she stands at the very topmost round.
From the store, weary from long
hours of standing, she returns to a
cold and cheerless hall bedroom. This
| costs her not less than $1.50 a week.
Then she must pay for fuel, for the
room is cold and perhaps her room is
| too far to walk home at night after
standing all day There is her little
| laundry which she is too tired to wash
herself. And she gets perhaps $3.50
week. So you see this poor little
| girl has just one dollar a week to heat
| her room. pay car fare and little Incl
| dentals that will creep in. And with
| all that she must keep her clothes
| looking well or even that starvation
wage will cease.
False Friends Are Foes
MANY and many cases have we had
! like this Perhaps the tempter comes
with words of pity and encourage
ment. Offers a pleasant evening, fine
clothes, this or that. These so-called
friends are the greatest enemies these
| girls can have. Friends, when we see
how faithful the servants of the devil
are to their master, it must put us
! to open shame when we show such
faithlessness to our Mater We hear
of witchcraft in China and India, but
what about the devils under the very
sound of the gospel? 1t is about time
to realize how few are the laborers
and how great the harvest.
Let us SHIELD and protect these
girls and give them chance to re-
claim their womanhood and sacred
trust. 1t is your work just as much as
that of the Door Of Hope. We must
take the gospel to the girls in the
| street, at least give them chance to
say yes or no to the love offered by
our Lord Jesus Christ. Shelter them
and give them a place, forgetting the
| past, only knowing that they are saved
as you and l are"
|, A reception will be given next Sat-
urday afternoon at the local Door of
Hope, 5000 South Main street, to which
all are invited.