DUKE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/trafficingirlsfl01edho 
 
EVANGELIST CHARLES N. CRITTENTON. 
 Founder Florence Critlenton Missions. 
 
i 
 
TRAFFIC IN GIRLS 
 
 ...AND... 
 
 Florence Crittenton Missions 
 
 CHARLTON ^HOLM, 
 
 Supcriniendeni Press World's Woman’s ChrisHan Temperance Union. 
 Reporter Florence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 This is a people robbed and spoiled. They are all of them snared in 
 holes, and they are hid in prison houses ; they are for a prey, and none de- 
 livereth ; for a spoil and none saith, Restore. — Isaiah 42\32 
 
 “ What shall we do for our little sister.”— SoK.g' of Solomon. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 Thb Woman’s Temperance Publishing Association, 
 The Temple, Chicago. 
 
COPYRIGHT. 1S93 
 
 Charlton EdholI'I 
 CHICAGO 
 
I7L. 
 
 EZt 
 
 
 TO 
 
 /IftB Samte& ffatber anb /Rotbec 
 
 James Bovard Charlton and Lucy Gow Charlton 
 
 WHO HAVE PASSED FROM 
 
 THE CHURCH Mir.ITANT TO THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT, 
 
 TO WHOSE LOVING CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE,' 
 
 BOTH OF 
 
 heredity and environment, 
 
 I OWE AN eternal debt OF GRATITUDE, THIS VOLUME 
 IS TENDERLY DEDICATED BY 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 O.^KLAND, California, October i6, 1S93, 
 
 Charlton Edholm. 
 
 
OTontents. 
 
 PAGK 
 
 PrKFACE 3 
 
 Prelude 9 
 
 Introduction to First Chapter 10 
 
 Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon 13 
 
 How the Taw Regards Girlhood 66 
 
 “The Ignorance of Children Fills the Brothels ’’ 87 
 
 Florence Crittenton Mission. 108 
 
 History of Some of Our Girls 127 
 
 Letters from Florence Crittenton Mission Girls... 155 
 Description of the Florence Crittenton Missions... 197 
 
 Remedial Forces 286 
 
 Summary of New York Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sion 301 
 
 Form of Bequest 305 
 
 485’Fi‘^8 
 
illustrations 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Evangelist, Charles N. Crittenton frontispiece 
 
 Charlton Edholm 9 
 
 Mrs. Josephine Butler 16 
 
 Miss Frances E. Willard 72 
 
 Eady Henry Somerset 82 
 
 Florence Crittenton no 
 
 W. C. T. U. Temple 124 
 
 MISSIONS. 
 
 The Mother Mission, New York 118 
 
 Tabernacle, Oakland, Cal 168 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, San Jose, Cal 214 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, Sacramento 220 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, San Francisco Cal 230 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, Eos Angeles, Cal 240 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, Atlanta, Georgia 250 
 
 Florence Crittenton Home, Denver, Colorado 266 
 
 Florence Crittenton Anchorage, Chicago 280 
 
preface. 
 
 We shall always rejoice that the First Methodist 
 church of Oakland, California, represented by its Pas- 
 tor, Rev. Dr. E. R. Dille, and O. B. Smith, invited 
 Evangelists Crittenton and Carpenter to hold revival 
 meetings there in 1891, and that the noted temper- 
 ance orator, Colonel George Babcock, introduced us 
 to these good men, for, although for years inter- 
 ested in everything that concerns womanhood, and 
 especially resenting the injustice of the double social 
 standard of purity, and having written many news- 
 paper articles on Social Purity, yet, it was not until 
 God, through his servant Charles N. Crittenton, 
 showed us the vision of the horrors of the brothel, 
 that we were as if by electricity shocked into the 
 rescue work. Once as he was pleading for the girls 
 as he so well can, he said, “Let us see what God 
 wants you to do ; ’ ’ and letting the Bible fall open, 
 our eyes rested on the Macedonian cry “ Come over 
 and help us.’’ It seemed as though we could see the 
 thousands upon -thousands of our little sisters writh- 
 ing under the cruelties and cuts and bruises and oaths 
 and the unutterable atrocities of the brothels, and 
 
4 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 with Streaming eyes and outstretched hands they 
 imploringly cry, “ Come over and help us.” 
 
 Still we hesitated and said, “ Mr. Crittenton, I can 
 give everything to God but my reputation. But in 
 this rescue work you must mingle among these de- 
 graded ones and I fear for my reputation.” Then he 
 said so gently, ‘‘Dear sister, don’t you know it is 
 written of Jesus ‘ He made himself of no reputation.’ 
 Can’t you follow your Master? You give your 
 reputation to God and he will keep it. You try 
 to keep it yourself and you ’ll lose it. You follow 
 Jesus. He is leading you.” We were not ‘‘disobe- 
 dient to the Heavenly vision,” so upon bended knees 
 we listened to that Macedonian cry, and ever since, 
 the one thought of our life has been, ‘‘ to loose the 
 bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to 
 let the oppressed go free.” 
 
 But how, when a work is to be done, God opens 
 the way! In answer to our pleading cry, ‘‘Lord, 
 what wilt thou have me to do?” June 3, 1891, 
 this good friend and brother in Christ wrote me 
 a letter in which were these words ; ‘‘ My sister, 
 do you know our God is going to use your pen 
 and lips in a wonderful manner, to awaken people 
 to the necessity and importance of going to this 
 too long neglected class to tell them of a better wa)"^ ? 
 My heart has rejoiced since I met you, and when, tell- 
 
preface. 
 
 5 
 
 ing you the terrible wrongs which these poor girls 
 suffer, I saw the sympathizing tears for your erring 
 sisters course down your cheeks, I said in my heart, 
 ‘ Truly another champion for her own sex, ’ and now 
 when I read in your letter ‘ God helping me, I will 
 more than ever consecrate myself to this work of res- 
 cue,’ I thank God and take courage, and pray God 
 to use all He has and continue to increase the number 
 of men and women consecrated to this work, who with 
 the old prophet Jeremiah will continue to cry, ‘ Oh 
 that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of 
 tears that I might weep [and work] day and night for 
 the slain daughters of my people.’ ” Then followed 
 the proposition to write the book. With such an 
 inspiration as that surely one could write a book. 
 More and more when listening to the wrongs of our 
 erring sisters the burden became so heavy that the 
 word of God constantly came to us, “ Cry aloud, spare 
 not ; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my 
 people their transgressions and the house of Jacob 
 their sins,” and that other command ‘‘Write the 
 vision and make it plain upon tables that he may 
 run that readeth it.” 
 
 As the title of the book is ‘‘ The Traffic in Girls 
 and Florence Crittenton Missions,” we have used as 
 our chief testimony the famous exposi of the iniquity 
 of Tondon written by that magnificent champion of 
 
6 
 
 preface. 
 
 girlhood, William T. Stead. When the Pall Mall 
 Gazette containing this “Maiden Tribute of Modern 
 Babylon’ ’ appeared, no wonder the world fairly reeled 
 under the awful disclosures. Libertines, saloon- 
 keepers and brothel slave traders gnashed their 
 teeth in rage that their infamies were exposed, and 
 the cheeks of mothers blanched with terror as they 
 learned of the snares set for the unwary feet of maid- 
 enhood. 
 
 The impress of truth which it bore was confirmed 
 by the courts and therefore the public may rely im- 
 plicitly on the testimony submitted in proof that 
 there is an organized, systematized traffic in girls. 
 Hundreds of men called procurers, in every large city 
 of the world, make it the business of their lives to 
 lure and snare and trap and buy and sell girls to 
 brothel-keepers. Hundreds of men go into country 
 districts and under the promise of speedy marriage in 
 the city, get girls to accompany them, and b}^ mock 
 marriage and seduction accomplish their ruin, and 
 then enticing them into brothels, these victims find 
 themselves prisoners and slaves. Very, very few girls 
 are in these haunts of infamy from choice, and all are 
 “more to be pitied than condemned.’’ When once 
 the American people realize that shameless men and 
 women, these demons in human shape, make mer- 
 chandise of their girls, they will arouse themselves 
 
prefac:e. 7 
 
 from their strange apathy and sweep this white-slave 
 trafl&c into oblivion. 
 
 It has been our constant aim to show that alco- 
 holic drink is largely the cause of the social evil. The 
 saloon and the brothel are twin barbarities. When 
 the millions of Christian men vote out the saloon, or 
 give women the ballot so they may, they will rejoice 
 to find the reign of purity is voted in. 
 
 It has been a pleasure to quote the words of many 
 of our great social purity reformers, and instead of 
 reading their works and reproducing their ideas in our 
 own language, we have chosen the more honest and 
 more complimentary method of giving them the credit 
 for their own writings. We heartily thank all who 
 have aided us in the preparation of this work, and 
 especially the writers of the descriptions of the vari- 
 ous Florence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 To Miss Frances E. Willard, Eady Henry Somerset 
 and Josephine Butler who have lent the benediction 
 of their pictured faces to grace our work, we are very 
 grateful. Their constant labors for social purity are 
 well known, and they also stand as the leaders of 
 the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, 
 which is proving itself such a wonderful ally in aid- 
 ing Mr. Crittenton in founding in many cities Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 Perhaps no book was ever so endued with a bap- 
 
8 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 tism of prayer, for ever since the inception of the 
 idea, it has been made the special subject of prayer in 
 many of the Florence Crittenton Missions and by 
 thousands of workers, as w'ell as the author, that 
 “ the Holy Spirit might indite every word.” If that 
 prayer has been answered, the message is God’s mes- 
 sage, and we have his assurance, ‘‘ My word shall 
 not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that 
 which I please.” And what does He please? He is 
 ‘‘not willing that any should perish.” But He saves 
 by human instruments, and in every city there should 
 be a Rescue Home similar to the Florence Crittenton 
 Missions, to which these dear girls can flee from the 
 horrors of their pitiable life. But w'hile we save one, 
 the saloons are making a dozen more — and that too by 
 the votes of Christian men. It is our most earnest 
 prayer that the Christian world soon will save these 
 precious ‘‘ mothers’ girls,” but it can onl3' be done bj- 
 the extermination of the liquor traffic. Then, and 
 then only, will the traffic in girls cease. 
 
 CHARETOrT EdHOLM. 
 
 Oakland, California. 
 
CHARLTON EDHOLM. 
 
 “ The best part of beauty is that which a picture cauuot express.” 
 
 — Ruskin. 
 

 William T. Stead, the deliverer and protector of little girls 
 from human gorillas, otherwise known as lecherous men, 
 proves beyond the possibility of a doubt, that an organized 
 traffic in girls is constantly going on, and worse than any race- 
 slavery is the slavery of the brothel, into which thousands of 
 our loveliest girls are mercilessly thrust. 
 
 His exposures a few years since in the Pall Mall Gazette, 
 proves the wonderful power of a consecrated press, the equal 
 and ally of the pulpit in doing good, and had the daily press 
 of London kept up the crusade against the brothels and 
 moral impurity which he so grandly inaugurated, there would 
 scarcely be a brothel in that great city to-day. If we could 
 get the press to take the motto, “The World for Christ,” His 
 kingdom would soon come, and His will soon be done on earth 
 as it is done in Heaven. 
 
 The facts in the first chapter of this book, entitled “ Maiden 
 Tribute to Modern Babylon,” are taken from the exposd in the 
 Pall Mall Gazette, and are reproduced to show fathers and 
 mothers the awful danger in which their little girls are envel- 
 oped. “To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” and not only 
 will thousands of maidens be saved by the greater care exer- 
 cised by parents, but there is a lingering hope in the breast of 
 mothers that the knowledge of these facts may act on the 
 strange apathy of fatherhood, and so rouse their indignation 
 that they may with the velocity and fury of a whirlwind, by the 
 use of the ballot, sweep this whole nefarious traffic, and its prin- 
 cipal cause the gin-mill, into oblivion. Or if they do not feel 
 like coming to the rescue of their own little daughters, it is 
 still hoped that they may give mothers the ballot, and let 
 them save maidenhood from such a fearful fate. 
 
iiflaiticn ®rii)utc of Hfloticrn Batijlon. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 iThe Report of the “Patl Mall Gazette's ” Secret Commission.') 
 
 The Pall Mall Gazette has published to the world 
 disclosures of a most horrible and many would think 
 
 incredible character Not even the question of 
 
 peace or war or the most intricate phases of foreign 
 policy ought to interfere with energetic measures to 
 suppress these evils. But before we can make any 
 great advance there must be a considerable movement 
 in public opinion. It must be vigorous and deter- 
 mined, and I will tell you why. You may depend 
 upon it that no Government undertakes a question of 
 a really important and social character until it has 
 been forced on them by the voice of public opinion. 
 Consequently it is our duty to bring that voice of 
 public opinion to bear on this question. In order to 
 'do so effectually j’ou must never be silent, but go 
 about crying, “Unclean, unclean!’’ and not relax 
 vmur efforts until some determined steps have been 
 taken. Law can be evaded in every possible wa}". 
 The only thing that defies evasion is a widespread 
 and universally extended public opinion. I think 
 we must have an entirely new agency at work to dis- 
 cover and stop these crimes. I hope that we shall be 
 able to create such a public feeling throughout the 
 country that persons will be induced to come forward 
 voluntarily and give evidence. The plague spot is 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 1 1 
 
 too deep, too wide, and there are too many persons 
 interested in the continuance of it, to enable us easily 
 to wipe it out. Uncommon energy will be necessary, 
 and I hope we shall raise such an amount of popular 
 indignation that the effect will be irresistible. — Lord 
 Shaftesbury at the Majision House, J^dy lo, i88y. 
 
 The Secret Commission was composed of members 
 of the staff of the Pall Mall Gazette, and it was in- 
 structed to elucidate facts altogether independently 
 of the police, although communications were opened 
 with the Home Office and the Uocal Government 
 Board. The first official suggestion that such an in- 
 quiry should be undertaken reached the Pall Mall 
 Gazette office from the City Chamberlain, Mr. Benj. 
 Scott, whose position as chairman of the Uondon 
 Committee for the Prevention of Traffic in English 
 Girls enabled him to speak with considerable author- 
 ity on this question. He brought news of what is 
 called the Shoreham case — the escape of the girl 
 Annie from a Pimlico brothel, thanks to the address 
 of the Salvation Army on the back of an old hymn- 
 book. The first step in the inquiry was to ascertain 
 from the headquarters of the Salvation Army whether 
 the story was correctly reported. This brought me 
 into close communication with the chiefs of the Sal- 
 vation Army, with whom I had been in communica- 
 tion on the subject before seeing Mr. Scott, and by 
 whom this inquiry was welcomed with enthusiasm 
 and assisted to the uttermost in every way by all its 
 members from the Chief of the Staff down to the 
 humblest private. After verifying the facts about 
 the Shoreham case, and being assured of the hearty 
 
12 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 co-operation and loyal support of the London Com- 
 mittee for the Suppression of the Tjafiic in English 
 Girls, of Mrs. Josephine Butler, whose vast experi- 
 ence was placed unreservedly at our disposal, and of 
 the Salvation Army, the work of investigation was 
 begun in earnest. 
 
 Individually and collectively we interviewed every 
 one, from Lord Dalhousie and Archdeacon Farrar to 
 Mesdames X. and Z. and Mrs. Jeffries. I even inter- 
 viewed Mr. Cavendish Bentinck. 
 
 Of the results of the inquiry I need not speak. It 
 speaks for itself. Awfnl as are the revelations which 
 we have brought to light, they are far less awful 
 than the actual facts. We have but skimmed the 
 surface of the subject. All that has been done has 
 been done in six weeks, at a total outlay of not more 
 than ^300 in expenses — less than a rich man will 
 spend in procuring the corruption of a single shop- 
 girl of the better class, say the daughter of a clergy- 
 man or of a doctor. Be the results what they ma}^ 
 no nobler work could a man ever be privileged to 
 take. Even a humble part in it is enough to make 
 one grateful for the privilege of life. 
 
 If people can only be got to think seriously about 
 this matter progress will be made in the right direc- 
 tion. Evils once as universal and apparently as in- 
 evitable as prostitution have disappeared. And wJio 
 is there amo 7 ig us bearing the name of man who will 
 dare to sit down any longer with folded hands m the 
 presence of so great a wrong ? 
 
i^laitien ®:ritute of lEotrcrti Batglon. 
 
 The; violations on virgins. 
 
 , HIS branch of the subject is one 
 upon which even the coolest and 
 most scientific observer may well 
 find it difficult to speak dispassion- 
 ately in a spirit of calm and philo- 
 sophic investigation. The facts, however, 
 as they have been elucidated in the course of 
 a careful and painstaking inquiry, are so start- 
 ling, and the horror which they excite so over- 
 whelming, that it is doubly necessary to approach the 
 subject with a skepticism proof against all but the 
 most overwhelming demonstration. It is, however, a 
 fact that there is in full operation among us a system, 
 of which, the violation of virgins is one of the ordinary 
 incidents ; that these virgins are mostly of tender age, 
 being too young in fact to understand the nature of 
 the crime of which they are the unwilling victims ; 
 that these outrages are constantly perpetrated with 
 almost absolute impunity, and that the arrangements 
 are made with a simplicity and efficiency, incredible 
 to all who have not made some demonstration of the 
 facility with which the crime can be accomplished. 
 
 To avoid misapprehension, I admit that the vast 
 majority of those who are on the streets in London 
 have not come there by the road of organized out- 
 rage. Most women fall either by the seduction of 
 
 individuals or by the temptation which well-dressed 
 
 13 
 
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 H 
 
 vice can offer to the poor. But there is a minority 
 which has been as much the victim of violence as 
 were the Bulgarian maidens with whose wrongs Mr. 
 Gladstone made the world ring some eight years ago. 
 Some are simply snared, trapped and outraged, either 
 when under the influence of drugs or after a prolonged 
 struggle in a locked room, in which the weaker suc- 
 cumbs to sheer downright force. Others are regularly 
 procured ; bought at so much per head in some cases, 
 or enticed under various promises into the fatal cham- 
 ber from which they are never allowed to emerge 
 until they have lost what women ought to value more 
 than life. It is to this department of the subject that 
 I now address myself. 
 
 Before beginning this inquiry I had a confidential 
 interview with one of the most experienced officers 
 who for many years was in a position to possess an 
 intimate acquaintance with all phases of London 
 crime. I asked him, “ Is it or is it not a fact that, at 
 this moment, if I were to go to the proper houses, 
 well introduced, the keeper would, in return for 
 money down, supply me in due time with a maid — a 
 girl who had never been seduced?” ‘‘ Certainl}^,” 
 he replied without a moment’s hesitation. ” At what 
 price? ” I continued. “That is a difficult question,” 
 he said. “I remember one case which came under 
 my official cognizance in Scotland-yard in which the 
 . price agreed upon was stated to be ;^20. Some 
 parties in Lambeth undertook to deliver a maid for 
 that sum to a house of ill-fame, and I have no doubt 
 it is frequently done all over London.” “But,” I con- 
 tinued, “ are these maids willing or unwilling parties 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 5 
 
 to the transaction?” He looked surprised at my 
 question, and then replied emphatically : “Of course 
 they are rarely willing, and as a rule they do not 
 know what they are coming for.” “But,” I said in 
 amazement, ‘ ‘ then do you mean to tell me that in 
 very truth actual violation, in the legal sense of the 
 word, is constantly being perpetrated in London on 
 unwilling virgins, purveyed and procured to rich men 
 at so much a head by keepers of brothels ? ” “ Cer- 
 
 tainly,” said he, ‘‘there is not a doubt of it.” 
 ‘‘Why,” I exclaimed, “ the very thought is enough 
 to raise hell.” ‘‘ It is true,” he said ; ‘‘ and although 
 it ought to raise hell, it does not even raise the neigh- 
 bors.” ‘‘But do the girls cry out?” ‘‘Of course 
 they do. But what avails screaming in a quiet bed- 
 room ? Remember, the utmost limit of howling or 
 excessively violent screaming, such as a man or woman 
 would make if actual murder was being attempted, is 
 only two minutes, and the limit of screaming of any 
 kind is only five.” “ But the policeman on the 
 beat ?” ‘‘ He has no right to interfere, even if he 
 
 heard anything. Suppose that a constable had a 
 right to force his way into any house where a woman 
 screamed fearfully, policemen would be almost as reg- 
 ular attendants at childbed as doctors. Once a girl 
 gets into such a house she is almost helpless, and 
 may be ravished with comparative safety.” “ But 
 surely such violation is a felony punishable with penal 
 servitude. Can she not prosecute? Whom is she 
 to prosecute ? She does not know her assailant’s 
 name. She might not even be able to recognize him 
 if she met him outside. Even if she did, who would 
 
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRx.S. 
 
 believe her ? A woman who has lost her chastity is 
 always a discredited witness. The fact of her being 
 in a house of ill-fame would possibly be held to be 
 evidence of her consent. The keeper of the house 
 and all the servants would swear she was a con- 
 senting party ; they would swear that she had never 
 screamed, and the woman would be condemned as 
 an adventuress who wished to levy blackmail.” 
 ‘‘And this is going on to-day?” ‘‘ Certainly it is, 
 and it will go on, and you cannot help it, as long as 
 men have money, procuresses are skillful, and women 
 are weak and inexperienced.” 
 
 VIRGINS WIEEING AND UNWIEEING. 
 
 So startling a declaration by so eminent an author- 
 ity led me to turn my investigations in this direction. 
 I then put myself into direct and confidential com- 
 munication with brothel-keepers in the West and East 
 of London and in the provinces. Some of these were 
 still carrying on their business, others had abandoned 
 their profession in disgust, and are now living a better 
 life. 
 
 THE CONFESSIONS OF A BROTHEE-KEEPER. 
 
 Here, for instance, is a statement made to me by 
 a brothel-keeper, who formerly kept a noted house in 
 the Mile-end-road, but who is now endeavoring to 
 start life afresh as an honest man. I saw both him 
 and his wife, herself a notorious prostitute whom he 
 had married off the streets, where she had earned her 
 living since she was fourteen : 
 

FIvORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 7 
 
 “ Maids, as you call them, are constantly in request, 
 and a keeper who knows his business has his eyes 
 open in all directions. His stock of girls is constantly 
 getting used up, and needs replenishing, and he has 
 to be on the alert for the reputation of his house. I 
 have been iu my time a good deal about the country 
 on these errands. The getting of fresh girls takes 
 time, but it is simple and easy enough when once you 
 are in it. I have gone and courted girls in the coun- 
 try under all kinds of disguises, occasionally assum- 
 ing the dress of a parson, and made them believe I 
 intended to marry them, and so got them in my power 
 to please a good customer. How is it done ? Why, 
 after courting my girl for a time, I propose to bring 
 her to London to see the sights. I bring her up, take 
 her here and there, giving her plenty to eat and drink 
 — especially drink. I take her to the theater, and 
 then I contrive it so that she loses her last train. By 
 this time she is very tired, a little dazed with the 
 drink and excitement, and very frightened at being 
 left in town with no friends. I offer her nice lodgings 
 for the night ; she goes to bed in my house, and then 
 the affair is managed. My client gets his maid, I get 
 my ^id or ^20 commission, and in the morning the 
 girl, who has lost her character, and dare not go 
 home, in all probability will do as the others do. The 
 brothel-keeper’s profit is, first, the commission down 
 for the price of the maid, and secondly, the continuous 
 profit of the addition of a newly seduced, attractive 
 girl to his establishment. This is a fair sample case 
 of the way in which we recruit. Another very simple 
 mode of supplying maids is by breeding them. Many 
 
l8 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 women who are on the streets have female children. 
 They are worth keeping. When they get to be twelve 
 or thirteen they become merchantable. For a very 
 likely ‘ mark ’ of this kind you may get as much as £20 
 or ^40. I sent my own daughter out on the streets 
 from my own brothel. I know a couple of very fine 
 little girls now who will be sold before very long. 
 They are bred and trained for the life. They must 
 take the first step some time, and it is bad business 
 not to make as much out of that as possible. Drunken 
 parents often sell their children to brothel-keepers. 
 In the East-end you can always pick up as many fresh 
 girls as you want. In one street in Dalston you 
 might buy a dozen. Sometimes the supply is in ex- 
 cess of the demand. There is a man called S 
 
 whom a famous house used to employ to seduce young 
 girls and make them fit for service when there was no 
 demand for maids and there was a demand for girls 
 who had been seduced. Did I ever do anything else 
 in the way of recruiting ? Yes. I remember one 
 case very well. The girl, a likely ‘ mark ’ was a 
 simple country lass, living at Horsham. I had heard 
 of her, and I went down to Horsham to see what I 
 could do. Her parents believed that I was in regular 
 business in London, and they were very glad wEen I 
 proposed to engage their daughter. I brought her 
 into town and made her a serv-ant in our house. We 
 petted her and made a good deal of her, gradually 
 initiated her into the kind of life it was ; and then I 
 sold her to a young gentleman for ^15. When I saj’ 
 that I sold her, I mean that he gave me the gold and 
 I gave him the girl to do as he liked with. He took 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 9 
 
 her away and seduced her. I believe he treated her 
 rather well afterwards, but that was not my affair. 
 She was his after he paid for her and took her away. 
 If her parents had inquired, I would have said that 
 she had been a bad girl and run away with a young 
 man. How could I help that ? The East is the great 
 market for the children who are imported into West- 
 end houses, or taken abroad wholesale when the trade 
 is brisk. 
 
 HOW GIRLS ARE BOUGHT AND RUINED. 
 
 “As a regular thing, the landlady of a bad house 
 lets her rooms to gay women, and lives on their rent 
 and the profits on the drink which they compel their 
 customers to buy for the good of the house. She may 
 go out herself or she may not ; but as a rule she con- 
 tents herself with keeping her girls up to the mark, 
 and seeing that they at least earn enough to pay their 
 rent, and bring home sufficient customers to consume 
 liquor enough to make it pajL Girls often shrink 
 from going out, and need almost to be driven into the 
 streets. If it was 7iot for gin and the lajidlady they 
 could never carry it on. Some girls I used to have 
 would come and sit and cry in my kitchen and de- 
 clare that they could not go out, they could not stand 
 the life. I had to give them a dram and take them 
 out myself, and set them going again, for if they did 
 not seek gentlemen where was I to get my rent ? Did 
 they begin willingly ? Some ; others had no choice. 
 How had they no choice ? Because they never knew 
 anything about it till it was too late. I or my girls 
 
20 
 
 'THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 would entice fresh girls in, and persuade them to stay- 
 out too late till they were locked out, and then a 
 pinch of snuff in their beer would keep them snug 
 until they were ruined. Has that happened often ? 
 Lots of times. It is one of the ways by which 3mu 
 keep your house up. Every woman who has an eye 
 to business is constantly on the look out for likelj' 
 girls. Pretty girls who are poor, and who have 
 either no parents or are away from home, are easiest 
 picked up. How is it done ? You or your decoy find 
 a likely girl, and then you track her down. I re- 
 member I once went a hundred miles and more to 
 pick up a girl. I took a lodging close to the board 
 school, where I could see the girls go backwards and 
 forwards every day. I soon saw one that suited m3" 
 fancy. She was a girl of about thirteen, tall apd for- 
 ward for her age, prett3", and likely to bring business. 
 I found out she lived with her mother. I engaged 
 her to be my little maid at the lodgings where I was 
 staying. The very next day I took her off with me 
 to London, and her mother never saw her again. 
 What became of her? A gentleman paid me ^^13 
 for her soon after she came to town. To tell the 
 truth, she was drugged. It is often done. I gave 
 her a drowse. It is a mixture of laudanum and 
 something else. Sometimes chloroform is used, but 
 I always used either snuff or laudanum. We call it 
 drowse or black draught. And then ? Oh ! then 
 she cries a great deal from pain, but we tell her it is 
 right ; all girls have to go through it some time, that 
 she is through it now without knowing it, and that it 
 is no use cr3dng. It will never be undone for all the 
 
PLORENCie CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 21 
 
 crying in the world. She must now do as the others 
 do. She can live like a lady, do as she pleases, have 
 the best of all that is going, and enjoy herself all day. 
 If she objects, I scold her and tell her she has lost 
 her character, no one will take her in ; I will have to 
 turn her out on the streets as a bad and ungrateful 
 girl. The result is that in nine cases out of ten, or 
 ninety-nine out of a hundred, the child, who is usually 
 under fifteen, frightened and friendless, her head ach- 
 ing with the effect of the drowse and full of pain and 
 horror, gives up all hope, and in a week she is one of 
 the attractions of the house. You say that some men 
 say this is never done. Don’t believe them ; if these 
 people spoke the truth, it might be found that they 
 had done it themselves. Landladies who wish to 
 thrive must humor their customers. If they want a 
 maid we must get them one, or they will go else- 
 where. We cannot afford to lose their custom ; be- 
 sides, after the maid is seduced she fills up vacancies 
 caused by disease or drink. There are very few 
 brothels which are not occasionally recruited in that 
 way. That case which I mentioned was by no means 
 exceptional. In about seven years I remember sell- 
 ing two maids for ^20 each, one at ;!^i6, one at ^15, 
 one at .1^13, and others for less. Of course, where I 
 bought I paid less than that. The difference repre- 
 sented my profit, commission, and payment for risk in 
 procuring, drugging, etc.” 
 
 A DREADFUE PROFESSION. 
 
 When I was prosecuting these inquiries at the 
 East-end, I was startled by a discovery made hy a 
 
22 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 confidential agent at the other end of the town. This 
 was nothing less than the unearthing of a house, kept 
 apparently by a highly respectable midwife, where chil- 
 dren were taken by procurers to be certified as virgins 
 before violation, and where, after violation, they were 
 taken to be “ patched up,” and where, if necessary, 
 abortion could be procured. The existence of the 
 house was no secret. It was well known in the trade, 
 and my agent was directed thither without much ado 
 by a gay woman with whom he had made a casual 
 acquaintance. 
 
 That surely was sufficiently horrible. Yet there 
 stood the house, imperturbably respectable in its out- 
 ward appearance, apparently an indispensable adjunct 
 of modern civilization, its experienced proprietress 
 maintaining confidential relations with the “best 
 houses” in the West-end. This repairer of damaged 
 virgins is not a procuress. Her mission is remedial. 
 But she is a wise woman, and is not above giving a 
 hint to those who seek her advice as to where little 
 children can best be procured. A short time ago, 
 she says, there was no difficulty. “Any of these 
 houses,” mentioning some of the best known foreign 
 and English houses in the West and Northwest, 
 “would supply children, but at present they are 
 timid. You need to be an old customer to be served. 
 But, after all, it is expensive getting young girls for 
 them. If you really have a fancy that way, why do 
 
 you not do as Mr. does ? It is cheaper, simpler, 
 
 and safer.” “And how does Mr. do, and who 
 
 is Mr. ?” “Oh, Mr. is a gentleman who 
 
 has a great penchant for little girls. I do not know 
 
Florence crittenton missions. 23 
 
 how many I have had to repair after him. He goes 
 down to the East-end and the city, and watches when 
 the girls come out of shops and factories for lunch or 
 at the end of the day. He sees his fancy and marks 
 her down. It takes a little time, but he wins ihe 
 child’s confidence. One day he proposes a little ex- 
 cursion to the West. She consents. Next day I 
 
 have another subject, and Mr. is off with another 
 
 girl.” “And what becomes of the subjects on which 
 3’’Ou display your skill?” ‘‘Some go home, others 
 go back to their situations, others again are passed 
 on to those who have a taste for a second-hand arti- 
 cle,” and the good lady intimated that if my agent 
 had such a taste she was not without hopes that she 
 might be able to do a little trade. 
 
 WHY THE CRIES OF THE VICTIMS ARE NOT HEARD. 
 
 At this point in the inquiry, the difficulty again 
 occurred to me how was it possible for these outrages 
 to take place without detection. The midwife, when 
 questioned, said there was no danger. Some of the 
 houses had an underground room, from which no 
 sound could be heard, and that, as a matter of fact, 
 no one ever had been detected. The truth about the 
 underground chambers is difficult to ascertain. ‘‘ In 
 my house,” said a most respectable lady, who keeps 
 a villa in the west of London, ‘‘you can enjoy the 
 screams of the girl with the certainty that no one else 
 hears them but yourself.” But to enjoy to the full 
 the exclusive luxury of revelling in the cries of the 
 immature child, it is not necessary to have a padded 
 room, a double chamber, or an underground room. 
 
24 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 “ Here,” said the keeper of a fashionable villa, where 
 in days bygone a prince of the blood is said to have 
 kept for some months one of his innumerable sultanas, 
 as she showed her visitor over the well appointed 
 rooms, “Here is a room where you can be perfectly 
 secure. The house stands in its own grounds. The 
 walls are thick, there is a double carpet on the floor. 
 The only windov/, which fronts upon the back gar- 
 den, is doubly secured, first with shutters, and then 
 with heavy curtains. You lock the door and then 
 you can do as you please. The girl may scream blue 
 murder, but not a sound will be heard. The servants 
 will be far away in the other end of the house. I 
 only will be about seeing that all is snug.” What 
 chance is there, then, of the feeble, timid cry of the 
 betrayed child penetrating the shuttered and cur- 
 tained windows, or of moving the heart of the wily 
 watcher — the woman whose business it is to secure 
 absolute safety for her client ? What means of sti- 
 fling a cry — a pillow, a sheet, or even a pocket hand- 
 kerchief — in all around there is practically no danger. 
 To some men, however, the shriek of torture is the 
 essence of their delight, and they would not silence 
 by a single note the cry of agony over which the}" 
 gloat. 
 
 NO ROOM FOR REPENTANCE. 
 
 Whether the maids thus violated in the secret 
 chambers of accommodation houses are willing or un- 
 willing is a question on which one keeper shed a flood 
 of light by a very pertinent and obvious remark ; “I 
 have never had a maid seduced in my house,” she 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 25 
 
 said, “unless she was willing. They are willing 
 enough to come to my house to be seduced, but when 
 the man comes they are never willing.’’ And she 
 proceeded to illustrate what she meant by descriptions 
 of scenes which had taken place in her house when 
 girls, who according to her story had implored her to 
 allow them to be seduced in her rooms, had when the 
 supreme moment arrived repented of their willing- 
 ness, and fought tooth and nail, and on at least one 
 occasion it was evident that the girl’s resistance had 
 only been overcome after a prolonged and desperate 
 fight, in which, what with screaming and violence, 
 she was too exhausted to continue the struggle. That 
 was in the case of a full-grown woman. Children of 
 twelve and thirteen cannot offer any serious resist- 
 ance. They only dimly comprehend what it all 
 means. Their mothers sometimes consent to their 
 seduction for the sake of the price paid by their se- 
 ducer. The child goes to the introducing house as a 
 sheep to the shambles. Once there, she is compelled 
 to go through with it. “ If she wanted to be seduced, 
 and came here to be seduced,’’ says the keeper, “I 
 shall see that she does not play the fool. The gentle- 
 man has paid for her, and he can do with her what he 
 likes.’’ Neither Rhadamanthus nor Lord Bramwell 
 could more sternly exact the rigorous fulfillment of 
 the stipulations of the contract. “ Once she is in my 
 house,’’ said a worthy landlady, “ she does not go out 
 till the job is done. She comes in willingly, but no 
 matter how willing she may be to go out, she stays 
 here till my gentleman has done with her. She re- 
 
 i 
 
26 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 pents too late when she repents after crossing my 
 threshold.” 
 
 STRAPPING GIRLS DOWN. 
 
 In the course of my investigations I heard some 
 strange tales concerning the precautions taken to 
 render escape impossible for the girl whose ruin, with 
 or without her consent, has been resolved upon. One 
 fact, which is of quite recent occurrence in a fashion- 
 able London suburb, and the accuracy of which I was 
 able to verify, is an illustration of the extent to which 
 those engaged in this traffic are willing to go to 
 supply the caprices of their customers. To oblige a 
 wealthy customer an eminently respectable lady un- 
 dertook that whenever the girl was fourteen or fifteen 
 years of age she should be strapped down hand and 
 foot so that all resistance save that of unavailing 
 screaming would be impossible. Anything can be 
 done for money, if you only know where to take it. 
 
 HOW THE LAW ABETS THE CRIMINALS. 
 
 The system of procuration, as I have already ex- 
 plained, is reduced to a science. The poorer brothel- 
 keeper hunts up recruits herself, while the richer are 
 supported by their agents. No prudent keeper of an 
 introducing house will receive girls brought by other 
 than her accredited and trusted agents. The devices 
 of these agents are innumerable. They have been 
 known to profess penitence in order to gain access to 
 a home for fallen women, where they thought some 
 Magdalens repenting of their penitence might be se- 
 cured for their house. They go into workhouses to 
 
FLORENCE CRlT'i'EN'rON MISSIONS. 27 
 
 see what likely girls are to be had. They use serv- 
 ants’ registries. They haunt the doors of jails when 
 girls in for their first offense are turned adrift on the 
 expiration of their sentences. There are no subter- 
 fuges too cunning or too daring for them to resort to 
 in the pursuit of their game. Against their wiles the 
 law offers the child over thirteen next to no protec- 
 tion. If a child of fourteen is cajoled or frightened, 
 or overborne by anything short of direct force or the 
 threat of immediate bodily harm, into however an 
 unwilling acquiescence in an act the nature of which 
 she most imperfectly apprehends, the law steps in to 
 shield her violator. If permission is given, says 
 Stephen’s “ Digest of the Criminal Law,” ‘‘the fact 
 that it was obtained by fraud, or that the woman did 
 not understand the nature of the act, is immaterial.” 
 
 PROCURESSES AND THEIR ARTS. 
 
 The victims of these rapes, for such they are to 
 all intents and purposes, are almost all very young 
 children: between thirteen and fifteen. The reason for 
 that is very simple. The law at present almost spe- 
 cially marks out such cliildren as the fair game of 
 dissolute men. The moment a child is thirteen she 
 is a woman in the eye of the law, with absolute right 
 to dispose of her person to any one who by force or 
 fraud can bully or cajole her into parting with her 
 virtue. It is the one thing in the whole world which, 
 if once lost, can never be recovered, it is the most 
 precious thing a woman ever has ; but while the law 
 forbids her absolutely to dispose of any other valua- 
 bles until she is sixteen, it insists upon investing her 
 
28 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 with unfettered freedom to sell her person at thirteen. 
 Now it is a fact which I have repeatedly verified, that 
 girls of thirteen, fourteen, and even fifteen, who pro- 
 fess themselves perfectly willing to be seduced, are 
 absolutely and totally ignorant of the nature of the 
 act to which they assent. Perhaps one of the most 
 touching instances of this and the most conclusive 
 was the exclamation of relief that burst from a Birm- 
 ingham girl of fourteen, when the midwife had fin- 
 ished her examination. “ It’s all over now,” she 
 said; ‘‘ I am so glad.” ‘‘You silly child,” said the 
 procuress, ‘‘ that’s nothing. You’ve not been seduced 
 yet. That is still to come.” How could she know 
 any better, never having been taught ? 
 
 THE responsibility OF MOTHERS. 
 
 The ignorance of these girls is almost incredible. 
 Even more than the scandalous state of the law, the 
 culpable refusal of mothers to explain to their daugh- 
 ters the realities and the dangers of their existence 
 contributes to fill the brothels of London. 
 
 UNW’ILLING RECRUITS. 
 
 But that to which I speciall}^ wish to direct 
 attention are the arts by which the keeper secures 
 unwilling victims for her house. The simplest and 
 by far the commonest is to engage a girl from the 
 country by advertisement or otherwise to help in the 
 housework. The child— she is seldom more than fif- 
 teen or sixteen — comes up from her country village 
 with her box, and is installed in sendee. At first 
 nothing is said. Every artifice is used to make the 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 29 
 
 unsuspecting girl believe that she is in a good place 
 with a kind mistress. After a time some smart dress 
 is given her, and she is encouraged to be willing and 
 submissive, by promises of greater liberty and plenty 
 of money. The girl is tempted to drink, and by de- 
 grees she is enlightened as to the nature of the house. 
 It is a dreadful awakening. What is she to do ? In 
 all Tondon she knows no friend — no one to whom she 
 can appeal. She is never allowed to go outside alone. 
 She dares not speak to the policeman, for he is tipped 
 by her mistress. If she asks to leave she is told she 
 must serve out her term, and then every effort is re- 
 doubled to seduce her. If possible she is made drunk, 
 and then when she wakes she discovers that her ruin 
 has been accomplished. Her character is gone. 
 Hopeless and desperate, without money, without 
 friends, all avenues of escape closed, she has only 
 one choice. “She must do as the others do’’ — the 
 great formula — or starve in the streets. No one will 
 believe her story, for when a woman is outraged, by 
 fraud or force, her sworn testimony weighs nothing 
 against the lightest word of the man who perpetrated 
 the crime. She sees on one hand leisure, luxury, on 
 the other blank despair. Thus the brothel acquires a 
 new inmate, and another focus of sin and contagion is 
 added to the streets. 
 
 THE STORY OF AN ESCAPE. 
 
 Within the last month I made the acquaintance of 
 a girl of seventeen, who escaped at the eleventh hour 
 from just such a trap. I interviewed her, as I have 
 interviewed many others, but her story is so striking 
 
30 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 an illustration of the kind of work that is going on all 
 around us that it is worth while giving it just as she 
 gave it to me, merely promising that I have been able, 
 by independent inquiries at Shoreham and Pimlico, to 
 verify the complete accuracy of her statement : — 
 
 “ My name is A ; I am seventeen years old. 
 
 Last year, about May, I was living with my grand- 
 parents who had brought me up at Shoreham. They 
 were poor people, and as I had grown up they thought 
 that it was well I should go to service. I saw an 
 advertisement of a situation : ‘ Wanted a girl to help 
 in the general work of the house.’ My grandmother 
 wrote about the situation, and as it seemed satisfac- 
 tory it was decided I should go. My mistress had to 
 meet me at Victoria station and take me to my new 
 home. I arrived all safely, and at first I thought 
 everything was going to be all right. Mrs. C. 
 was very kind, and let me go to bed at ten. After a 
 time, however, I began to see that I was in a bad 
 house. But when I mentioned it to my mother, who 
 is living a gay life in London, she scolded me, and 
 said she would give me a good rawhiding if I left my 
 place. Where was I to go to ? Besides, I thought 
 I might be servant in a bad house without being bad 
 myself. By degrees Mrs. C. began to hint that I was 
 too good to be a general servant ; she would get an- 
 other girl, and I might be a lad}^ like the others. 
 But the girl who had been there before me used to cia' 
 very much and tell me never to do as she had done. 
 ‘ Once I was as good as 5'ou, Annie, but now there is 
 my baby, and what can I do ? ’ and then she would 
 cry bitterly. The other two girls, when they were 
 
PI<ORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 3I 
 
 sober, would warn me to beware and not come to such 
 a life as theirs, and wish that they had never taken to 
 the streets. And then they would drink again, and 
 go and paint their faces and prepare to receive visitors. 
 I used to be sent with money to buy drink for them, 
 and many a time I wondered if I might run oflF and 
 never come back. But I had to bring back either the 
 money or the drink or be taken for a thief. And so I 
 went on day after day. One night Mrs. C. brought 
 me a red silk dress and a new hat, and said she was 
 going to take me out. She got into a cab with me 
 and took me to the Aquarium. There she walked me 
 about and then brought me home again. This she 
 did several times, never letting me get out of her 
 sight, never allowing me to go out of doors except 
 for drink and when she took me to the Aquarium. 
 She became more pressing. She showed me a beauti- 
 ful pink dress, and promised me that also, if I would 
 do as the others did. And when I would not, she 
 called me a fool, and used awful language. One 
 night after I had come in with her from the Aqua- 
 rium, a gentleman tried to catch hold of me as I was 
 outside the bedroom. I ran as hard as I could down- 
 stairs. He came after me, but I got into the kitchen 
 first, and there I barricaded the door with chairs and 
 the table, so that he could not get in. I was nearly 
 distracted and did not know what to do, when I found 
 in my box the back of an old hymn-book my grand- 
 father had used. It had on it the address of General 
 Booth, at the headquarters of the Salvation Army. I 
 thought to myself Mr. Booth must be a good man or 
 he would not have so many halls all over the country. 
 
32 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 and then I thought perhaps he will help me to get 
 out of this horrible house, as I never knew what 
 might happen any night. So I waited quietly all that 
 night, never taking off my clothes. It was usually 
 four o’clock before the house was quiet. As soon as 
 they all seemed to be asleep, I waited till nearly six, 
 and then I crept to the door, opened it, and stole 
 softly away, not even daring to close the door. I 
 only knew one address in all London — loi Queen 
 Victoria street ; where that was I did not know. I 
 walked out blindly till I met a policeman, and he told 
 me the right direction. I walked on and on ; it was a 
 long way ; I was very tired. I had had no sleep all 
 night, and I feared at any moment to be overtaken 
 and brought back. My red silk dress was rather con- 
 spicuous, and I did not know if, even after I got there, 
 whether Mr. Booth would help me. But I felt sure 
 he was a good man, and I walked on and on. The 
 bad house was in Gloucester street, Pimlico, and it 
 was nearly half-past seven when I got to Queen Vic- 
 toria street. The headquarters were closed. I stood 
 waiting outside, wondering if, after all, I might have 
 to go back. At last some one came, and they took 
 care of me, and sent me to their home, and then took 
 me back to Shoreham, where I am now living.” 
 
 On inquiry at the Salvation Army I found this 
 story, so far as they were concerned, was strictly cor- 
 rect. They give the girl a good character, and say 
 that her grandparents are very respectable, honest 
 people at Shoreham. They sent to the brothel after 
 hearing her story, and insisted on receiving her box. 
 At first the w^oman demurred, but on being threat- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 33 
 
 ened with exposure reluctantly gave up the box, 
 wishing ‘ ‘ the little hussy had broken her neck in get- 
 ting out of the window when she ran away in that 
 fashion.” The girl is now engaged to be married, 
 and, so far as one could judge, seemed a thoroughly 
 modest, respectable young woman. But for the acci- 
 dent of the hymn-book, there is little doubt that she 
 would months ago have been a regular prostitute. 
 
 It is significant of the tenacity with which these 
 procuresses cling to their prey that at the time of 
 Brighton races, w'hen Mrs. C. and her establish- 
 ment migrated to the seaside, her old mistress came 
 over to Shoreham to try to hire Annie by bribes and 
 threats to return to town. The frightened girl fled to 
 her grandmother, and the woman had to return empty- 
 handed. I have full particulars of names, addresses, 
 dates in my possession, and there is not the least 
 doubt of the substantial accuracy of her story, 
 
 TWO STORIES FROM LIFE. 
 
 In melancholy contrast to the story of Annie 
 
 is the story of another Annie, a London girl of singu- 
 larly interesting countenance and pleasing manner. 
 This child did not escape. I met her in one of the 
 innumerable foreign restaurants which serve as 
 houses of assignation in the neighborhood of Leices- 
 ter-square. She was about fifteen years of age, and 
 at the time when I saw her had only been on the 
 streets for a few weeks. Her story, as she told it to 
 me with the utmost simplicity and unreserve, was as 
 follows : 
 
 ‘Tt was about two months since I was seduced. 
 
34 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 A friend of mine, Jane B., met me one evening in 
 the street near our house, and asked me if I would go 
 for a walk with her. I said yes, and she proposed to 
 come and have an ice at the very restaurant in which 
 we are now sitting. ‘ It is such a famous shop for 
 ices,’ she said, ‘and perhaps we shall see my uncle.’ 
 I did not know her uncle, nor did I think anything 
 about it, but I walked down to Leicester-square to the 
 restaurant. She asked me to come upstairs to a sit- 
 ting-room, where we had some ices and some cake. 
 After a time a gentleman came in, whom she said was 
 her uncle ; but I found out afterwards he w^as no more 
 her uncle than I was. He asked us to have some 
 wine and something to eat, and we sat eating and 
 drinking. I had never tasted wine before, but he 
 pressed it on me, and I took one glass and then an- 
 other, until I think I had four glasses. My head got 
 very queer, and I hardly knew what I did. Then my 
 friend said, ‘Annie, you must come upstairs now.’ 
 ‘What for?’ I said. ‘Never mind what for,’ she 
 said ; ‘ you will get lots of money.’ My head was 
 queer ; I did not care what I did, but I remember 
 thinking that it was after no good this going upstairs. 
 She insisted, however, and I went upstairs. The 
 man she called her uncle followed us ; but I could do 
 nothing. When it was all over the man gave her 
 ^4. She gave me half and kept the other half for 
 herself, as her pay for getting me seduced. I do not 
 know who the man was, and I have never seen him 
 since.” 
 
 Of course it is obvious that this story rests solely 
 on the authority of the child herself. But there was 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 35 
 
 no reason to doubt its accuracy. She told me her 
 story very simply in the presence of a friend. It was 
 perfectly natural, and the girl’s remembrance of the 
 way in which she had been ruined was very clear. 
 She seemed a girl of excellent disposition, a Sunday 
 scholar, and of refined manners, and with a sweetness 
 of expression unusual in her class. 
 
 Her companion, a young girl of thirteen, was a 
 child of much greater character and resolution, who, 
 I am glad to say, is now in good hands in the coun- 
 try. Her story was as follows : 
 
 “ One night a girl I knew came and spoke to me. 
 
 ‘ Will you come and see a gentleman ? ’ she said. 
 
 ‘ Me see a gentleman — what do you mean ? ’ said I. 
 
 ‘ Oh, I forgot,’ she says ; ‘ will you come and take a 
 walk?’ I had no objection, so we went for a walk. 
 After a while, she proposed we should go into a house 
 in P. street and get something to eat. We went 
 in, and after we had been there a little time in came 
 a gentleman. He sat down and talked a bit, and 
 then my friend says, ‘Take off your things, Tizzie.’ 
 ‘No, I won’t,’ I said. ‘ Why should I take off my 
 things ? ’ ‘ Don’t be a fool, ’ says she. ‘ This gentle- 
 
 man will give you lots of money, pounds and pounds, 
 if you are good ; but he won’t give you a penny if 
 you are stupid.’ Madame who kept the house heard 
 me scream, and she came running up. ‘ Only keep 
 quiet and you shall have it all. I will give you all 
 the money. But mind you won’t get off, no matter 
 how you scream. The man gave me ^^3. My friend 
 took half and gave me los.” 
 
 Lizzie, who told me the above story, is a mere 
 
36 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 child, thirteen years old last June. Her mother was 
 dead. Her father was a foreman in a city warehouse. 
 She is a girl of great energy and restlessness, affec- 
 tionate, and I believe she is doing well. Both of 
 these girls, after being seduced, went on the streets 
 occasionally. It is the first step which costs, and 
 after having lost their virtue, they argued that they 
 might now and then add to their scanty earnings by 
 the easily acquired gold to be earned in the brothel. 
 
 A FIRM OF PROCURESSES. 
 
 The recruiting for the brothel is by no means left 
 to occasional and irregular agents. It is a S5'Stema- 
 tized business. Mesdames X. and Z., procuresses, 
 London, is a firm whose address is not to be found in 
 “The Post Office Directory.’’ It exists, however, 
 and its operations are in full sufing at this moment. 
 Its members have made the procuration of virgins 
 their specialty. The ordinary house of ill-fame re- 
 cruits its inmates occasionally bj^ purchase, by con- 
 tract, by force, or by fraud, but as a rule the ordinary 
 brothel-keeper relies for the staple of her commodities 
 upon those who have alread}^ been seduced. The dif- 
 ference between the firm of Mesdames X. and Z. and 
 the ordinary keeper of an introducing house is that 
 the procuring of maids (which in the case of the 
 latter is occasional) is the constant occupation of their 
 lives. The}^ do nothing else. They keep no house of 
 ill-fame. One of the members of this remarkable 
 firm lives in all the odor of propriety, if not of sanctity, 
 with her parents ; the other who has her own lodg- 
 ings, nominally holds a position of trust and of in- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 37 
 
 fluence in the establishment of a well-know firm in 
 Oxford street. These things, however, are but as 
 blinds. Their real work, to which they devote every 
 day in the week, is the purveying of maidens to an 
 extensive and ever widening circle of customers. 
 The ofldce of the firm is at , place, the lodg- 
 
 ings of the junior partners, where letters and tele- 
 grams are sent and orders received, and the necessary 
 correspondence conducted. Both partners are young, 
 the senior member of the firm being really younger 
 than her partner. The business was started by 
 Miss X., a young woman of energy and ability and 
 great natural shrewdness, almost immediately after 
 her seduction, in 1881. She was at that time in her 
 sixteenth year. A girl who had already fallen intro- 
 duced her to a “gentleman,” and pocketed half the 
 price of her virture as commission. The ease with 
 which her procuress earned a couple of pounds came 
 like a revelation to Miss X., and almost immediately 
 after her seduction she began to look about to find 
 maids for customers and customers for maids. After 
 two years business had increased to such an extent that 
 she was obliged to take into partnership MissZ., an 
 older girl, about twenty, of slender figure and fair com- 
 plexion. At one time Miss Z. , gave all her time to the 
 business, but one of their customers suggested that it 
 would look more respectable, and besides increase 
 her opportunities, if she resumed her old position as 
 head of a sewing-room in the establishment alluded 
 to. She accordingly went back to her old quarters 
 and resumed the responsibility of looking after the 
 morals and manners of some score of young apprentice 
 
38 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 girl who come up from the country to learn the busi- 
 ness. I am thus precise in giving details, not only 
 because the firm is one of several which have hitherto 
 escaped the attention of the social observer, but be- 
 cause the very existence of such an organized busi- 
 ness for the procuration of virgins has been stoutly 
 denied by those who are believed to know what is 
 going on. 
 
 AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FIRM. 
 
 I had a long conversation with Mesdames X. and 
 Z. on a subsequent day, as to their business — the way 
 in which it was carried on, and the facility with 
 which they were able to procure subjects. The fol- 
 lowing is a report of an interview almost unique in 
 its way : — ■ 
 
 “I was told the other day,” said I, b}^ way of 
 opening the conversation, ‘‘that the demand for vir- 
 gins has rather fallen away of late.” 
 
 ‘‘That is not our experience,” said the senior 
 partner, a remarkable woman, attractive by the force 
 of her character in spite of the ghastliness of her call- 
 ing, compared to which that of the common hangman 
 is more honorable. ‘‘ I should say the market was 
 looking up and the demand increasing. Prices ma}^ 
 perhaps have fallen, but that is because our customers 
 
 give larger orders. For instance. Dr. , one of 
 
 my friends, who used to take a maid a week at ;^io, 
 now takes three a fortnight at from ^'5 to each.” 
 
 ‘‘What!” I exclaimed; do you actually supply 
 one gentleman with seventy fresh maids a year ? ’ ’ 
 
 ‘‘ Certainly,” said she ; and he would take a hun- 
 
PtORSNCE CRITTENEON MISSIONS. 
 
 39 
 
 dred if we could get them. But he always must have 
 a maid over sixteen.” 
 
 THE PROCURESS EEARNED IN THE LAW. 
 
 “ Why over sixteen ? ” said I. ‘‘ Because of the 
 law,” she replied ; ‘‘no one is allowed to take away 
 from her home, or from her proper guardians, a girl 
 who is under sixteen. She can assent to be seduced 
 after she is thirteen, but, even if she assented to go, 
 both the keeper of the house where he took her, and 
 my partner and I, would be liable to punishment if 
 she was not over sixteen. Hence my old gentleman, 
 who is very careful, will not look at a girl under six- 
 teen. That diminishes the area from which maids 
 can be drawn. The easiest age to pick them up is 
 from fourteen to fifteen. At thirteen they are just 
 out of school, and still more or less babies under the 
 influence of their mothers. But at fourteen and 
 fifteen they begin to get more liberty without getting 
 much more sense ; they begin to want clothes and 
 things which money can buy, and they do not under- 
 stand the value of what they are parting with in 
 order to get it. After a girl gets past sixteen she gets 
 wiser, and is more difficult to secure.” 
 
 ‘‘You seem to know the law,” said I, ‘‘better 
 than I know it myself.” 
 
 ‘‘Have to,” said she promptly. ‘‘It’s my busi- 
 ness. It would never do for me not to know what 
 was safe and what was not. We might get ourselves 
 and our friends into no end of trouble if we did not 
 know the law.” 
 
40 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 “ But how do you get to know all these points ? ” 
 I inquired. 
 
 “From the newspapers,” she replied. “Always 
 read the newspapers : they are useful. Every week 
 I take in two, Lloyd' s and the Weekly Dispatch, and I 
 spend the greater part of Sunday in reading all the 
 cases in the courts which relate to this subject. There 
 is a case now going on at Walworth, where a man is 
 charged with abducting a girl, fifteen, and it was laid 
 down in court that if she could be proved to be one 
 day over sixteen he was safe. I am watching the 
 case with great interest. All these cases when re- 
 quired I cut out and put into a book for reference, so 
 that I know pretty well where I am going.” 
 
 THE PROFITS OF A PROCURESS. 
 
 ‘ ‘ It pays, I suppose ? ” “ O yes, there is no need for 
 me to go to work. It is onlj^ for appearance’ sake and 
 opportunities. I can leave when I like,” said Miss 
 Z., “after I get them started in the morning. We 
 are paid by commission.” “ Fiftj'- per cent?” I 
 asked. “That depends,” said the senior partner. 
 “Taking the average price of a maid at we some- 
 times take ; but sometimes we take it all, and 
 merely make the girl a present. It depends upon the 
 trouble which we have, and the character of the girl. 
 Some girls are such sillies. 
 
 “How do you mean?” “We’ll take Nance, for 
 instance. She was a light-headed girl who had never 
 fancied money. We got ^lo for Nance. If she had 
 got half that, or quarter, it would have turned her 
 head. She would have gone and bought no end of 
 
FLORENCE CRITFENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 41 
 
 clothes, and her mistress and her mother would have 
 found her out, and Nance would have got into no end 
 of a row. So for Nance’s own sake we only gave her 
 a pound, and as we made her stand treat out of that, 
 she had very little left out of her money to play the 
 fool with. But we have been good to Nance after- 
 wards. I gave her a bonnet, a dress and a pair of 
 shoes. I should think we have spent £2 over her.” 
 
 ‘‘So that she had altogether ^3, and you had 
 
 ‘‘Just so,” said Miss X., ‘‘and girls are often 
 like that ; we have to save them from themselves by 
 keeping most of the money out of their reach ;” and 
 the good lady evidently contemplated herself with the 
 admiration due to a virtue so careful of the interests 
 of the young sillies who place themselves in her ex- 
 perienced hands. 
 
 ‘‘ Tell me,” said I, reverting to a previous subject, 
 “when these maids scream so fearfully does no one 
 ever interfere ? ’ ’ 
 
 ‘‘ No ; we take them to a quiet place, and the peo- 
 ple of the house know us and would not interfere, no 
 matter what noise went on. Often we take them to 
 private houses, and there of course ail is safe. I have 
 never known one case of interference in the four years 
 I have been in the business.” 
 
 WHERE MAIDS ARE PICKED UP. 
 
 “ Who supplies most of your maids?” ‘‘Nurse 
 girls and shop girls, although occasionally we get a 
 governess, and sometimes cooks and other servants. 
 We get to know the servants through the nurses. 
 
42 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Young girls from the country, fresh and rosy, are 
 soon picked up in the shops or as they run errands. 
 But nurse girls are the great field. My old friend is 
 always saying to me, ‘ Why don’t you pick up nurse 
 girls, there are any number in Hyde Park every 
 morning, and all virgins.’ That is when we have 
 disappointed him, which is not very often.” 
 
 ‘‘ But how do you manage to pick up so many ? ” 
 
 The senior partner replied with conscious pride, 
 ” It takes time, patience, and experience. Many girls 
 need months before they can be brought to it. You 
 need to proceed very cautiously at first. Everj' morn- 
 ing at this time of the year my friend and I are up at 
 seven, and after breakfast we put a shawl round our 
 shoulders and off we go to scour the park. Hyde 
 Park and the Green Park are the best in the morning ; 
 Regent’s Park in the afternoon. As we go coasting 
 along, we keep a sharp lookout for any likely girl, 
 and having spotted one we make up to her ; and week 
 after week we see her as often as possible, until w'e are 
 sufficiently in her confidence to suggest how easy it is 
 to earn a few pounds by meeting a man. In the 
 afternoon off goes the shawl and on goes the jacket, 
 and w’e are off on the same quest. Thus we have 
 always a crop of maids ripening, and at any time 
 we can undertake to deliver a maid if we get due 
 notice.” 
 
 I ORDER FIVE VIRGINS. 
 
 ‘‘ Come,” said I, in a vein of bravado, ” what do 
 you say to delivering me five on Saturday next ? ” — 
 it was then Wednesday — ‘‘ I want them to be retailed 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 43 
 
 to my friends. You are the wholesale firm, could 
 you deliver me a parcel of five maids, for me to dis- 
 tribute among my friends, after having them duly cer- 
 tificated ? ” 
 
 “ Five,” she said, ‘‘ is a large order, I could bring 
 you three that I know of ; but five ! It is difficult 
 getting so many girls away at the same time from 
 their places. But we will try, although I have never 
 before delivered more than two, or at the most three, 
 at one place. It will look like a boarding-school go- 
 ing to the midwife.” 
 
 ” Never mind that. Let us see what you can do.” 
 And then and there an agreement was made that it 
 should be done. They were to deliver five at a 
 head all round, commission included. But as I was 
 buying wholesale to sell again it was agreed that they 
 would find the girls at a commission of 20s. a head for 
 each certificated virgin, and deliver to me a written 
 pledge, signed with the name and address of each 
 girl, consenting to come at two days’ notice to be se- 
 duced at any given place for a certain sum down. I 
 had to pay the doctor’s fee for examination and make 
 an allowance for cabs, etc. 
 
 THE VIRGINS CERTIFIED. 
 
 The bargain was struck, an arle-penny was paid 
 over, and the procuresses set about preparing for the 
 delivery of their goods the following Saturday. At 
 half-past five o’clock, at a certain point in Maryle- 
 bone-road, not far from the very fashionable brothel 
 kept by Mrs. B., I waited the arrival of the con- 
 voy. A few minutes after time I saw Mesdames X. 
 
44 
 
 THE Traffic in girls. 
 
 and Z. coming along the streets, but with only three 
 girls. One was tall, pretty, and apparently about 
 sixteen, the other two were younger — somewhat 
 heavy in their build. Two of them were shop girls, 
 being employed in different departments of the well- 
 
 known firm of , the other was learning some 
 
 milliner’s work at another shop. The procuresses 
 were profuse in their apologies. They had been as 
 far as Highgate to make up the quota of the five, but 
 two of the girls could not leave their places on Satur- 
 day. They would bring them on Monday without 
 fail. In fact, to atone for their inability to bring five 
 on Saturday, they would bring three on Monda3L 
 making six in all. Perhaps also it was better not to 
 make a sensation by having seven women tripping 
 all together into one doctor’s. It was safer to have 
 three at a time. They looked hot and tired, and had 
 already spent 6s. in cabs. The tall girl had given 
 them a great deal of trouble, but they had got her at 
 last. We went into the doctor’s. 
 
 None of the three girls knew each other. Thej^ 
 were not allowed to speak to each other or even to 
 shake hands. As for knowing my name, the procur- 
 esses themselves did not know it. We went into the 
 doctor’s. The girls one by one went in to be exam- 
 ined. They made no objection. After their examin- 
 ation was done they signed a formal agreement for 
 their subsequent seduction. To the unutterable dis- 
 gust of the girls two of them were refused a certifi- 
 cate. I then gave them 55. per head for their trouble 
 in coming to be certificated, paid Mesdames X. and 
 Z. their commission on the one certificated virgin and 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 45 
 
 expenses, and departed armed with the following set 
 of documents : 
 
 , , W., 
 
 June 27, 1885. 
 
 This is to certify that I have this day examined 
 
 D , aged 16 years, and have found her a 
 
 virgin. , M. D. 
 
 - Agreement. 
 
 I hereby agree to let you have me for a present of 
 ^3 or jCa- I will come to any address if you give me 
 two days’ notice. 
 
 Name D , aged 16. 
 
 Address No. ii, Street, H 
 
 DELIVERED EOR SEDUCTION. 
 
 She was a nice, simple, and affectionate girl of 
 sixteen, utterly incapable of understanding the con- 
 sequences of her act. Her father is ‘ ‘ afflicted ” — that 
 is, touched in his wits ; her mother is a charwoman. 
 She herself works at some kind of millinery, for 
 which she receives 55. a week. Until a month or two 
 ago she had attended Sunday-school, and to all ap- 
 pearance she was a girl decidedly above the average. 
 She was to have ^4, of which the firm were to have 
 £2. The poor child was nervous and timid, and it 
 was touching to see the way in which she bit her lips 
 to restrain her tears. I talked to her as kindly as 
 possible, and endeavored to deter her from taking the 
 fatal step, by setting forth the possible consequences 
 that might follow. She was very frank and, I be- 
 lieve, perfectly straightforward and sincere. 
 
 Nevertheless, to my astonishment, the child per- 
 
46 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 sisted that she was ready to be seduced. “We are 
 very poor,’’ she said. “ Mother does not know any- 
 thing of this ; she will think a lady friend of Miss Z’s 
 has given me the money ; but she does need it so 
 much.’’ “But,’’ I said, “it is only ^2.’’ “Yes,’’ 
 
 she said, “ but I would not like to disappoint Miss Z., 
 who was also to have ;^2.’’ By questioning I found 
 out that the artful procuress had for months past been 
 actually advancing money to the poor girl and her 
 mother when they were in distress, in order to get 
 hold of her when the time came. She persisted that 
 Miss Z. had been such a good friend of hers ; she 
 wanted to get her something. She would not disap- 
 point her for anything. “ How much do you think 
 she has given you first and last?’’ “About lo^., I 
 should think, but she gave mother much more.’’ 
 “How much?’’ “Perhaps 20^. would cover it.’’ 
 “That is to say, that for a year past Miss Z. has 
 been giving you a shilling here and a shilling there ; 
 and why ? Listen to me. She has already got ^^3 
 from me for you, and 5^ou will give her £, 2 — that is to 
 say she will make ^5 out of you in return for 20^. 
 and in the meantime she will have sold }'ou to de- 
 struction.’’ “Oh, but Miss Z. is so kind!’’ Poor, 
 trusting little thing, what damnable art the procuress 
 must have used to attach her victim to her in this 
 fashion ! But the girl was quite incapable of forming 
 any calculation as to the consequences of her own 
 action. This will appear from the following conver- 
 sation : “Now,’’ said I, “if you are seduced, j-ou 
 will get £2 for yourself ; but you will lose your char- 
 acter, and you may have a baby which it will cost all 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 47 
 
 your wages to keep. Now I will give you if you 
 will not be seduced ; which will you have ?” “Please, 
 sir, I will be seduced.” “And face the pain, and the 
 wrong-doing, and the possible ruin and ending your 
 days on the streets, all for the difference of one 
 pound ? ” “Yes, sir,” and she burst into tears, “ we 
 are so poor.” Could any proof be more conclusive as to 
 the absolute inability of this girl of sixteeyi to form an 
 estimate of the value of the only commodity with which 
 the law considers her amply able to deal the day after she 
 is thirteen ? 
 
 THE RUIN OF THE VERY YOUNG. 
 
 There is fortunately no need to dwell upon this 
 revolting phase of criminality, for it is recognized by 
 law, and the criminals when caught are heavily pun- 
 ished. My object throughout has been to indicate 
 crimes virtually encouraged by the law ; but it is nec- 
 essary to refer to cases where even penal servitude has 
 not deterred men from the perpetration of this most 
 ruthless of outrages, in order to show the need for 
 strengthening the barrier which alone stands between 
 infants and the brutal lust of dissolute men. Here, 
 for example, is the case now of a tiny little mite, in 
 the care of a rescue officer of our excellent Society for 
 the Protection of Children. Her name is Annie Bry- 
 ant, and she is just now five years old. Yet that 
 baby girl has been the victim of outrage. She was 
 enticed, together with a companion, into a house in 
 the New Cut on May 28, and forcibly outraged, first 
 by a young man named William Hemmings, and then 
 by a fellow-lodger. The scoundrel is now doing two 
 
48 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 years’ penal servitude, but his accomplice escaped. A 
 penny cake was the lure which enticed the baby to 
 her ruin. As I nursed her on my knee, and made 
 her quite happy with a sixpence, the matron of the 
 refuge where the little waif was sheltered told how 
 every night before the baby girl went to sleep she 
 would shudder and cry, and whisper in her ear. And 
 not until the poor child was solemnly assured and re- 
 assured that the door was fast, and that no “bad 
 man ’’ could possibly get in, would she dare to go to 
 sleep. ‘Every night it was the same, and when I saw 
 her it was nearly three weeks since her evil fate had 
 befallen her ! 
 
 This instance of a child of such tender years being 
 subjected to outrage is not an isolated one. A girl of 
 eighteen who is now walking Regent street had her 
 little sister of five violated by a “gentleman ’’ whom 
 she had brought home. She had left the room for a 
 few minutes, and he took advantage of her absence to 
 ruin the poor child, who was sleeping peacefully in 
 another corner of the room. The man in this case 
 escaped unpunished. As a rule the children who are 
 sent to homes as “ fallen ’’ at the age of ten, eleven 
 and twelve, are children of prostitutes, bred to the 
 business, and broken in prematurely to their dreadful 
 calling. There are children of five in homes now 
 who, although they have not technically fallen, are 
 little better than animals possessed by an unclean 
 spirit, for the law of heredity is as terribly true in the 
 brothel as elsewhere. One child in St. C3'prian’s was 
 turned out on to the streets b^^ her mother to earn a 
 living when ten. At St. Marj^’s Home they do not 
 
PLORKNCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 49 
 
 receive any children over sixteen. Sister Kmma has 
 at present more than fifty children in her home at 
 Hants. She receives none under twelve. In only 
 four cases was the man punished. The proportion of 
 victims among the protected is, however, compara- 
 tively small to those who have passed the fatal age of 
 thirteen. If Mr. Hastings, who would fix the age of 
 consent at ten, or Mr. Warton, who was in favor of 
 even a lower age than ten, was allowed to have his 
 way, we should probably have to start homes to ac- 
 commodate infants of four, five and six who had been 
 ruined “ by their own consent.” What blasphemy! 
 
 But at one villa in the north of London I found 
 through the assistance of a friend a lovely child be- 
 tween fourteen and fifteen, tall for her age, but singu- 
 larly attractive in her childish innocence. At first 
 the keeper strenuously denied that they had any such 
 article in the house, but on mentioning who had di- 
 rected us to her place the fact was admitted and an 
 appointment was arranged. There was another girl 
 in the house — a brazen-faced harlot, whose flaunting 
 vice served as a foil to set off the childlike, spirituelle 
 beauty of the other’s baby face. It was cruel to see 
 the poor wee features, not much larger than those of 
 a doll, of the delicately nurtured girl, as she came into 
 the room with her fur mantle wrapped closely around 
 her, and timidly asked me if I would take some wine. 
 There she was, turned over to the first comer that 
 would pay, but still to all appearance so modest, the 
 maiden bloom not altogether having faded off her 
 childish cheeks, and her pathetic eyes, where still 
 lingered the timid glance of a frightened fawn. I felt 
 
50 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 like one of the damned. “ She saw old gentlemen,” 
 she said, ‘‘almost exclusively. Sometimes it was 
 rather bad, but she liked the life,” she said, timidly 
 trying to face the grim inexorable, ‘‘ and the wine, 
 she was so fond of that,” although her glass stood 
 untasted before her. Poor thing ! When I left the 
 house as a guilty thing, shrinking away abashed 
 from before the presence of the child with her baby 
 eyes, I said to the keeper who let me out,” She is too 
 good for her trade, poor thing.” ” Wait a bit,” said 
 the woman, with a leer. ” She is very young — only 
 turned fourteen, and has just come out, you know. 
 Come again in a couple of months, and you will see 
 a great change.” A great change, indeed. Would 
 to God she died before that ! And she was but one. 
 
 HOW CRIMINALS ARE SHIELDED BY THE LAW. 
 
 This frightful development of fantastic vice is 
 directly encouraged by the law, which marks off all 
 girls over thirteen as fair game for men. It is onl}^ in 
 the spring of this year that a man was sentenced to a 
 term of imprisonment for indecent assault upon a 
 child. It was shown in evidence that he had violated 
 more than a dozen children just over thirteen, whom 
 he had enticed into back yards by promises of sweet- 
 meats, but these were over age, and so he escaped scot- 
 free, until one day he was fortunately caught with a 
 child under thirteen, and was promptly punished. 
 The Rev. J. Horsley, the chaplain at Clerkenwell, 
 stated last year : ‘ ‘ There is a monster now walking 
 about who acts as clerk in a highly respectable estab- 
 lishment. He is fifty 5^ears of age. For j'ears it has 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 5 1 
 
 been his villainous amusement to decoy and ruin chil- 
 dren. A very short time ago sixteen cases were 
 proved against him before a magistrate on the Surrey 
 .^ide of the river. The children were all fearfully in- 
 jured, possibly for life. Fourteen of the girls were 
 thirteen years old, and were therefore beyond the 
 protected age, and it could not be proved that they 
 were not consenting parties. The wife of the scoun- 
 drel told the ofl&cer who had the case in charge that 
 it was her opinion that her husband ought to be 
 burned. Yet by the English law we cannot touch 
 this monster of depravity, or so much as inflict a 
 small fine on him.” 
 
 A CEOSE TIME FOR GIRES. 
 
 Before the 14th of August it is a crime to shoot a 
 grouse, lest an immature cheeper should not yet have 
 a fair chance to fly. The sportsman who wishes to 
 follow the partridge through the stubbles must wait 
 till September i, and the close time for pheasants is 
 even later. Admitting that women are as fair game 
 as grouse and partridges, why not let us have a close 
 time for bipeds in petticoats as well as for bipeds in 
 feathers ? At present that close time is absurdly low. 
 The day after a girl has completed her thirteenth year 
 she is perfectly free to dispose of her person to the 
 first purchaser. A bag of sweets, a fine feather, a 
 good dinner, or a treat to the theater are sufficient to 
 induce her to part with that which may be lost in an 
 hour, but can never be recovered. This is too bad. 
 It does not give the girls a fair chance. The close 
 time ought to be extended until they have at least 
 
52 
 
 THK TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 attained physical maturit 3 L That surely is not put- 
 ting the matter on too sentimental grounds. Fish 
 out of season are not fit to be eaten. Girls who have 
 not reached the age of puberty are not fit even to be 
 seduced. The law ought at least to be as strict about 
 a live child as about a dead salmon. The recommen- 
 dation of the Lord’s Committee was that the close 
 time should last for sixteen years. That was the age 
 accepted by the House of Lords in two successive 
 years, and that is the age which the late Home Secre- 
 tary promised to insert in the present bill, which 
 legalizes consent when the girl is fifteen years old and 
 a day. 
 
 HOW THF LAW FACILITATES ABDUCTION. 
 
 It is sometimes said that these children ought to 
 be looked after by their parents, but those who resort 
 to that argument forget that the law plays into the 
 hands of the abductor. Suppose a child of thirteen, 
 either in a fit of temper or enticed by the bribes of a 
 procuress, once gets within the precincts of a brothel, 
 what is the parent to do ? The brothel-keeper has 
 only to keep the door locked to defj' the father. If 
 she had stolen a doll he could have got a search war- 
 rant for stolen property, but as it is only his daughter 
 he can do nothing. It is true that there is a mode of 
 procedure by habeas co7pus, but that is so cumbrous 
 and so costly that it is practicallj^ unavailable for the 
 poor. Counsel’s opinion was recentl}^ taken bj^ the 
 abductor of a boy as to what steps could be taken to 
 prevent the father obtaining possession of his son. 
 The answer was as follows ; Refuse father admit- 
 
pi^orijnce; crittknton missions. 53 
 
 tance. You can keep the boy until habeas corpus is 
 obtained. At the very earliest this cannot be secured 
 until after twenty-four hours at least. The hearing 
 of the case to show cause will wait about a week for 
 a turn. The costs are uncertain, from £y:> to ^50. 
 
 Take another case. In Hull last August a man 
 kept a child’s brothel, locally known as “the Infant 
 School.’’ He kept no fewer than fourteen children 
 there, the eldest only fifteen, and some as young as 
 twelve. The mothers had gone to the house to try 
 and claim their children, and had been driven off by 
 the prisoner with the most horrible abuse, and had 
 no power to get the children away or even to see 
 them. Fortunately, the old reprobate had sold drink 
 without a license. For this offense, and not for his 
 stealing children, the police broke into his house and 
 secured his conviction. By law, abduction is no offense 
 unless the girl is in the custody of her father at the 
 time of her abduction. 
 
 How easy it is for a man to seduce a child with 
 impunity the following record taken from the report 
 of a case heard in Hammersmith police-court last 
 March will show : 
 
 Walter Franklin, who lived in North-avenue, 
 Fulham, was summoned for unlawfully taking Annie 
 Summers, an unmarried girl, under the age of six- 
 teen, out of the possession of her master, and against 
 the will of her father. Mr. Gregory said he appeared 
 on behalf of the Society for the Protection of Young 
 Girls to support the summons. The girl, who was 
 fourteen, was in service, and met the defendant while 
 on her way to her father to obtain a change of linen. 
 
54 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 He invited her to his house, where he kept her all 
 night, and turned her out in the morning. She was 
 found by her father in Chelsea. Mr. Shell referred to 
 the case of “Queen and Miller,’’ and thought no 
 charge had been disclosed, as she was not in the cus- 
 tody of her father. The case fell in with the decis- 
 ion in “ Queen and Miller.’’ In that case it was the 
 converse. The girl had left her father, and was on 
 the way to her mistress. Mr. Gregory : You think 
 she was not in the custod}'' of either ? Mr. Shell re- 
 plied in the affirmative. The summons was then 
 withdrawn. 
 
 IMPRISONED IN BROTHELS. 
 
 It is easy enough to get into a brothel, it is by no 
 means easy to get out. Apart from the dress houses, 
 where women are practically prisoners, forbidden to 
 cross the doorstep and chained to the house by debt, 
 cases are constantly occurring in which girls find 
 themselves under lock and key. 
 
 Alice B., a Devonshire girl of twenty j^ears of 
 age, came to London to service on the death of her 
 father. She was seduced w-hen in service by a doc- 
 tor who lodged in the house ; but after he left she 
 kept company with an apparently respectable 3’oung 
 man. She was engaged to be married, arid all 
 seemed to be going well, when one Sunday afternoon, 
 as they were enjoying their Sunday walk, he pro- 
 posed to call and see his aunt, who lived, he said, at 
 No. -- Queen’s- road, St. John’s-wood. Together 
 with her sweetheart she entered the house and had 
 tea with his supposed aunt. After tea she was asked 
 
PLORENCK CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 55 
 
 if she would not like to wash her hands, and she was 
 taken upstairs to a handsomely furnished bedroom 
 and left alone. She first discovered her situation by 
 hearing the key turn in the lock. For three weeks 
 she was never allowed to leave the room, but was 
 compelled to receive the visits of her first seducer, 
 who seems to have employed her sweetheart to lure 
 her into this den. She implored her captor to release 
 her, but although he took her to the theater and the 
 opera, dressed her in fine clothes, and talked of mar- 
 rying her abroad, he never allowed her to escape. 
 When he was not with her, she was kept under lock 
 and key. When he was with her, she was a captive 
 under surveillance. This went on for six or seven 
 weeks. The girl was well fed and cared for, and had 
 a maid to wait on her ; but she fretted in captivity, 
 dreaming constantly of escape, yet being utterly un- 
 able to get out of the closely guarded house. At last 
 one morning she was roused by an unusual noise. It 
 was the sweep brushing the chimney. Her door had 
 to be opened to allow him to enter the adjoining 
 room. She rose, dressed herself in her old clothes — 
 which fortunately had not been removed — and fled 
 for her life. She found a little side door at the bot- 
 tom of the back stairs open and in a moment she was 
 free. She had neither hat nor bonnet, nor had she a 
 penny she could call her own. Her one thought was 
 to get as far away as possible from the hated house. 
 For three or four da3^s she wandered friendless and 
 helpless about the street, not knowing where to go. 
 The police were kind to her and saved her from in- 
 sult, but she was nearly starved when, by a happy 
 
56 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 inspiration, she made her way to a Salvation Army 
 meeting at Whitechapel, where she fell into good 
 hands. She was passed on to their Home and then 
 to the Rescue Society, by whose agency she found a 
 situation, where she is at the present moment. 
 
 It would be painful to discover how many girls 
 are at this moment imprisoned like Alice B. in the 
 brothels of London. 
 
 THE POLICE AND THE FOREIGN SLAVE TRADE. 
 
 The power of the police over women in the streets 
 is already ample, not merely for the purposes of main- 
 taining order and for preventing indecenc}^ and moles- 
 tation, but also for the purpose of levying blackmail 
 upon unfortunates. I have been assured by a chap- 
 lain of one of her Majesty’s jails, who perhaps has 
 more opportunities of talking to these women than 
 any other individual in the realm, that there is abso- 
 lute unanimity in the ranks that if they do not tip the 
 police they get run in. From the highest to the low- 
 est, he informs me, the universal testimony is that 
 you must pay the constable, or you get into trouble. 
 With them it has come to be part of the recognized 
 necessities of their profession. Tipping porters is 
 contrary to the by-laws of the railway companies, yet 
 it is constantly done b}^ passengers ; and tipping the 
 police is as constant a practice on the part of the 
 women of the street. Some pay with purse, others 
 with person — many poor wretches with both. There 
 are good policemen who would not touch the monej^ 
 of a harlot or drink with her. But there are great 
 numbers who regard these things as the perquisites of 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 57 
 
 their oflSce, and who act on their belief. The power 
 of a policeman over a girl of the streets, although 
 theoretically very slight, is in reality almost despotic. 
 “ If you quarrel with a policeman you are done for,” 
 is not far from the truth. 
 
 THE IMPORT OF FOREIGN GIRES TO LONDON. 
 
 lyOndon, say those who are engaged in the white 
 slave trade, is the greatest market of human flesh in 
 the whole world. Like other markets, the trade con- 
 sists of imports and exports, and although we have 
 heard a great deal of late about the exportation of 
 English girls abroad, there is a chapter quite as 
 ghastly which remains to be written concerning the 
 import of foreign girls into England. Girls are regu- 
 larly brought over to London from France, Belgium, 
 Germany, and Switzerland for the purpose of being 
 ruined. The idea of the men who import these girls, 
 many of whom are perfectly respectable, is to force 
 them to lead a life of vice from which they can reap 
 a heavy profit. There is a great colony of maque- 
 reaux in the French quarter whose chief idea of se- 
 curing an easy livelihood is to get a girl into their 
 possession, body and soul, to drive her upon the 
 street, and to live and thrive upon the profits of her 
 prostitution. 
 
 Some very remarkable cases of importation have 
 been exposed by Miss Sterling, the devoted and pub- 
 lic-spirited founder of the Edinburgh and Leith Chil- 
 dren’s Aid and Refuge. According to the oflScial 
 
 correspondent, George N , described by the pastor 
 
 in Hamburg as ‘ ‘ the young German workman who 
 
58 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 did certainly trade in young girls,” got two girls, 
 Annie and Elise, by the following advertisement in 
 the Refor 7 n of Hamburg ; ‘‘A good family in Edin- 
 burgh, in Scotland, wish to adopt a girl, age nine to 
 twelve years of age ; a child of poor parents or 
 orphan preferred ; address letters to No. 424, Stock- 
 bridge Post Office, Edinburgh.” After Miss Sterling 
 
 rescued these poor children from his clutches, N 
 
 became very violent, and police protection was af- 
 forded Miss Sterling for five months. She was 
 threatened with death, and went about in fear of her 
 life, her only offense being that she had rescued two 
 wee bairns from the hand of a slave trader. 
 
 The work of inquiring into the ramifications of 
 this new slave trade was the most dangerous part of 
 the investigations. The traffic is almost entirely in 
 the hands of ex-convicts, who knew too well the dis- 
 comforts of the viaison correctionnelle to stick at any 
 trifles which might remove an inconvenient witness 
 to help them to escape conviction. It w^as at first a 
 new sensation for me to sit smoking and drinking 
 with men fresh from jail in the “snug” of a gin 
 palace, and asking as to the precise cost of disposing 
 of girls in foreign brothels. One excellent trader who 
 dwells in such odor of sanctity as can come from 
 having his headquarters within archiepiscopal shade 
 kindly undertook to dispose of a mistress of whom it 
 was supposed that I wished to rid myself before my 
 approaching marriage by depositing her without anj^ 
 ado in a house of ill-fame in Brussels. For this con- 
 siderable service he would only charge ^10. Another 
 agent eagerly competed for the job, and was ready to 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 59 
 
 put it through straight if the other had held back. 
 With a heroism and self-sacrifice worthy of the 
 sainted martyrs a pure and noble girl volunteered to 
 face the frightful risks of being placed in the Belgian 
 brothel if it was thought necessary to complete the 
 exposure. “ God has been with me hitherto,” said 
 she; ‘‘why should He forsake me if in His cause I 
 face the risks ? Surely He will take care of me there 
 as well as here.” I would not sanction so terrible an 
 experiment. But that there are women capable of 
 such sublimity of devotion to the cause of their out- 
 raged and degraded sisters tends to relieve, as by a 
 ray of Heaven’s light, the darkness of this awful hell. 
 
 If you want to stop the trade put a trustworthy 
 person on board steamers to warn the girls, and get 
 some one to see to it that the Procureur du Roi does 
 his duty. That would cut the trade up by the roots, 
 so far as it is carried on in unwilling girls. 
 
 AN INTERVIEW WITH A ‘‘PARCEL” SHIPPED TO 
 BORDEAUX. 
 
 The following is the story of one who, for no lofty 
 motive but from the dire compulsion of adverse des- 
 tiny, was doomed for three years and nine months to 
 sojourn in a foreign brothel. This person had spent 
 nearly four years in a house of ill-fame in Bordeaux, 
 where she had been placed by a scoundrelly Greek 
 who once kept a cigar shop in a street leading off 
 Regent street, and who took her and three others 
 over from Rondon on the assurance that he would 
 find them good situations either as bar-maids or in 
 gentlemen’s families. Her story, which is confirmed 
 
6o 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 in many details by ber husband, whom she rejoined 
 after her prolonged sojourn in the south of France, is 
 fairly typical of the way in which the foreign slave 
 trade is worked : 
 
 It is now nearly six years since (said Mrs. M.), 
 after my husband’s prolonged ill-health had brought 
 our little household to the verge of destitution that I 
 left him to make my living. One of my friends, an 
 Knglish girl in an honest situation, told me that a 
 certain Greek, whose address she mentioned, was 
 anxious to take her and three other girls to Bordeaux, 
 where he could find them excellent situations as soon 
 as they arrived. I was unhappy owing to the quarrel 
 with my husband, and I grasped the suggestion that 
 I should go with her to Bordeaux as afibrding the 
 means of escape from the associations and sufierings 
 with which I was so painfully familiar in London. I 
 saw the Greek, and he convinced me that he was quite 
 able to fulfill his promise and place me in a good situa- 
 tion if I would only put myself in his hands. 
 
 Foolishly enough, for I had not learned wisdom by 
 painful experience, I consented to go with m}^ friend 
 and two others. Our names were Marj- Hanson, 
 aged twenty, Rosina Marks, whose age I don’t remem- 
 ber, Anna Giffard, a dressmaker, aged twent3’-five, 
 and myself, Amelia M., but I went b}' the name 
 of Amelia Powell. We were all taken down to St. 
 Katharine’s Dock, and placed on board a steamer 
 bound for Bordeaux. We left London on a Thursday 
 night in February or March, 1879, and arrived in 
 Bordeaux, on Sunday, about seven in the evening. 
 From the steamer w^e were taken direct, suspecting 
 
FI.ORKNCK CRITTKNTON MISSIONS. 
 
 6l 
 
 nothing, to the house of Mdme. Suchon, 36 Rue 
 Lambert, which we believed to be a hotel, or the 
 house of the friend to whom the Greek was about to 
 introduce us ; but the landlady was very kind, and 
 we felt convinced that the Greek was a man of his 
 word. On Monday, however, a cruel awakening 
 awaited us. Our own clothes were taken away, and 
 we were tricked out in silk dresses and other finery. 
 Before that, however, we were taken to a doctor. 
 We were alarmed at this, and protested, but unfort- 
 unately we could speak no French, and the doctor 
 was almost as ignorant of English. What were we to 
 do ? We were alone in a strange land ; the man who 
 had taken us over had disappeared. We were abso- 
 lutely at the mercy of the keepers of the house; after 
 the examination the mistress gave us the fine clothes 
 I have spoken of, and insisted that very night, after 
 giving us champagne, upon introducing us to gentle- 
 men. I objected, and declared that I should leave. 
 “You can’t do that,’’ said the landlady, “because 
 you are indebted to me eighteen hundred francs.’’ 
 “ Eighteen hundred francs? ’’ said I. “ Why, I have 
 not been in the house two daj^s.” “ Oh, you forget,’’ 
 said she; “you have to pay the cost of your commis- 
 sion for being brought over, and the price of the silk 
 dress you are wearing.’’ 
 
 That is the regular rule, as I afterwards learned. 
 Girls are brought from England under the belief that 
 they are going to a pleasant situation, and then they 
 are consigned to one of the houses at so many pounds 
 per head. The purchase-money or commission, which 
 varies from ^10 upward, is entered against the girl as 
 
62 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 a debt to her landlady. That, however, is not the 
 worst. They equip you in fine clothes, which they 
 insist upon you taking, and then debit you with twice 
 their value, running up in this way a debt of perhaps 
 1, 800 f. I was told that I must be a good girl, and 
 do as they wished me to, and I would soon earn suffi- 
 cient money to get back to my husband, but if I did 
 not I would never see him again. I may mention 
 that I told the doctor that I was a married woman. 
 “Where is your husband?’’ he said, and proceeded 
 without further notice with my examination. 
 
 It was some time before I could reconcile myself to 
 receiving gentlemen, but what weighed with me was 
 that unless I consented I should never earn sufficient 
 mone)^ to pay off my debt and return to London. In 
 order to raise funds I w^as submissive, and being then 
 young and attractive I earned m}^ money in less than 
 six months. Of course none of that money actually 
 remains with you. It is entered to your credit in the 
 books of the establishment, and the theor}^ is that 
 when you have worked off your debt you are free to 
 go, but the keeper takes very good care that 3"Ou shall 
 never work off 5^our debt. When the account shows 
 that you have only four or five hundred francs against 
 you the mistress sets to work to induce you, b}' cozen- 
 ing, cajoling, or absolute fraud, to accept other 
 articles of clothing. Thus you go on month after 
 month. 
 
 “ How long did 3'-ou sta3^ there ? ’’ “ Three years 
 
 and nine months.’’ “ And why in the world did 3’ou 
 not communicate with 3'our husband ? ’’ “ We were 
 
 never allowed to send letters out of the house. Let- 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 63 
 
 ters were allowed to come in after they had been read 
 by the mistress, but no replies were ever permitted. 
 Sometimes we used to try and send messages by En- 
 glish sailors who used to visit us, but never any answer 
 came. There were seventeen girls in the house, 
 which was a large one, the entry being three francs. 
 Ours was a middle-class house as distinguished from 
 the low-class one, the entrance to which is one franc, 
 and the fashionable house in the Rue Berguin, where 
 the entrance fee is ten francs and only four girls are 
 
 kept. When I was there an English girl called S , 
 
 who was said to be the daughter of a coach builder in 
 the Edgware road, died. A sum stood on the book 
 as due to the house, and when a brother came over 
 from Eondon to take her dead body home for burial 
 the mistress refused to allow the corpse to be removed 
 until the debt was paid. She had been taken from 
 England to Spain, and had been bought or exchanged 
 from the Spanish house to the one in Bordeaux where 
 she died. One of the English girls who came out 
 with me — Mary Hanson — was sold off to South 
 America. When I say sold, I mean that an agent 
 who was pieking up girls arranged to pay her debt, 
 and took her off with him to the New World. She 
 assented, as girls always do when they have been 
 long in one house, and see no prospect of paying 
 their debt, for those who want to remove them always 
 hold out inducements that they will be able to buy 
 their liberty much sooner in the new place to which 
 they are going. 
 
 “ Do you know any girls who have ever bought 
 their liberty?” ‘‘No. We are always trying and 
 
64 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 trying, but we never succeed, although we have 
 earned sufficient money over and over again to pa}^ 
 for all that has been spent upon us, for every artifice 
 is used by the keepers, as I have explained, to hold 
 us in their power. Drink is a poteyit agency and 
 easily tised." 
 
 “ How many English girls were there in the house 
 of Mdme. Suchon ? ” “Two; but we used to meet 
 with others who were in other houses in the town at 
 the visile, when we went to see the doctor at the pub- 
 lic building in the Rue Graffe on Tuesda3^s, Thurs- 
 days, and Saturdays. Mary Hanson came around 
 to bid us good-bye before she went to South Amer- 
 ica.’’ “Could she not have made her escape when 
 visiting?’’ “She was not alone. We are never 
 allowed out except in company with the mistress.’’ 
 
 “ How was it then thatj^ou got free ? ’’ “A gen- 
 man from Toulouse took a fanc\" to me, paid off all 
 my debts, and gave me money to pa}^ mj^ passage to 
 London. Otherwise I should have been there to this 
 day.’’ “What English girl did jmu leave in the 
 house?’’ “Poor Rosina Marks, who cried verj' 
 piteously when I came awajL ‘ O how luckj’- jmu 
 are, Amelia,’ she said ; ‘as for me, I shall never be 
 able to pay my debt, and shall die here.’ ’’ “Is 
 Rosina there still? ’’ “To the best of my belief, but 
 of course she is never allowed to write, and all that I 
 know is that she was there two j^ears ago, and I have 
 never heard of her death. Her famih^ are publicans 
 in Southampton, and her father was employed at 
 
 Squire near that town. A very timid girl was 
 
 Rosina, and madam used to bully her fearfully. I 
 
FLORENCE CRITTFNFON MISSIONS. 65 
 
 have often wished that something could be done to 
 get her out, but there seems no chance.” 
 
 Some one should try to do something for poor 
 Rosina — if she be still alive and is still at Bordeaux. 
 But who knows ? She may be dead, or sold to Spain 
 or elsewhere, or, like many others, she may have 
 drunk away her reason and her senses. There are 
 plenty more going the same road. Kvery now and 
 then we hear of the mysterious disappearance of girls. 
 Boys, although much more adventurous, do not disap- 
 pear in this way. The inference is plain. There have 
 been the cases from West Ham, the case of the girl 
 Hearnden, at Folkestone, the case of the granddaugh- 
 ter of a correspondent on the south coast, who has 
 written to us imploring to know whether we can help 
 her to tidings of her vanished child. Now that the 
 silence has been broken we shall hear of many such, 
 and regret their multiplication. The one safeguard is 
 Publicity, Publicity, Publicity ! And all who attempt 
 to silence the voice of warning must share the guilt of 
 those upon one sjnall portion of whose crimes it is our 
 proud privilege to have turned a little of the wholesome 
 light of day. 
 
tlje Eato Megartisi 
 
 Would Father Vultures so Destroy Their Own 
 Children ? 
 
 I,T passes the comprehension of moth- 
 to'l ers how any set of fathers of little 
 girls should so infamously place a 
 premium on the ruin of their own 
 daughters, by that disgrace to civiliza- 
 tion called “ the age of consent,” ‘‘at which 
 a female may consent to the violation of her 
 own person,” which averages, in this Christian land, 
 by laws enacted by chivalrous (?) men, the age of 
 thirteen years. 
 
 For the following list we are indebted to A. A. 
 Powell and Anna Rice Powell, the grand champions 
 of girlhood as the editors of The Philanthropist : 
 
 THE ‘‘age of consent” IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 We present herewith a revised list of the several States and 
 Territories, complete except Delaware and Utah, with the 
 present legal “ age of consent” in each, in cases in the crime 
 of rape. The figures are furnished in each instance by the 
 
 Secretary of State, in reply to our inquiry, as follows • 
 
 66 
 
FLORENCi: CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 67 
 
 Maine, 
 
 14 years. 
 
 North Dakota, 
 
 14 years. 
 
 New Hampshire, 
 
 13 
 
 (( 
 
 Maryland, 
 
 14 
 
 
 Vermont, 
 
 14 
 
 << 
 
 Virginia, 
 
 12 
 
 
 Massachusetts, 
 
 14 
 
 
 West Virginia, 
 
 12 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Connecticut, 
 
 14 
 
 < c 
 
 North Carolina, 
 
 10 
 
 <( 
 
 Rhode Island, 
 
 14 
 
 
 South Carolina, 
 
 10 
 
 (( 
 
 New York, 
 
 16 
 
 
 Florida, 
 
 17 
 
 (( 
 
 New Jersey, 
 
 16 
 
 
 Georgia, 
 
 10 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Pennsylvania, 
 
 16 
 
 H 
 
 Alabama, 
 
 10 
 
 (( 
 
 Mississippi, 
 
 16 
 
 
 Douisiana, 
 
 12 
 
 (< 
 
 Texas, 
 
 10 
 
 
 Tennessee, 
 
 13 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Kentucky, 
 
 12 
 
 
 Ohio, 
 
 14 
 
 n 
 
 Michigan, 
 
 14 
 
 
 Illinois, 
 
 14 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Indiana, 
 
 12 
 
 
 Iowa, 
 
 13 
 
 ( < 
 
 Missouri, 
 
 14 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Minnesota, 
 
 10 
 
 n 
 
 Wisconsin, 
 
 12 
 
 (< 
 
 Nebraska, 
 
 15 
 
 n 
 
 Kansas, 
 
 18 
 
 n 
 
 Nevada, 
 
 14 
 
 a 
 
 Montana, 
 
 15 
 
 
 Wyoming, 
 
 18 
 
 (( 
 
 Idaho, 
 
 10 
 
 
 California, 
 
 16 
 
 ( i 
 
 New Mexico, 
 
 14 
 
 
 Oregon, 
 
 14 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Washington, 
 
 14 
 
 
 Arkansas, 
 
 14 
 
 ( ( 
 
 Arizona, 
 
 14 
 
 i ( 
 
 Colorado, 
 
 16 
 
 ( < 
 
 South Dakota, 
 
 10 
 
 ** 
 
 Dist. Columbia, 
 
 16 
 
 ( < 
 
 We have written two letters of inquiry to the Secretary of 
 State of Delaware, and one to the Governor, but as yet have 
 no reply from either. As we understand the legal situation in 
 Delaware, the shocking statute fixing the “ age of consent,” iu 
 cases of rape, at 7 years, still stands unrepealed; but a later act, 
 pertaining to seduction, fixes the age at 15 years. Utah, 13 
 years. 
 
 Are the fathers who passed such laws drunk or 
 insane? When can a girl legally consent to honor- 
 able marriage ? At seven years ? The fathers stand 
 aghast. At ten years? “Do you think this legisla- 
 ture is composed of a set of fools ? We do not let our 
 
68 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 babies get married.” At twelve years? At thirteen 
 years ? At sixteen years ? No indeed ! We as 
 fathers are determined to protect our daughters from 
 men with intentions of honorable marriage, till they 
 are eighteen years of age. Any man who takes away 
 one of our daughters seventeen years old and mar- 
 ries her without our consent is guilty of serious crime 
 and will be sternly punished. But the man who com- 
 mits a rape upon our little girl of seven, ten or thir- 
 teen years of age, — why that is a trivial matter, — and 
 if he swears that the child consented, w'e fathers ar- 
 range it so that he can go scot-free. Of course a 
 gentleman (?) who would outrage a little girl, seven, 
 ten or thirteen years of age, would be sure to tell the 
 truth on the witness-stand ! A man of such noble 
 character would scorn to commit perjury ! Men who 
 do such deeds do not usually choose a crowded thor- 
 oughfare where witnesses might prove that the little 
 one resisted to the utmost her assailant of fivefold 
 strength. And when a big burly man fifty years of 
 age is brought into a court of justice and confronted 
 by the little ten- year-old victim of his lust, if he can 
 prove that the child, for a paper of cand}-, consented 
 to an act of which her childish mind is ignorant, that 
 jury of tw'clve men— probably fathers of little girls 
 themselves — will hold the child guilty and the man 
 guiltless. If he cannot prove consent, still he may 
 not be punished, unless it is proved that the little 
 child who might weigh seventy-five pounds, resisted 
 until exhaustion or death, her assailant of two hun- 
 dred pounds. 
 
 Martha K. Pierce, 1,1,. B. (Georgia Mark), in her 
 
PLORENC:e CRITI'ENTON MISSIONS. 69 
 
 very fine leaflet published by the W. C. T. U.,“ Some 
 lyCgal Aspects of the Question, ’ ’ says : 
 
 “Now as to the exact effect of dispensing with 
 proof of the consent or non-consent of a girl, much 
 misapprehension prevails. It must not be imagined 
 that even under such favorable circumstances as are 
 secured by this rule, the conviction of any guilty man 
 would be certain. He would still have several possi- 
 ble defenses, and could clear himself as readily by 
 overturning the testimony of the plaintiff by evidence 
 contradictory to her statements, as he could in any 
 other criminal case. But when he is allowed to set 
 up the plea of ‘ consent ’ his acquittal is almost cer- 
 tain. If he can prove the acquiscence of his victim, 
 no matter how or when it was obtained, he need not 
 make any attempt to deny the commission of the 
 crime, for it is only held to be complete when it 
 is committed by force, ‘ without the consent and 
 against the will of the woman.’ The crime was so 
 defined in early English statutes, and the definition is 
 not satisfied by evidence that the reluctance of the 
 girl was overcome by fraud, persuasion, rewards or 
 promises. It makes one’s blood boil to think of the 
 relative chances afforded by our laws to mature vice, 
 and youthful, trusting innocence. Occasionally we 
 find in the reports the dictum of some judge to the 
 effect that if the defendant intended to use force in 
 case other means failed he can be found guilty, but it 
 is evident that only a jury of skillful mind-readers 
 could hope to arrive at the truth in such an inquiry 
 into thoughts and purposes. This distinction is prac- 
 tically valueless, but it shows that there are men, 
 
70 
 
 THE TRAEFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 who, moved by a sense of the injustice of letting an 
 offender go free because he took care to obtain the 
 consent of some little girl of tender years by a gift of 
 a pretty toy or a trifle of finery, would, if they could, 
 stretch the provisions of our law far enough to bring 
 him to punishment. On the other hand there are 
 judges not a few who stretch the law to set a guilty 
 man free. 
 
 “ A large number of the cases of the kind, given 
 in our State reports, have turned upon the interpreta- 
 tion of the expressions ‘ without her consent ’ or 
 ‘ against her will ’ one or both of which will be found 
 in the statutes relating to girls beyond the age of ten. 
 In New York it is held that ‘ any fact tending to the 
 inference that there was not the utmost reluctance 
 and the utmost resistance, is always received.’ The 
 People vs. Dohring, 59 N. Y., is the case of a girl 
 of fourteen in the employ of the defendant. She 
 was playing in his barn with two 3'ounger chil- 
 dren when the defendant entered and sent the latter 
 away. After locking the door he called the plaintiflF 
 down from the loft. Before she in the least compre- 
 hended his purpose, resistance was made practically 
 useless, if not impossible. Still the court of last 
 resort ruled that ‘ she must resist until exhausted or 
 overpowered, for a jurj^ to find that it is against her 
 will.’ 
 
 “In Whittaker vs. The State, 50 Wis., the court 
 saj^s, ‘ We are satisfied that it is never proper or safe 
 to instruct the jury in any case that this crime maj" 
 be committed with the consent of the woman, how- 
 ever obtained.’ ‘ Resistance and the dissent ought to 
 
FI,ORENCE CRITT'ENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 71 
 
 have continued to the last and the physical power 
 of the woman must have been overcome by physical 
 force.’ In this case the testimony of the woman, 
 given in broken English, is affecting in its simplicity 
 and earnestness, but her evidence could not outweigh 
 that of the defendant, who depended upon ‘ consent ’ 
 as a defense. 
 
 “ In Commonwealth vs. McDonald, no Mass., 
 the supreme court held that the instruction of the 
 judge of the lower court to the jury, that ‘the jury 
 must be satisfied that there was no consent during 
 any part of the act,’ was correct. 
 
 “ In a Michigan case ( Don Moran vs. The People, 
 25, Mich., ) a physician,at whose house a consumptive 
 girl of sixteen had been placed by her father for treat- 
 ment, induced her by false representations as to the 
 state of her health, the treatment necessary to her 
 recovery, her fathers wishes, etc., to consent. When 
 found out and brought to trial he set up her willing- 
 ness as a defense, but the lower court refused to admit 
 it because of the manner of obtaining it. He ap- 
 pealed to the supreme court, by whom it was declared 
 that the charge of the judge of the lower court was 
 erroneous ; that ‘ some effect must be given to the 
 words “by force and against her will ’’ ’ in order to 
 bring the case within the statute. But in the desire 
 of the judges to secure punishment of so artful and 
 unprincipled a man as the defendant had proved 
 himself to be, it occnrred to them to suggest, on send- 
 ing the case back for a new trial, that if the jury 
 would find that the girl was so deceived as to be in 
 
72 
 
 th:b traffic in girls. 
 
 fear of death unless she submitted, they might by 
 such a finding satisfy the statute. 
 
 “ An attempt to commit this crime is punishable as 
 a misdemeanor, and as the offense is extremely diffi- 
 cult to prove, guilty parties frequently receiv^e the 
 light penalty provided for the attempt, because of the 
 failure of the prosecution to establish the principal 
 charge. 
 
 “ It would not be pleasant, and I hope it is not 
 necessary, to give many cases out of the host that 
 appear in our state reports, in order to give fair 
 knowledge of the workings of our laws ; enough in- 
 stances have been given, I trust, to show how the let- 
 ter of these statutes kills all hope of justice when 
 unscrupulous wrong-doers keep outside of their provis- 
 ions, as they easily can. The sentiment of mankind 
 has recognized the superior chastit}’ of woman’s 
 nature ; her natural purity of heart has been acknowl- 
 edged and praised in prose and poetrj*, but our law 
 does not recognize it ; it doubts it ; collects and 
 weighs evidence against it, and unless a girl dies in 
 the attempt to defend her honor, her innocence must 
 be proved to the satisfaction of a jury of men. 
 
 “ That no man shall be allowed to take advantage 
 of his own wrong is a legal maxim upon which sound 
 and equitable rules of evidence have been based, 
 which bear upon other crimes. For instance, in the 
 crime known as burglary, which is defined by the 
 common law as the ‘ breaking and entering a house in 
 the night-time with intent to commit a felon3L’ break- 
 ing is essential to the completion of the offense, but 
 it is settled law that his deceit will not be permitted to 
 
MISS FRANCES E. WILLARD. 
 
FLORKNCS; CRITTKNTON MISSIONS. 73 
 
 excuse a defendant who has, by fraud, prevailed upon 
 the owner of a house to open his door to him. Here 
 we see that any person, even a man of ripe age and 
 soimd mind, is protected by the law from the conse- 
 quences of his folly in yielding to the false representa- 
 tions of an artful burglar. But the old English law 
 did not entertain such sublime ideas of the honor of 
 either sex as to ‘ lay the blame of a mutual fault upon 
 one of the transgressors only , ’ (Blackstone 4, p. 21 1,) 
 and modern American law is shaped and moulded ac- 
 cording to the same principle. So womanly purity is 
 held to be fair game for wily Lotharios, who may take 
 advantage of their own wrong and escape punish- 
 ment in the form of action by showing to the judge 
 and jury that their artifices were successful in leading 
 their victims into error. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Girls below ten are, as we have seen, protected 
 in this country, but what father or mother whose lit- 
 tle daughter yesterday celebrated her tenth anniver- 
 sary can bear the thought that she is now, in the 
 eyes of the law, competent to so consent to the most 
 grievous and irremediable of wrongs, as to exculpate 
 from all blame her partner in the ‘ mutual fault ’ ? ” 
 
 One might suppose the laws to be made for the 
 punishment of little girls and the acquittal of big, 
 lecherous scoundrels. Miss Frances E. Willard, 
 President of the World’s and National Woman’s 
 Christian Temperance Union, ably says, “By British 
 law a little girl who was not old enough to make a 
 legal sale of her own doll, was declared sufficiently 
 wise to protect her own honor. Also by British law 
 it has been held that no child’s testimony could be 
 
74 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 put in evidence unless the little creature was able to 
 explain ‘ the nature of an oath. ’ By this ingenious 
 but most iniquitous legislation, the ravisher usually 
 got off free ; for if the child were thirteen or more, 
 she was held to be old enough to consent, in which 
 case her assailant went unpunished, and if less than 
 thirteen, she could seldom explain the nature of an 
 oath, hence could not bear witness against him. 
 Thus considerately have men from time immemorial, 
 legislated for women. Their laws have shown the 
 mercy that a wolf shows a lamb.” 
 
 But even a wolf would not prey on its own species, 
 and would be far too decent not to tear to pieces the 
 destroyer of its own flesh and blood. It remained 
 for civilized and so-callec Christian fathers to protect 
 by such infamous laws the villain who commits an 
 outrage on his seven, ten or thirteen year old daugh- 
 ter. We never knew before that the Seventh Com- 
 mandment reads, ‘‘Thou shalt not commit adultery 
 unless the girl or woman gives her consent. ’ ’ 
 
 But as if the foregoing — the relic of barbarous 
 ancient law — were not infamous enough, in some 
 States, notably New York, after the Woman’s Chris- 
 tian Temperance Union, led by their energetic Presi- 
 dent, Mrs. Mary T. Burt, had secured the bill raising 
 the age of consent to sixteen years, the fathers com- 
 posing the legislature introduced a bill reading : ‘‘Be 
 it enacted that hereafter the legal age at which a fe- 
 male may consent to the violation of her own person, 
 shall be reduced from sixteeyi to ten years." And a 
 bill was also introduced licensing prostitution. But 
 the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was on the 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 75 
 
 alert and a very hail of letters from the fathers and 
 mothers of New York State warned these base pol- 
 iticians that the girlhood of that great Commonwealth 
 was not to be sold out to saloon-keepers and brothel- 
 keepers in any such high-handed manner, and both 
 bills - were defeated. Realizing too the inseparable 
 connection between the saloon and the brothel, and 
 that girls in the saloons means girls in the house of 
 infamy, these mother-hearted white ribboners, also 
 defeated a bill gotten up in the interest of saloon- 
 keepers that “British bar-maids be imported for 
 American saloons.” So much for organized mother- 
 hood. How much more could organized fatherhood 
 accomplish, especially as fathers have the ballot, that 
 mighty weapon which if mothers had, they would 
 banish the saloon in one election. And with the sa- 
 loon would go three-fourths of the social evil. 
 
 One might imagine that girls belonged to an alien 
 race from boys, and were not daughters of the same 
 fathers, judging from the cruel difference made in 
 legislating for boys and girls. Of this glaring injus- 
 tice, Martha K. Pearce, LL.B., says “Some States 
 have been careful to give boys under fourteen the 
 benefit of the common law regarding the age of 
 puberty, and they are excluded by the terms of the 
 statute from prosecution for this crime (of rape). In 
 Illinois the statute only provides for the punishment 
 of any male person of the age of fourteen years and 
 upward who shall be adjudged guilty. The legisla- 
 ture of Ohio raised the age of protection for boys to 
 seventeen years, but in the same statute which makes 
 
76 
 
 THE TRAEEIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 it impossible to even bring a boy to trial for tbis 
 crime, the age of consent ior girls is fixed at ten years. ’ ’ 
 
 This distinction of sex runs through all the laws 
 relative to sexual impurity. For the seduction of a 
 girl how trifling is the penalty ! Miss Pearce, whose 
 legal researches make her works authoritative, says : 
 
 ‘ ‘ I will now call attention to a defect in even the 
 most advanced legislation, which practically nulli- 
 fies efforts of reformers. I observe in the States in 
 which seduction is made a felony, to be punished by 
 imprisonment for a term of years, the statutes provide 
 foi the imposition of a fine as an alternative. The 
 little word “or” may have great w^eight in a statute. 
 It is easy to see the object of its insertion in these 
 new laws. It furnishes a cunningly devised way of 
 escape for convicted persons from all real punishment. 
 Possibly some poor, unfriended wretches may occa- 
 sionally be sent to prison under these statutes, but no 
 wealthy man will ever be so punished. Such men 
 have the benefit of the clauses for their cases made 
 and provided, and will be let off with the mere nom- 
 inal penalty of a fine. And what a fine ! Oiie thou- 
 sand dollars seems to be the limit of value that ottr 
 modern legislators can place upon a woman' s hoiior ! 
 We cannot afford to let such legislation stand. No 
 amount of mone}^ no political influence should have 
 power to shield the enemy of purity from a punish- 
 ment which will impress upon him the fact that the 
 decent portion of society abhors his sin. No woman, 
 whatever her station, can escape the disgrace which 
 follows upon a departure from the paths of rectitude. 
 No legal penalty can be so swift, so lasting, so un- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 77 
 
 erring in its searching hold upon the sensitive chords 
 of feeling, as the shame which society heaps upon the 
 miserable girl who falls a victim to deceit or fraud. 
 It is but just, then, that every man who is proven 
 guilty should have meted out to him a punishment 
 worthy of the name. There should no chance be 
 given for his escape from the branding disgrace which 
 a term in the penitentiary leaves. 
 
 “ In all our States there have been lamentable 
 failures of justice because of the lack of protection for 
 girls who are independent of parental or other control. 
 The large and constantly increasing army of working 
 girls, living away from home without responsible 
 guardians to look after their welfare, should be pro- 
 tected by the State so far as strict laws can protect 
 them. 
 
 ‘ ‘ At present it is necessary to take out a writ of 
 habeas corpus in order to obtain possession of an 
 abducted girl. This is a long and expensive process, 
 and our laws should be amended so that a search 
 warrant, authorizing oflBcers to enter a house where it 
 is believed a girl is hidden, can be issued without any 
 loss of time. 
 
 “ The same considerations which apply to the pun- 
 ishment of seduction by a fine bear upon this offense. 
 The Chicago Herald of January i, 1887, mentions 
 the infliction of a fine of one dollar for the enticing of 
 a young girl to a disreputable place on the night of 
 December 29, 1886. When such miserable traves- 
 ties of justice can take place under our existing laws, 
 it is time that discretion in the matter of penalties 
 should be taken away from courts.” 
 
78 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 And, yet, that same poor girl after being ruined 
 and consigned to a house of infamy by this lecherous 
 wretch — this poor girl who by the cruel dictum of 
 society, is ostracized and not allowed to earn a cent 
 honorably — if to keep from starvation she solicits this 
 same man who ruined her, she ma}^ be chased and 
 beaten by a policeman, or arrested at the instance of 
 the man who ruined her and sent to prison for man}'- 
 days. Mr. Crittenton relates that in his evangelistic 
 work in the slums, he has often witnessed a big, 
 burly policeman chase a little fourteen-year-old girl 
 down the street deahng awful blows at every step, on 
 the delicate child whose cries of terror and agony rent 
 the heart of every passer-by. On inquiry it is often 
 found in such cases that the poor girl has refused her 
 person to this oflBcer of the law (?) without her usual 
 compensation, and he under the guise of the law is 
 wreaking his vengeance upon her. And, yet ! that 
 child is “ some father’s little girl.” 
 
 It is also noticeable, that in the raids on houses of 
 ill-fame, the keeper and inmates are the ones arrested 
 and fined and imprisoned. What about the guilty 
 gentlemen (? ) patrons ? Is it not as wicked for a man 
 to commit adultery as a women ? Why, then, does 
 the punishment fall so heavily upon the woman and 
 so lightly upon the man ? Perhaps if women had 
 something to do with makhig the laws justice would be 
 done womanhood. 
 
 The nefarious scheme of licensing prostitution and 
 establishing the horrible Contagious Disease Acts, 
 which have disgraced Europe, shows the same leni- 
 ency to men. The women, forsooth ! must be exam- 
 
FI.ORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 79 
 
 ined medically and the announcement officially made 
 that they are free from the horrible diseases that ever 
 come as a just penalty for the sin of unchastity, so that 
 the health of men will not be endangered when they 
 commit sin. The woman’ s health or well-being is of no 
 value save as she ministers to the most depraved nature 
 of man. Are the male prostitutes examined that they 
 may not inflict these horrible diseases on women ? 
 Oh no ! The life and health of women are of no ac- 
 count. If a thousand of our precious girls are torn 
 from our arms for a few short years to fill up the 
 ranks of — we can’t say that awful word — and then, 
 being horribly diseased by vile men, they fill name- 
 less graves or find a suicide’s hereafter by the pistol- 
 shot or the river, what matter ? Tittle care the 
 lawmakers. Get a fresh lot, of girls for these vile 
 men to disease and murder, and let the carnival of 
 lust go on, for say these learned doctors of the law, 
 and oftentimes, alas ! doctors of medicine, “prostitu- 
 tion is a necessary evil.’’ “If it were not for this 
 host of ‘ soiled doves ’ no woman would dare walk the 
 streets for fear of personal violence.” What a high 
 estimate of their own sex such men have ! 
 
 In the first place, prostitution is not a necessary 
 evil (for medical proof see Appendix), for God never 
 gave man a commandment he could not obey ; and 
 the Seventh Commandment, ‘ ‘ Thou shalt not com- 
 mit adultery,” is binding alike on men and women. 
 God does not, as does society, put in a clause exoner- 
 ating men and heaping damnation on women. 
 
 This divine law is borne out by physical law. 
 Marriage is not only the divinely- appointed relation 
 
8o 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 of the sexes, but all medical science corroborates with 
 unerring certainty the physiological truth, the one 
 man and the one woman mated for life. It is stated 
 by the highest medical authority, that a case of the 
 horrible, nameless diseases that inevitably follow pro- 
 miscuous hidulgence, has never been developed in mar- 
 riage where fidelity has been observed. There is no 
 more striking proof that licentiousness is the gravest 
 of physical sins than the physical penalty which at- 
 taches to it. A disease so horrible that a famous 
 French physician said, “I would not have even the 
 smallest trace of it on my body for all Paris.” 
 
 Dr. Napheys of Philadelphia, in speaking of the 
 libertine, says : ‘‘ We know him well in our capacity 
 as physician. He comes to us constantly the prey to 
 loathsome diseases, the results of his vicious life ; 
 which diseases he will communicate to his wife, for 
 they are contagious, and to his children, for they are 
 hereditary, and which no reform can purge from his 
 system, for they are ineradicable. Is this the man a 
 pure woman would take to her arms? Here repent- 
 ance avails nothing. We have witnessed the agon}'^ 
 unspeakable which overwhelmed a father when he 
 saw his children suffering under horrible and disgust- 
 ing diseases, the penalty of his early sins.” 
 
 Nothing is physiologically right that brings ph 3 ^s- 
 iological punishment, and these horrible diseases for- 
 ever give the lie to the statement that ‘‘prostitution 
 is a necessarj^ evil” and corroborate by science the 
 moral thundering from Mount Sinai, God’s law, which 
 is physiological truth, ‘ ‘ Thou shalt not commit 
 adultery.” 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 8i 
 
 But if this proposition is true, that millions of 
 girls, many of them the merest children, must be 
 drugged, lured and seduced, and trapped and bought 
 and sold in brothels, the slaves of drunken, brutal 
 men, whose foul epithets and indecent oaths and most 
 horrible and disgusting cruelties,— so foul that a de- 
 cent pen would recoil from writing them, and white 
 paper would turn black in horror at their recital, — 
 atrocities before which their blows and cuts and 
 bruises pale into utter insignificance ; if our girls 
 must be given up to such a fate, because o^cr own sons 
 must lead a life of lechery ; if some of our girls must 
 be doomed to the demi-monde (well named “ the under- 
 world” of woe), because the men of this Christian 
 land, raised by civilized fathers and mothers, would 
 otherwise commit the crime of rape, then let us 
 honor these victims as the noblest martyrs that ever 
 saved others from the most ghastly fate to which any 
 woman could be consigned. Bet us speak in tender- 
 est reverence of this ‘ ‘ vicarious ’ ’ sacrifice by these 
 thousands upon thousands of our “ little sisters” ” in 
 that dread abyss, the very name of which dies shame- 
 stricken on our lips, with all the divine functions of 
 their womanhood trampled out of them^ knowing the 
 corruption of the grave whilst yet warm and living ; 
 doomed to live a life without hope, outcasts from God 
 and man, “that we may have our honor unstained 
 and live happy, protected lives. Either immortalize 
 by verse and prose, in statue of marble and bronze 
 these martyrs to the lust of English and American 
 manhood, that English and American womanhood 
 may not all be trampled in the mire and filth, or for- 
 
82 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 ever strike from the English language that most cun- 
 ning, appalling and damnable lie ever invented by- 
 Satan, that “ prostitution is a necessary evil.” 
 
 Mothers 1 is it necessary your sweet, pure boy 
 must in a few short years, revel in all the debauchery 
 of the brothel ? Is it necessary that your sweet, lovely 
 daughter, for whose purity you would give your life, 
 must in a few short years be the victim in the most 
 disgusting orgies, because your neighbor’s son has not 
 been trained to a chaste life? No ! no ! in all God’s 
 universe there is no ” necessary evil,” and when we 
 train our boys, as Ellice Hopkins, that grand worker 
 for social purity, so eloquently says, ‘‘ to feel that the 
 way to the house of shame is paved by the hearts of 
 women they love and that in accepting the degradation 
 of the poorest girl, they trample on their own mother’s 
 womanhood ; when no mother worthy of the name, 
 for the sake of wealth or position will give her pure 
 spotless girl to a man on the very common condition, 
 as things go, that some ten or twenty girls — some 
 poor mothers’ daughters, alas ! — have been degraded, 
 defiled, trampled into the mire and then flung aside 
 into the gutter, that she the twenty-first ma}" be held 
 in apparent honor as a wife ; when women themselves 
 will not be content to give themselves to a man with- 
 out knowing anything of his past life ; when the}’- will 
 not receive on equal terms into their own parlors the 
 man who has done his best, or rather his worst, to 
 make their own womanhood a vile and desecrated 
 thing ; when once women realize the dignity of their 
 own womanhood and refuse to have it fashioned like 
 the Egyptian Sphinx half pure woman and half un- 
 
LADY HENRY SO^MERSET. 
 
FLORENCE CRIETENTON MISSIONS. 83 
 
 clean beast of prey ; when once the degradation of 
 women and girl children take hold of us women with 
 a passion of love and pity ; when once the words of 
 the Christ reverberate in our hearts and lives : ‘ Inas- 
 much as ye have ministered unto one of the least of 
 these my sisters, ye have ministered unto me,’ then, 
 and then only, will men, rather than stand dishonored 
 before the woman they love, lay hold of a higher 
 power to overcome and keep themselves faithful to 
 their future wife, before marriage as well as after. 
 Then, and then only, will this miserable talk of the 
 necessity of an outcast class of women wither upon 
 our lips.” 
 
 There is another phase rarely thought about, when 
 we speak of this ‘‘necessary evil.” The sexes are 
 about equal in numbers. These thousands, aye, mill- 
 ions of dear girls desecrated and dishonored, are taken, 
 from honorable wifehood, and so thousands of men 
 are robbed of all the delights of home because they 
 have transformed the loveliest girls who might have 
 made the tenderest wives, into that pitied thing 
 whose name our shuddering lips refuse to utter. 
 
 God often punishes us in most unexpected ways 
 for our sins, and young man, you who think it a mat- 
 ter of little moment if you seduce an innocent girl 
 who drifts into prostitution, may in after years suffer 
 the keenest agony and self-reproach, when you realize 
 that a loveless, childless, lonely manhood and old age 
 is the harvest from your sowing of wild oats. Still 
 heavier must be the punishment if you have a spark 
 of manhood left, that somewhere in the pitiless world — 
 may be in the penitentiary, the reform school, or 
 
84 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 among the vicious classes outside of jail — is your 
 own child, in whose veins runs your blood, an out- 
 cast, a bastard, whose own father has inflicted on him 
 the dreadful heritage of illegitimacy. The worst 
 enemy, the deepest-dyed villain could not have in- 
 flicted upon that innocent child a more damnable out- 
 rage, than that fastened upon him by you his own 
 father, — his natural protector, and the one bound by 
 all the ties of blood, to cherish and love. That child 
 might have been your pride, your joy, and the strong 
 staff of your declining years, but now the onl}^ 
 thought of him is one of bitterest remorse. And 
 when to the thought of the injury done to the child, 
 is added the awful thought that you consigned to a 
 life of shame, to a hell upon earth, the mother of 
 your child, punishment seems piled upon punishment 
 and you would end it all by suicide, save that in your 
 mother’s Bible you once read that “the abominable, 
 and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and 
 idolaters and all liars, shall have their part in the 
 lake which burneth with fire and brimstone : which 
 is the second death.” 
 
 How those words of Holy Writ applied by God’s 
 Spirit, burn in upon your conscience, until you know 
 your hell has already begun. 
 
 “ The abominable. ” What is more abominable than 
 the man who seduces an innocent, trusting girl, who 
 through her love for you suffers such agony as men 
 never know, and then to cast her off to endure the 
 horrors of a living death, and consigning her child 
 and yours to poverty and disgrace ! 
 
 “A?id murderers." Yes, you realize that 3’ou are a 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 85 
 
 murderer ; aye, worse than a murderer, for had you 
 taken the girl’s life by the stiletto blade, her pain 
 would have been ended almost instantaneously, and 
 her spirit might have been reveling all these years in 
 the joys of Paradise. But — and how the memory stings 
 you — she gave herself because of my sworn vows of 
 future and speedy marriage, and I flung her into the 
 awful wickedness and mire of prostitution, whose end 
 I knew would be the terrible suffering of a nameless 
 disease in a charity hospital, and a grave in the pot- 
 ter’s fleld, and, alas ! all my remorse cannot take her 
 spirit out of hell, and perhaps my most dreadful pun- 
 ishment will be to again meet her in “that under- 
 world ’ ’ of woe and forever bear her reproaches that I 
 brought her to that dreadful place. Surely God’s 
 word is true, ‘ ‘ Be not deceived, God is not mocked ; 
 whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.’’ 
 
 '■''And whoremongers. ’ ’ How memory recalls the 
 years of debauchery and the most disgusting orgies, 
 of which Paul said, “ it is a shame to even speak of 
 the things that are done by them in secret.’’ How 
 the noblest inspiration, the grandest thought, and the 
 glorious deeds which you hoped to do when in inno- 
 cent youth your mother’s kiss rested upon your pure 
 lips, have been trampled in the filth of a life rotten 
 with vice. Instead of the caress of a chaste wife, 
 you remember the coarse jest, the ribald song, the 
 oaths and indecent behavior of her “whose steps 
 take hold on hell,’’ fully matched, possibly over- 
 matched by your own vile conduct, and with utter 
 loathing you despise yourself and her. No wonder 
 your life has been a failure in all that is good and 
 
86 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 grand and noble, for “ the stream cannot rise higher 
 than the fountain,” and when the springs of life are 
 poisoned by the foulness of licentiousness, how can 
 purity of thought or action flow out into the life ? 
 
 “ A?id sorcerers." Yes, that means me, for with the 
 sorcery of assumed love and all the fascinating arts 
 of the most designing villain, I played upon her 
 heart yearning for affection, and with the kisses of a 
 Judas, I betrayed her to Gethsemane agony. 
 
 "And idolaters." As you sit iu the judgment of 
 your conscience how vividly you see that 3’ou have 
 been the basest of idolaters, for you have worshiped 
 yourself, and your lust must be satisfied though 
 many an innocent girl must be sacrificed, and little 
 children must by a life of shame and snffering atone 
 for your direful sin. You have indeed found that 
 “ we make our idols and w’e find them cla}',” for God 
 is truly a jealous God and sweeps all idols out of his 
 rightful place, and instead of longer worshiping 
 yourself, there is no object you so thoroughly despise 
 as yourself. 
 
 " A?id all liars." As you remember the lies by 
 which you accomplished the ruin of the woman whom 
 you swore you would marry,— the perjury which has 
 sent less guilty wretches to the penitentiarj’, — the 
 load of guilt under which 3"ou stagger, bears 3"Ou to 
 the very dust of humiliation, and in an agon3' of 
 remorse, you feel that 3^ou are alread3^ in the ‘‘lake 
 that burneth with fire and brimstone,” and though the 
 sentence is a just one, Cain-like you cr3^ out, ‘‘ My 
 punishment is greater than I can bear.” 
 
ignorance of ati)iltircn jFiU tf)c 
 1i3roti)clis/’ 
 
 E cite for our head-line the strong sad 
 words of William T. Stead. Any one 
 who has come in contact with erring 
 girls and knows the causes of their 
 W downfall, would be guilty of criminal negli- 
 /hj gence in writing on the subject, not to 
 depict the awful evil of girlish ignorance of 
 physiological laws, which renders maidenhood an 
 easy prey to designing scoundrels. 
 
 Mothers and fathers will have much to answer for 
 at the bar of God, because they allow a pseudo-mod- 
 esty to prevent them from explaining to their children 
 the use and abuse of the sexual system, as they teach 
 them the use and abuse of the stomach, or any other 
 organ of the body. Why there should be such reserve 
 in speaking of the reproductive organs, while all others 
 are freely discussed, is a mystery, and can only be 
 explained on the theory that the great majority of 
 people are guilty of sexual excess, and do not like to 
 discuss their own sins. 
 
 Whatever the cause, the fact remains, and can best 
 be exemplified by the methods of information, or 
 rather of repressing information, in the average child. 
 For instance, the little girl says on the advent of her 
 
 87 
 
88 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 baby brother, “Mamma, where did little brother 
 come from ?’’ 
 
 Many a mother tells a downright lie to her child 
 and says, “ Oh ! the doctor found him out under the 
 gooseberry bush.” Another is too conscientious and 
 says, “Hush — sh — sh ! You must not talk of such 
 matters. That is naughty.” 
 
 In the first case the child’s observation of animals 
 soon teaches her that mother has told her a lie. Im- 
 agine the moral effect on the child’s mind. She 
 knows her mother would not tell a lie on other mat- 
 ters, and in her childish logic concludes that to tell 
 lies on sexual matters is justifiable, — for Mamma does 
 it, — and what Mamma does must be right. By-and- 
 by Mamma wakes up to the fact that her little girl, to 
 satisfy a child’s natural curiosity, has asked other girls 
 and boys where their little brothers and sisters came 
 from, which information, and much besides, she finds 
 they cheerfully give, and teach the little one impurity 
 of thought and act ; and when mother asks her about 
 it, the child follows her mother’s example, and lies 
 out of it. In fact, she thinks she has done something 
 “smart.” That mother has lost the confidence of her 
 child, that child’s greatest protection against evil, 
 and if she is led away by evil companions, the mother 
 must certainly blame herself. Just such cases as this 
 result in grossest sin, as in the San Francisco Florence 
 Crittenton Home, a child was born of child-parents, 
 the ages of father and mother aggregating less than 
 twenty-nine years. 
 
 In the other case, the mother makes her little girl 
 feel that everything connected with reproduction is 
 
FLORENCE CRITTKNTON MISSIONS. 89 
 
 “ nauglity,” and a feeling of contempt and horror for 
 the organs of reproduction, fills the child’s mind. 
 The thought is cherished and grows with her growth, 
 and by the peculiar power of mind over body and the 
 wonderful strength of habitual thought, the girl, and 
 thousands like her, find the functions of wifehood a 
 horror, which even strong emotional love cannot over- 
 come. The husband, finding no reciprocity at home, 
 seeks ‘ ‘ the house of her whose steps take hold on 
 hell,” dishonors himself in foulest sin, whose penalty 
 is the most horrible disease, which he transmits to 
 his wife and innocent children, and after awhile a 
 shameful divorce suit follows, and another family is 
 broken up. Whose fault is it, mother ? 
 
 How much better if the mother had taken the lit- 
 tle child with its heart overfiowing with love for the 
 baby brother — to her the purest and dearest thing on 
 earth, — and said, “Darling, God gave little brother 
 to Mamma. For a little while before he was born, 
 while the tiny legs and arms were getting strong 
 enough to bear the cold, God let him stay in a little 
 house right underneath Mamma’s heart, where there 
 could not a breath of air touch him. Mamma was so 
 happy and wondered and wondered how her baby 
 would look ? . Whether it would have blue eyes or 
 black, and golden hair or brown ? Every stitch in the 
 baby’s clothing was a stitch of love, and Mamma knew 
 that Papa and she and you would love the little dar- 
 ling so much. When you get larger, no doubt, God 
 will let you have little ones of your own. Mamma 
 cannot explain everything to you now, but darling, 
 whenever you want to know anything about our pre- 
 
90 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 cious baby, be sure and ask Mamma. Do not ever 
 speak about such sacred things to any one except 
 Papa or Mamma. 
 
 Not only girls, but boys as well, should thus be 
 taken into the confidence of their parents, for any one 
 can see that children taught thus would come from 
 Mamma’s sick chamber with such a reverence for 
 motherhood and fatherhood, and such a disgust of 
 learning such things from companions, that they 
 would always be shielded from evil. 
 
 Then as fast as the childish mind can grasp the 
 knowledge — which is very early — tell them the ph}"si- 
 ological changes which will come later, to prepare 
 them for the most sacred duties which God Almighty 
 ever confers on human beings, those of parentage, in 
 the creation of immortal souls. All this can be done 
 in many different ways. By the familiar flower, by 
 every species of animal by the seeds and their fruits. 
 
 Gertrude Hitz well says: “Take the lilies for 
 instance. The stamen and pistils are well and clearly 
 formed, and the ovaries or seed-pods are exception- 
 ally interesting for our purpose. Sensitive children 
 will unconsciously feel the simplicity, beauty, and 
 purity of these flowers. Plants which have distinct 
 male and female blossoms, like the begonia, are 
 always good. A microscope, or merely a magnifying 
 glass, will prove very useful, and, as a variety, will 
 add to the wonder and appreciation of the work. 
 Then there are the maple trees, and the pretty pussy- 
 willows. Every little child will like to know about 
 the ‘father and mother ’ trees, and how the various 
 seeds, some of them with little wings, are carried 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 9 1 
 
 about by winds and birds, or in other ways, to fall at 
 last into the good, warm earth to grow again and 
 again into trees. Eggs of birds and fishes can next 
 be used for instruction, the eggs of fishes being espe- 
 cially interesting, because transparent. The lower 
 forms of animal life, with their peculiar and various 
 modes of reproduction ; budding, fission, etc., can 
 gradually lead to higher forms, and so on and on, 
 until the human being is reached. 
 
 “The mother should always be the best teacher. 
 Tell the child how carefully and wonderfully he grew 
 in the consecrated house which God provided for him, 
 so safe and warm in your own clean body ; how you 
 fed him with your very life-blood ; how tenderly you 
 watched for him ; what a joy and blessing his coming 
 was to you. I also think it very important that in 
 telling this beautiful and most sacred story, that the 
 love and work of fatherhood should not be overlooked. 
 The child can be told that little children are the most 
 beautiful flowers of the world, and that as God gave 
 the golden pollen to fall upon the pistil, so God gave 
 his father the precious and reverent power to fertilize 
 the tiny seed, which grew to be that greatest wonder 
 and blessing — a little child. He can be made to feel 
 the holy awe of such miraculous and creative love, 
 and also to appreciate how this human father has been 
 inspired to work for the good and support, and wel- 
 fare of his child. Is all this less pure than the story 
 of the flower — less beautiful than the care of the bird ? 
 Do you not feel in your highest, truest nature, that 
 such teaching is right and best — that it will ennoble 
 
92 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 and purify the manly or womanly character of your 
 little child ? ” 
 
 The mother, who is to her children the embodi- 
 ment of purity, can reveal these truths with such 
 sweet sacredness, and can create in the children’s 
 minds, such reverence that an obscene story will seem 
 like profanation and an impure act like sacrilege, 
 from which they would recoil in horror, as from the 
 sin against the Holy Ghost to which it is akin, for 
 in every child’s mind and on its bedroom walls should 
 shine the golden words “ Know ye not that your body 
 is the temple of the Holy Ghost ? ” 
 
 Boys and girls should be held to the same stand- 
 ard of purity. But how differently we train our sons 
 and our daughters. Our girls are taught from their 
 earliest infancy, that a slip from virtue is the unpar- 
 donable sin. So anxious are we that our daughter 
 may be always pure, that we instill into her mind con- 
 stantly an abhorrence of all thoughts along sexual 
 lines. Instead of teaching her that wifehood and 
 motherhood are the most holy relations, and there- 
 fore shonld be the most happ)’’ ones on earth, and 
 that only in the abuse of these God-given functions 
 consists the sin, we instill into her mind disgust and 
 contempt, which results in thousands of unhappy 
 marriages. 
 
 And yet, strangely enough, we teach our daughter, 
 too, that the one end and aim of her existence is “to 
 get married,” and at the same time, create in her mind 
 a repugnance to the relations of husband and wife, 
 that makes martyrs of thousands of our noblest wo- 
 men. Any one who knows the incomprehensible and 
 
florejnce: crittenton missions. 93 
 
 yet the infinite power of mind over the body — which 
 is so strong that martyrs by the thousand have con- 
 sented to give their bodies to be burned, and sawn 
 asunder, and torn by wild beasts, rather than renounce 
 the convictions of their minds — can understand how 
 this subtile power has been used by centuries of he- 
 redity and generations of environment to utterly crush 
 out all passion in woman, and alas ! so successful has 
 it been, that many a woman, while she loves her hus- 
 band devotedly, yet absolutely loathes his approaches. 
 
 All nature shows the fallacy of our teaching along 
 this line. In the animal world, it is the passion of 
 the female that arouses the male, and only when the 
 female desires motherhood, does the male brute ap- 
 proach her. The Duke of Argyle says ‘ ‘ that in no 
 race except the human race is the male ever unkind 
 to the female. Guided by nature’s instinct, even the 
 tiger and wolf are considerate toward their weaker 
 mates, and never use their superior force to intrude 
 upon or in any wise harm them. Nor is this done in 
 the whole realm of nature save where animals have 
 been trained by man to some faint imitation of his 
 own inconsiderateness and cruelty.” 
 
 It is indeed a cruel procedure, the way we teach 
 our girls their duty to become wives, and yet stamp 
 out all passion which was given them by God to 
 prepare them for the onerous duties of wifehood and 
 motherhood. 
 
 Then, still more do we unfit them for marriage, by 
 the heathenish style of dress, — no, not heathenish, 
 for no heathen women are subjected to the tortures 
 of civilized dress. Instead of allowing our girls, as 
 
94 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 we do their brothers, perfect freedom for growth and 
 development, and encouraging them to romp and 
 play, that their muscles, bones and ner\’’es may grow 
 strong, at an early age, we train them to the “lady- 
 like” occupations of sitting in the house and em- 
 broidering yards and yards of stuff that might be 
 bought for a few cents, or crocheting a yellow dog 
 with green eyes, on a background of red sky, bark- 
 ing at a pale blue moon, and the thing when finished 
 is only fit for the garret. Or we set them to making 
 a crazy quilt — well named — for it would give an 
 ordinary man the deliriujn tremens to sleep under it. 
 
 Out upon such nonsense ! Give the girls a chance 
 for life and health. Let them skate and play ball, 
 and ride the bicycle and climb trees or mountains ; in 
 fact, give them the whole range of outdoor play that 
 their more fortunate brothers enjoy, and we would 
 have fewer women suffer all their lives from female 
 weakness, whose agony only the victims know, and 
 fewer deaths in childbirth of mothers or infants. 
 Physical culture in our schools is good, but should 
 not take the place of the romping plays of girlhood 
 which should be continued till seventeen or eighteen 
 years of age. 
 
 But as if to make these pla3'^s impossible, we band- 
 age the growing waist in an instrument of torture, 
 commonly called the corset, which I verilj’^ believe, 
 next to liquor, tobacco and opium, has done more 
 harm to the human race bj" killing and diseasing 
 w'omen and children than any other one thing in the 
 world. A well-knowm writer has thus spoken against 
 the evil of stays: “ They impede the circulation of 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 95 
 
 the blood ; prevent the development of the bust ; 
 retard the functions of the heart ; weaken the 
 stomach, the bowels and the lungs ; hinder the free 
 action of the liver, and compress and push downward 
 the internal organs, resulting in female complaints 
 without number.” The best place for “stays” of 
 that kind is for them to “ stay off” the bodies of our 
 girls. No wonder half the women one meets are suf- 
 fering from womb disease. Dr. Thrall says that if 
 the sexual organs are displaced by so much as a hair’s- 
 breadth the relation of wifehood often becomes one of 
 torture. The wife shrinks from physical pain and 
 the husband shrinks from inflicting pain, and becomes 
 unfaithful, and thus corsets break up another home. 
 As to the evil effects on child-life, who can compute 
 them ! If the mother’s heart and lungs and liver 
 and bowels are more or less diseased, or undeveloped, 
 which is disease, how can the child have his first 
 great right — “to be well-born”? No wonder that 
 from corseted mothers one-half the children born, die 
 before the age of five years, and many that don’t die, 
 wish they could, — for their life is one long misery 
 from ill-health. Suicide or disease is just as criminal 
 if brought about by the corset as if caused by liquor, 
 tobacco or opium. 
 
 Were woman physically what she should be, the 
 world would be startled by the giant force of her in- 
 tellectual and moral power. Weak and unsound as 
 she is, her attainments are stupendous. In perfect 
 health, she would indeed be invincible ; a marvel 
 now, she would then be a miracle. 
 
 How differently we train our boys. Dr. Kate C. Bush- 
 
96 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 nell, a fine physician, and the third Round-the-World 
 Missionary of the Woman’s Christian Temperance 
 Union, says the following true words in regard to the 
 inheritance of sensuality from father to son : “Certain 
 qualities are always transmitted from father to son, or 
 from mother to daughter. It is frequently noted that 
 certain peculiarities or deformities wall make their 
 appearance in the males only, or in the females of a 
 family. The cock must inherit his spurs and comb 
 from male ancestry only. Darwin annunciates this as 
 the law of inheritance as limited by sex, and calls 
 attention to the fact that qualities thus limited are for 
 the most part, those that cluster about sex. It is well 
 worth our while to pause and consider whether the 
 vast difference in the moral impulse of sex in the male 
 and female is not due to the operation of this law rather 
 than to an original difference. And owing to the fact 
 that those impulses which hold full sway at the time 
 of conception will most profoundly and permanently 
 affect the child conceived, therefore the impulse 
 of sensuality which does service as the real motive 
 of conception is transmitted with ever augmented 
 strength from parent to child. And further, owing 
 to the fact that qualities which are clustered about 
 the fact of sex, tend to pass only from father to son or 
 from mother to daughter, we find the father’s weak 
 yielding to the indulgence of sense, without regard to 
 the wishes of the wife, crystallized in his son into 
 the determined overriding of the rights of the defense- 
 less working girl ; and on the other hand, the mother’s 
 weak yielding of her high ideal of puritj^ to the con- 
 sideration of holding the love and support of one man. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 97 
 
 expanded into the poor fallen daughter’s yielding the 
 same ideal of purity in consideration of love and sup- 
 port from first one man and then another.” 
 
 If this is true that boys have an abnormal inherited 
 passion to contend against, it is a thousand times more 
 important that the parents individually, and society 
 collectively, should throw about them even more safe- 
 guards than about our daughters, whose inherited 
 passion is so much less. Before the little fellow is out 
 of his cradle the wise mother will teach him to rever- 
 ence every part of his body, and because there is 
 special weakness — inherited, perhaps — and special 
 temptation to abuse of the .sexual organs, she will 
 plainly show the danger, and impress on the baby 
 mind that the awful suffering of disease and the hor- 
 rors of insanity may be the result. Make him feel 
 that it is a sin, just as you would teach your baby 
 that it is a sin to steal, which you would certainly do 
 the moment you saw him have the least inclination to 
 take what belonged to another. The awful sin of self- 
 abuse — which is so common that hundreds of our finest 
 physicians have written most solemn words of warn- 
 ing, in hundreds of books and pamphlets, trying to 
 awaken parents to their children’s danger — is often 
 begun in the cradle, when the little one is unconscious 
 of his danger. Sometimes the habit is fastened on 
 the child by a wicked or irresponsible nurse, which 
 proves that mothers should not trust their children to a 
 nurse. L,et mother have as many other servants as 
 she needs — for mothers, of all people in the world, 
 should not be overworked — but let her take care of 
 her baby herself, as she values his physical, mental 
 
98 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 and moral well-being. Sometimes the linen being 
 damp chafes and irritates the sensitive parts, and often 
 bad results come from the baby not wearing a napkin 
 or drawers. These things should never be allowed, 
 and close night-drawers should be worn till the age of 
 twelve years. 
 
 Instead of these precautions being taken, and our 
 children being saved from that avv'ful vice, the large 
 number of children who bear upon their faces the 
 imprint of the penalty of their sin, and the large 
 number of mental wrecks in our insane as3dums — 
 whose reports place this cause second only to liquor — 
 show that parents are criminallj^ derelict in their duty. 
 
 Then father and mother treat the boy’s questions 
 on all these lines with injunctions to silence, or in a 
 flippant manner, and he goes to his street companions 
 and learns these truths, which are so sacred that thej" 
 should onty be learned from a mother’s lips, from 
 foul-mouthed bo}\s who often supplement impurity 
 of thought and act bj^’ giving jmur pure-hearted 
 child books so utterly obscene that Mr. Anthonj’- 
 Comstock well saj’s, ‘ ‘ I would rather have my little 
 girl struck dead than that she should have her child- 
 ish imagination so defiled.” The awful ruin wrought 
 by these vile books cannot be estimated, but the fol- 
 lowing report for 1891, b}" Mr. Comstock, the secre- 
 tary of the New York Societj^ for the Suppression of 
 Vice, shows that every child in this land is in danger 
 of being inoculated 'wnth poison more deadty than 
 that of any serpent : 
 
 ‘‘ During these seventeen 5'ears we have traced 
 out and suppressed the sale of two hundred and 
 
FIvORKNCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 99 
 
 twenty-seven different books printed in this country. 
 We have seized and destroyed the plates for printing 
 and illustrating two hundred and twenty-five of these 
 volumes. The plates for the other two were de- 
 stroyed more than ten years ago by the owner thereof, 
 for fear we would seize them and arrest him. This 
 means that 27,189 pounds of stereotype plates and 
 960 steel, copper-plates and wood-cut engravings, 
 used in manufacturing vile books, have been seized 
 and destroyed; also 48,190 pounds of books and 
 sheet stock.” 
 
 As to the baleful effect, a clergyman fifty years 
 old said, ‘‘ When I was at school, the boys circulated 
 from one to another lewd books and pictures ; after 
 all these years, I cannot free my mind from those pol- 
 luting recollections.” Mr. Comstock then says ; 
 
 ‘‘It is not alone the effect on the mind; these 
 infamous suggestions, while polluting the imagina- 
 tion, also corrupt the character, and bear their baleful 
 fruit in the life. The youth becomes a wreck in him- 
 self. He grows up to be a center of impurity, to ruin 
 other lives as his own has been blasted. The blood 
 that fills his veins is tainted with disease which 
 curses his children and his children’s children, to the 
 third and fourth generation. A physician told me : 
 ‘ I have among my patients persons, themselves of 
 pure life, who are the hideous monuments of the vice 
 of an ancestor, who perhaps late in life reformed, but 
 whose tardy repentance could not save his children 
 from their baleful inheritance.’ ” 
 
 While we stifle passion in our girls, the entire 
 environment of our boys stimulates passion in them. 
 
lOO 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 The immodest action and rude joke which would be 
 severely reprimanded in the little girl is too often only 
 smiled at or winked over in a boy. Reverence for the 
 person is not instilled in the boy’s mind as it is in the 
 girl’s, and boys think nothing of disrobing entirely 
 and going in swimming together, and what seems 
 stranger to a woman, men will do the same, even 
 before very small boys. 
 
 The stimulating foods, highly seasoned ; the pep- 
 per, mustard and hot sauces used upon the tables of 
 nearly all families, excite the passions, and mother’s 
 fine cooking often helps to ruin her darling boy. 
 And, alas ! worst of all, some people have wine, or 
 beer with their meals, or allow their children to drink 
 alcoholic liquor, the most harmful of all stimulants. 
 Let us have “plain living and high thinking, instead 
 of high living and plain thinking.’’ 
 
 Nor do even Christian parents hold their sons to 
 the same standard of purity that the}' require of their 
 daughters, although the Seventh Commandment says 
 nothing about sex, and the highest ideal of purity 
 ever given by the Saviour was of the male sex, when 
 He .said ‘ ‘ Whosoever looketh on a w'oman to lust 
 after her hath committed adulteiy' with her already 
 in his heart. 
 
 Should our boys make a lapse from virtue even so 
 serious as the seduction of a girl, we heartily blame 
 the girl, but are too apt to say of the young man, 
 “Oh! well, boys will be boys, and they must sow 
 their wild oats.’’ Dr. Bushnell truly says, “The 
 sin of the woman is loathsome enough to be painted 
 in blackest dye, but man’s base impulses toward the 
 
FLOR'ENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 lOI 
 
 woman have been treated too often as a trivial matter 
 by both men and women.” Men who are known to 
 be the vilest libertines are most cordially welcomed 
 into our best homes and our purest daughters trusted 
 to their caresses as betrothed lovers, while the girls 
 whom they have basely betrayed, we would scorn to 
 allow to earn their bread in our kitchens. When even 
 mothers will quote the shocking proverb (Alas ! 
 what a state of dissoluteness society must have fallen 
 into that it should have become a proverb), ‘‘A 
 reformed rake makes the best husband,” she ought 
 to be asked if on the same principle she would say 
 that a reformed prostitute makes the best wife. 
 
 •But the most fatal neglect towards our boys is in 
 not warning them of the dangers of alcoholic drink, 
 the direct inflamer of the passions, and without which 
 the social evil would almost disappear. Physicians and 
 men of the world accustomed to drink, and alas ! too, 
 the wives of drinking men, very generally agree in 
 stating that the use of alcoholic liquors inflames the 
 passions of men, rendering their animal nature al- 
 most ungovernable and greedily insatiable in its 
 frenzy. And the man in his normal condition, strong 
 in his will-power and self-control, tender in aifection, 
 refined in mind, unstained in honor, immaculate in 
 purity of action, word and even thought, almost 
 God-like, roused by this demon of alcohol, becomes 
 as a very devil in his hot, mad insanity. His power 
 of self-control is perfect weakness, or becomes the 
 strength of the infuriated madman. His tenderness 
 and love are turned to cruelty and hate. His refine- 
 ment, his honor, his purity are swallowed in the 
 
102 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 seething whirlpool of inordinate lust, and the man 
 becomes brutal in his hot passion ; aye, worse than 
 brutal, for no creature save man — man endowed with 
 reason — is guilty of such ravages. Oh, manhood, 
 manhood ! so near the divine, and yet willing to defile 
 yourselves until the veriest brute would ' scorn you in 
 your vileness ! 
 
 The liquor and tobacco from which the United 
 States Government annually receives a revenue of one 
 hundred million dollars, creates the demand for the 
 one hundred thousand — (Oh, we cannot utter that aw- 
 ful word ! )— which are trapped and lured and snared 
 in houses of infamy in this our nominally Christian 
 land. Temperance reformers know that the moment al- 
 coholic liquor is swept into the sea, that moment dawns 
 a new era, in which nine-tenths of crime and vice 
 and poverty and insanity shall cease. That moment 
 men and women begin to regain manhood and wo- 
 manhood. The first step in destroying prostitution 
 is to destroy its cause and support — intoxicatmg 
 drink. How many men out of our thousands of liber- 
 tines, think you, would enter a den of harlotr}", know- 
 ing its fearful risk, unless their lower nature were 
 inflamed to a greater or less degree by liquor? A 
 very small proportion, I believe. 
 
 Many an innocent young man goes out with com- 
 panions “to see the town,’’ and when urged, enters 
 these doors of death “ just for a bottle of wine, 3'ou 
 know,’’ feeling sure of his strength, and after drinking 
 the wine he wakes up to find himself a dishonored 
 man. When men recover from a season of reveling 
 debaucherjL no words can portraj" the loathing dis- 
 
FLORENCl? CRIFTENTON MISSIONS. IO3 
 
 gust, both for themselves and their before fascinating 
 companion, that sweeps over them. Few men whose 
 reason was not for the time being blinded by drunken 
 passion, whose higher nature was not sunk in the de- 
 lirium of intoxication, could calmly and deliberately 
 defile themselves, in such beastly degradation, such 
 unnatural vice, such foul sin. So they who strike a 
 blow at intemperance strike a blow at prostitution. 
 
 That this unbridled licentiousness is, as a learned 
 physician says, “inoculating with its deadly virus 
 the blood of the whole human race,” no observing 
 reading person will attempt to deny. Innocent and 
 pure wives by the score and by the hundred, are by 
 agony unspeakable, and long years of untold suffer- 
 ing expiating the sins of faithless husbands. Help- 
 less children by the thousands are to-day bearing in 
 their tender little bodies the curse and the ten;ible 
 punishment of the sins of their fathers. Many a 
 grave of beautiful womanhood and innocent child- 
 hood, in the cemeteries of our land, should bear on 
 the marble pillar the inscription, “ Iniquities of the 
 father.” Ah ! it is pitiful, pitiful ! that tender baby- 
 hood must stretch their little limbs in agony, while 
 baby eyes and baby hearts weep tears of blood, as 
 if thereby, they might w'ash away the black sin of 
 their fathers, which polluted their very organization 
 with the poison which is the penalty for a life of im- 
 purity — the poison which once in the system is inerad- 
 icable. Noble youth and beautiful maidenhood bear 
 in their blood the taint which they in turn will 
 transmit to the little beings dearer to them than their 
 own lives ! Oh ! fathers, do you not know that God 
 
104 the traffic in girls. 
 
 is a jealous God, “visiting the iniquities of the 
 fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth 
 generations ’ ’ ? 
 
 The only remedy by which this widespread evil 
 can be cured is by complete knowledge of the terrible 
 results of these sins. Not simply^ the knowledge of 
 the moral wrong, of which the voice of conscience so 
 faithfully warns. Few men are guilty of either 
 drunkenness or unchastity whose moral nature, even 
 though it be weak, does not revolt. But we should 
 teach the knowledge of physiology to every child 
 fourteen years of age in our land, showing them 
 clearly that drink and impurity bring with them, 
 inevitable, swift and terrible puni,shment. Parents, 
 physicians, teachers, reformers, newspaper writers 
 and especially ministers, who claim to be the great- 
 est reformers of the day^ should not be silent on 
 these all-important subjects. The laws of nature are 
 God’s laws and the. minister who forgets to preach the 
 gospel of the body cannot be held guiltless before 
 God. 
 
 Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, all stood up in 
 the name and by the power of Almighty^ God and 
 taught the people that as surely as the guilt of 
 drunkenness and licentiousness polluted them, just so 
 surely would the thunderbolts of Jehovah strike 
 them to the very dust. Jesus Christ from his exalted 
 standard of purity, not only of w’ord and action, but 
 even of thought, said to the assembled multitude 
 standing upon the Mount of Olives in that the grand- 
 est sermon ever uttered, “ Whosoever looketh upon a 
 woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 105 
 
 her already in his heart.” Ah ! the brave pure words 
 ring with added meaning and gathered force through 
 all the long centuries, and in this day, eighteen hun- 
 dred years since their utterance, they should be 
 preached in every pulpit in our land, till our hearts 
 are as pure as His who spoke them. Such were the 
 open public teachings of Jesus, the greatest preacher 
 and reformer that ever blessed the world. Shall His 
 servants to-day be silent? 
 
 Sixty years later, Paul, that brave, battle-scarred 
 hero, who, facing imprisonments, scourging and even 
 death as the result, never faltered in his bold, sweep- 
 ing, scathing denunciations against sins of the body. 
 How many ministers are there in free America, where 
 civil law protects free speech, who dare to follow his 
 example, and preach from the latter part of the first 
 chapter of Romans ? 
 
 These things ought not to be ignored. While 
 false modesty and ignorance close the mouths of our 
 clergy and reformers, our youth by the thousand are 
 drifting into this fatal vortex of dissipation. If chil- 
 dren were taught the laws, the mechanism of their 
 own bodies, — God’s grandest monument of skill and 
 love, — how obedience to these laws bring the very 
 highest earthly happiness, while their transgression 
 sinks the victim to the depths of human suffering, 
 thousands might be saved shipwreck on the shoals of 
 ignorance, folly and passion. The white-heat agony 
 which surely and swiftly follows the profligate, is be- 
 yond the power of language to express, and yet out 
 of the one hundred sermons preached annually from 
 each of our thousands of ministers, how many even 
 
io6 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 touch upon the sin, the danger or the penalty ? Were 
 a thorough knowledge of these laws taught by the 
 ministers to the youth of his flock, w'ere the}' but 
 warned in time, ere the temptation of inflamed pas- 
 sion came upon them, they would shun contamination 
 as the poison of the serpent. Temptation could not 
 overcome them because their manhood would be for- 
 tifled impregnably by knowdedge. Every church 
 should have a White Cross League, that noble or- 
 ganization led in America by Dr. B. F. De Costa, 
 pledging young men to chastity. This is the only 
 solution of the whole problem of social sin. Rear our 
 boys as our girls, to have such a horror of impurity, 
 that they would commit suicide before thej' would 
 ruin a girl’s life. This can be done if we begin with 
 our baby boys, because of that wonderful influence 
 of mind over bod}' ; and more, teach them the power 
 of God to help, so that in the hour of temptation they 
 can proudly say with Paul, “I keep under my body 
 and bring it into subjection.” “ I can do all things” 
 — even control passion — ■ ‘‘ through Christ which 
 strengtheneth me.” 
 
 There comes a time when even the knowdedge or 
 the warning is of little avail. It seems the plunge 
 into dissipation once made, the rescue is almost im- 
 possible. Christian ministers and parents must save 
 the young from dissipation, from the very first step, 
 if they wish them to become men and w'omen in 
 Christ, for the man or girl w'hose entire moral nature 
 is blinded by drunkenness and unholy passion can see 
 no beauty in Jesus until these scales fall from their 
 eyes. And experience in all the past confirms the 
 
FLORENCE CRITFENTON MISSIONS. 107 
 
 sad fact that reform is possible but not probable. 
 Therefore we should prepare the young for the pecu- 
 liar temptations which come to them at the dawning 
 of manhood and womanhood, and the pulpit should 
 preach God’s natural physiological laws as well as 
 His theological laws. “ Know 3'e not that ye are the 
 temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in 
 you? If any man defile the temple of God, him 
 shall God destroy ; lor the temple of God is holy, 
 which temple ye are.” 
 
dFlornire orrittemon iEissions. 
 
 Founded by “ The Brother of Girls," Mr. Charles N. 
 
 Crittenton, in Memory of His Baby-Girl, 
 Florence. 
 
 HE story of the founding of the Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Missions is one that 
 touches the innermost recesses of the 
 heart, where love, human and divine, 
 holds most regal sway. Mr. Charles 
 N. Crittenton was and is one of the mer- 
 chant princes of New York City, whose 
 medicine warehouse at 115-117 Fulton street, 
 is pronounced by the New York Times “ probabl}^ the 
 largest in the world.” His success has been phe- 
 nomenal and is due under the blessing of God to 
 his possessing the genius of hard work, a mind thor- 
 oughly concentrated upon his business, a genial, 
 happy disposition that inspired his business asso- 
 ciates to do their very best, for which fidelity he 
 generously rewarded them not only ‘‘in the coin of 
 the realm,” but b}^ personal lov^e and friendship, so 
 that every one felt that he was a brother, and his 
 interests were their interests. Even in business he 
 
FLORENCE CRITENTTON MISSIONS. IO9 
 
 has demonstrated that “the greatest thing in the 
 world is love.’’ A loving, economical, industrious 
 wife proved herself indeed a helpmeet, and was the 
 inspiration of her husband’s success. Well, indeed, 
 might he work “like a Trojan,’’ when the loving 
 kisses of his wife and the soft caresses of baby hands, 
 every evening swept away the weariness of the day’s 
 toil. The years passed by and the shining gold re- 
 warded the earnest work, and a palatial home and all 
 the luxury that wealth could give came into his life. 
 Three lovely children brightened that home and filled 
 its halls with childish laughter, the rarest music that 
 ever thrilled any human heart. The sunshine of 
 their presence made radiant the darkest room, and 
 glorified all life with innocence and purity, seeming 
 almost to bring again Paradise on this old earth, and 
 proving true the words of the Saviour “Suffer little 
 children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of 
 such is the Kingdom of Heaven.’’ Little Florence 
 was her father’s idol and before her shrine lie poured 
 out the devotion of his great heart, and her sweet 
 smile and loving caress were rewards greater than a 
 monarch’s crown. When the wee white hands 
 clasped his throat in a tender embrace and the little 
 lips softly whispered her own coined phrase, “ Papa’s 
 baby loves you,’’ the very angels might have envied 
 him his wondrous joy. Rightly-named was the little 
 girl, Florence 1 for a fairer flower never budded in 
 terrestrial gardens, to bloom in full radiance and 
 beauty in celestial fields. Despite the tenderest care, 
 the father and mother realized that “ like as a flower 
 fadeth,’’ so their little Florence was to fade out of their 
 
no 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 earthly lives, and with breaking hearts and tear- 
 blinded eyes, they watched the roses of health fade 
 from the cheeks of their darling and the paleness of 
 death mock them by its weird beauty. As though 
 with prophetic vision the child-eyes almost saw the 
 glories of the eternal world, and wanted to impress 
 them as her dying message upon her father’s heart, 
 the bird-like voice whispered — “Papa — sing — the — 
 Sweet By-and-by.’’ With trembling lips and chok- 
 ing voice and a spirit writhing in aw'ful agony, 
 he sang the beautiful words which seemed to him 
 more like a funeral march than a peean of jo3^ The 
 tiny hands relaxed their clasp and laid cold as ice in 
 the father’s palm, the beautiful eyes closed on earth 
 to open in heaven, the precious lips whose kiss had 
 thrilled him a thousand times made no response to 
 his passionate caresses, for she had been kissed and 
 clasped by the Angel of Death. Over the snowj'^ 
 casket and upon the dimpled waxen hands crossed 
 upon the breast in the unwaking sleep, the tears of 
 the father and mother and sister fell like rain in April 
 but alas ! their flower was dead. In the darkness of 
 that dreary March day it took faith almost super- 
 human to believe and wait for the Ma3"-time of bloom 
 in the “Sweet By and-b3^’’ As the clods fell upon 
 the coffin in Woodlawn Cemetery, shutting his darl- 
 ing out of his life forever, his great love for his child 
 seemed to overwhelm him as a flood of molten lava, 
 and he felt as though he were indeed in the Garden 
 of Gethsemane, and like his Saviour, he cried, “Let 
 this cup pass.’’ Like Jesus, too, he was to find his 
 “strengthening angel,’’ 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 For months he struggled with his grief. He lost 
 all interest in everything. Why should he amass 
 wealth when his darling could not share it ? His 
 dearest treasure was indeed in heaven, and God was 
 softly saying, “Where your treasure is, there shall 
 your heart be, also.’’ His beautiful home was oh, so 
 desolate, since the idol of his temple had been shat- 
 tered. Then he remembered some way a verse that 
 his father used to read at prayers, “ For we know 
 that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dis- 
 solved, we have a building of God, a house not made 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens.’’ 
 
 What were jewels and precious stones to him, when 
 even from the grave he could almost hear his little 
 one’s voice saying, “Set me as a seal upon thine 
 heart, as a seal upon thine arm ; for love is strong as 
 death : many waters cannot quench love, neither can 
 the floods drown it.’’ And because of his overween- 
 ing affection for her, and his passionate desire to be 
 with her, the angel seemed to appear, and he could say, 
 like St. John on the isle of Patmos, “And he carried 
 me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, 
 and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, 
 descending out of heaven from God, having the 
 glory of God : and her light was like unto a stone 
 most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear *as 
 crystal, .... and the foundations of the wall of the 
 city were garnished with all manner of precious 
 stones.’’ 
 
 What were the delights of travel, by which some 
 think to make the stricken heart forget its grief. When 
 one has to carry that aching heart with him the grief 
 
ZI2 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 goes too. All the earth seemed so dreary to him since 
 his little one was in heaven, and like the plaintive 
 wish of the Hebrews in their wanderings it might 
 have been Vv^ritten of him as of them, “ But now they 
 desire a better country, that is a heavenly ; where- 
 fore, God is not ashamed to be called their God ; for 
 he hath prepared for them a city.” 
 
 At times the volcano of this pent-up anguish burst 
 forth in bitter lamentations and questionings of God’s 
 right to take his child. ‘‘ Is it nothing to you, all 3’e 
 that pass by ? behold and see if there be any sorrow 
 like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, where- 
 with the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce 
 anger.” ‘‘ I am the man that hath seen affliction by 
 the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought 
 me into darkness, but not into light.” 
 
 Then in the voice of his mother he could almost 
 hear the old sweet words which have pillowed many 
 a weary, questioning brain, ” But though he cause 
 grief, yet will he have compassion according to the 
 multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict 
 willingl)^ nor grieve the children of men.” 
 
 Often his soul cried out at the seeming mj’ster}', 
 why should my child, one of two, be taken when I 
 can give her every comfort and the very" best educa- 
 tion to fit her for the highest life of usefulness, when 
 eight and ten children of poor, drunken parents who 
 cannot provide for them are spared ? Then came that 
 wondrous saying of Christ about himself and the fruit 
 of his own life, ” Verily, veril}', I sa}" unto you. Ex- 
 cept a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, il 
 

 !r 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON. 
 “A little child shall lead them.” 
 
FI^ORKNCK CRITTENTON MISSIONS. II3 
 
 abideth alone : but if it die, it bringetb forth much 
 fruit.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou 
 shalt know hereafter. ’ ’ 
 
 ” A little child shall lead them.” She shall not 
 return to you, but you shall go to her. 
 
 And so one day six months after that dreary day in 
 Woodlawn Cemetery, when the cruel earth buried his 
 darling, and his own heart too, when it seemed his 
 pain was unbearable and he could endure it no longer, 
 God led him into an upper chamber. How many ten- 
 der experiences have come to human hearts within an 
 upper chamber; or upon the house-top, shut away 
 from all the world, and in communion only with God. 
 It was in the upper chamber that the lyord’s supper 
 was instituted — ^just before the awful tragedy of Cal- 
 vary, — this supper which has inspired more souls to 
 do God’s work’s than any other agency the world has 
 ever seen. And upon the house-top came the won- 
 drous vision to Peter showing his ministry to the Gen- 
 tiles. So in the silence of an upper room of his own 
 home, this man whom God was raising up to be ‘‘the 
 brother of girls ”— fallen, outcast girls — of whom he 
 was to preach to the world as did Peter, ‘ ‘ God hath 
 showed me that I should not call any common or un- 
 clean,” wrestled with the angel. With the Psalmist 
 he cried with streaming eyes, ‘‘Turn thee unto me 
 and have mercy upon me : for I am desolate and 
 afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged : O 
 bring thou me out of my distresses. Took upon mine 
 affliction and my pain : forgive all my sins. Remem- 
 ber, O Tord, thy tender mercies and thy loving-kind- 
 
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 II4 
 
 nesses : for they have been ever of old.” Then Jesus 
 who is always nearest to us when most we need Him, 
 whispered, ‘ ‘ I will not leave you comfortless : I will 
 come to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I 
 give unto you ; not as the world giveth, give I unto 
 you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be 
 afraid.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Fear not : for T have redeemed thee. I have called 
 thee by thy name : thou are mine. When thou pass- 
 eth through the waters, I will be with thee ; and 
 through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee ; 
 when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not 
 be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, 
 thy Saviour : . . . . Since thou wast precious in my 
 sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee ; 
 therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thj^ 
 life. Fear not, for I am with thee : I will bring thy 
 seed from the east, and gather thee from the west : 
 I will say to the north. Give up ; and to the south. 
 Keep not back : bring my sons from far, and my 
 daughters from the ends of the earth ; . . . . For 
 I have created him for my glory.” 
 
 And thus wrestling with the angel like Jacob he 
 was blessed, and as if prophetic of his great evangelis- 
 tic work, that angel might have said to him also, 
 
 ' ‘ Thy name shall be called Israel, for as a prince hast 
 thou power with God and men, and hast prevailed.” 
 And indeed well might that upper chamber in his own 
 home be christened by the sacred name ” Peniel, for I 
 have seen God face to face, and my life is preser\’ed.” 
 
 With this wondrous peace of God flooding his soul 
 
FI,ORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. II5 
 
 and the blessed glory of the work he was to do for 
 Christ overshadowing him, the grave of little Florence 
 became a sacred trysting-place, the base of the “ lad- 
 der set up on earth, and the top of it reached to 
 heaven ; and behold the angels of God ascending and 
 descending on it.” Woodlawn Cemetery no longer 
 seemed his Garden of Gethsemane, for he had found 
 his ” strengthening angel.” The inscription on the 
 little tomb, ” Papa’s Baby,” which, when it had been 
 cut in the marble, by his order, seemed like the writ- 
 ing of his own death-warrant, now seemed trans- 
 figured in letters of living light for ‘‘ papa’s baby ” had 
 become ■* papa’s angel.” And though the soughing 
 wind through the dead branches of the trees was as 
 sad and dreary as ever, now it seemed to him a hymn of 
 triumphant faith, whose refrain was the tender mes- 
 sage of Christ, ‘ ‘ I am the resurrection, and the 
 life : he that believeth in me, though he were dead, 
 yet shall he live : And whosoever liveth and believ- 
 eth in me shall never die.” 
 
 Then, because when the divine love permeates our 
 being, it inevitably shows itself in love to humanity, 
 Mr. Crittenton’s heart yearned over every sin-sick 
 soul, and the passion for soul-saving which took 
 Jesus to crucifixion and his disciples to bloody 
 martrydom, came upon him with Pentecostal power, 
 and every nerve and fiber of his being responded to 
 the call of Christ, ‘‘Son, Go work to-day, in my 
 vineyard.” And the part of the vineyard he chose, 
 was not alone the Harlem Holy Trinity P. E. Church, 
 New York, of which he is an oflScer, where he would 
 have mingled with people elegant, refined and 
 
Il6 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 cultured, in whom his soul delighted, but the message 
 came to him, with irresistible force, “ Go out quickly 
 into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in 
 hither the poor, the maimed, and the halt, and the 
 blind.” 
 
 And opening the dear old Book, he read the 
 word of the Lord, ‘‘ Is not this the fast that I have 
 chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness, and undo 
 the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, 
 and that ye break every yoke ? Is it not to deal thy 
 bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor 
 that are cast out to thy house ; when thou seest the 
 naked, that thou cover him ; and that thou hide not 
 thyself from thine own flesh ? Then shall thy light 
 break forth as the morning, and thine health shall 
 spring forth speedily ; and thy righteousness shall 
 go before thee ; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear- 
 ward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; 
 thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I am. And if 
 thou draw out thy soul to the hungr}-, and satisfy the 
 afflicted soul ; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, 
 and thy darkness be as the noonday ; and the Lord 
 shall guide thee continually, and satisf}’- thy soul. 
 
 . And they that shall be of thee shall build 
 the old waste places : thou shalt raise up the founda- 
 tions of many generations ; and thou shalt be called. 
 The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to 
 dwell in.” 
 
 Could there in all literature be found a more 
 graphic description of the Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sions and Mr. Crittenton’ s evangelistic work, than 
 this wonderful prophecy of Isaiah ? 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. I17 
 
 So down into the slums of New York City he went, 
 at the earnest solicitation of Smith N. Allen, and I 
 have often thought how far a single word may go. 
 No doubt that Christian worker had many a time be- 
 fore invited a host of church members to come and help 
 in the Mission work, and failing to interest them in the 
 work among the fallen, he might have become dis- 
 couraged and doubted a benefit from inviting Mr. Crit- 
 tenton. But we are glad — hundreds who have never 
 seen him or ever heard of him before — are glad 
 that he did “ not grow weary in well doing,” for how 
 much the world would have lost if Mr. Crittenton had 
 not become interested in Mission work ! What a 
 beautiful and inspiring thought, that in every soul re- 
 deemed through Mr. Crittenton’ s ministrations that 
 man will have an interest. After all, what invest- 
 ment brings a larger dividend than kind and earnest 
 words ? When they are so cheap and yet so powerful 
 is it not a wonder we are so stingy with them ? ‘‘A 
 
 word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of 
 silver.” 
 
 Night after night found him in the slums trying to 
 uplift some poor fallen brother or sister, and one night 
 he besought a poor erring girl to leave her life of sin 
 and shame, saying to her in the words of Christ, 
 ‘‘Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.” 
 
 The weeping girl said ‘‘But where can I go? ” 
 With lightning force flashed the thought, ‘‘ Where 
 can she go ? In all New York there is scarce a door 
 save the door of sin open to her.” And then and 
 there he decided as a memorial of his own little Flor- 
 ence to open a home for other father’s little girls, a 
 
Il8 THK TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 thousand times more lost to them than if they were 
 lying out in Woodlawn Cemetery, for the grave casts 
 no shadow of disgrace. 
 
 So down at 21-23 Bleeker street, in the midst of 
 houses of infamy rises Florence Crittenton Mission — 
 itself once a haunt of ill-fame — transformed from a 
 brothel to a Bethel. A double four-story house, 
 comfortably furnished, which is a veritable home to 
 the girls, weary and heart-sick. The prodigal daugh- 
 ter afar off can see the brightly illuminated sign, 
 “ Florence Crittenton Mission,” which is indeed a 
 sign-board to the “ City of Refuge,” for these hunted, 
 despairing girls are the prey of lecherous men, that 
 other scoundrels — called men — maj' live off the 
 earnings of their shame, and who would rather mur- 
 der them than have them escape their clutches. 
 Once inside this haven of rest the word ‘‘ Welcome ” 
 greets the wanderer, who perhaps for months or years 
 has not heard a loving word, but only the indecent 
 jest or the foul oath. The matron, whom all the girls 
 tenderly call ‘‘Mother Prindle,” takes this mother’s 
 girl in her arms and says, ‘‘We are so glad to see 
 you, dear ! ” Any one glad to see Aer? Never since 
 she left mother has any one been glad to see her 
 except with a lustful or mercenarj’- motive. Almost 
 bewildered by the kindness, and, alas ! having been 
 deceived by ‘‘wolves in sheep’s clothing” who pre- 
 tended to love her, in order to betray her, she wonders 
 if it is some new trap to catch her again. But as she 
 realizes that a fast life has done its fatal work with 
 her, and disease and drink have taken the beaut}’- 
 from face and figure and left her a disgusting mass of 
 
THE MOTHER MISSION. 
 Florence Critteuton Mission, New York. 
 
I^LORENCK CRIlfTENTON MISSIONS. II9 
 
 flesh and blood, clothed in rags, she knows she is not 
 worth trapping, and then as Mother Prindle takes her 
 into the bright cheery chapel and herself sits down 
 beside her and she listens to the voices singing the 
 old beautiful hymn her mother used to sing ; 
 
 “Jesus, lover of my soul 
 Let me to thy bosom fly,” 
 
 she knows she is among friends, — “for they never 
 sing songs like that in a brothel.’’ The chapel is full 
 of men and women, many of them as miserable and 
 degraded as herself, but here on the front seats are a 
 group of girls whose faces shine with joy. Yes, and 
 some of them she remembers to have seen on the 
 street leading bad lives. What does it all mean ? 
 She will listen and see. 
 
 Over the platform hangs the picture of little Flor- 
 ence Crittenton, pure, innocent, sweet, and as she 
 gazes into the beautiful eyes of the little girl, she re- 
 members her own childhood, and can almost feel her 
 mother’s kiss upon her lips, as she kneels at her feet, 
 and with her hands clasped by mother’s hands, rever- 
 erently says : 
 
 “ Now I lay me down to sleep, 
 
 I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” 
 
 Tears quiver in her eyes, as she knows she has broken 
 that loving mother’s heart, and is bringing “down 
 her gray hairs with sorrovs^ to the grave. ’ ’ Remorse 
 tears her soul with anguish, and as the leader of the 
 meeting reads the story of the “ Prodical Son,” she 
 feels that her degradation has been deeper than his, 
 for she, being a woman, has had to submit to indigni- 
 
120 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 ties of which he knew nothing. She had indeed been 
 associating with swine. Ah ! we must apologize to the 
 four-footed swine for comparing such men to them, 
 for a decent hog would not so terribly mistreat his 
 mate, nor do the revolting things which creatures 
 called men — men, created in the image of God ! — 
 will do and even boast of as something smart. Poor 
 child ! she has indeed found the husks, and 
 bowing her face in her hands she sobs as though her 
 heart would break. Like a flash Mother Prindle’s 
 arms of love are about her, and in a voice of tender- 
 ness she whispers, “ The Lord is nigh unto them that 
 are of a broken heart ; and saveth such as be of a 
 contrite spirit.” The leader is reading the piteous 
 prayer of King David when he was fllled with remorse 
 for the same sin of which she has been guilty : 
 
 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kind- 
 ness ; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot 
 out my transgressions. 
 
 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me 
 from my sin. 
 
 For I acknowledge my transgressions : and my sin is ever 
 before me. 
 
 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil 
 in thy sight : that thou mightest be justified when thou speak- 
 est, aud be clear when thou judgest. 
 
 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity : and in sin did my mother 
 conceive me. 
 
 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts : and in the 
 hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 
 
 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : wash me, and 
 I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
 Make me to hear joy and gladness ; that the bones which 
 thou hast broken may rejoice. 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 
 
 I2I 
 
 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 
 
 Create in me a clean heart, O God ; and renew a right 
 spirit within me. 
 
 Cast me not away from thy presence ; and take not thy 
 Holy Spirit from me. 
 
 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me 
 with thy free spirit. 
 
 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways ; and sinners shall 
 be converted unto thee. 
 
 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my 
 salvation ; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 O Lord, open thou my lips ; and my mouth shall shew forth 
 thy praise. 
 
 For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it ; thou 
 delightest not in burnt offering. 
 
 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; a broken and a 
 contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 
 
 How true seems every word ! How God honors 
 his own word in bringing back these wandering ones, 
 so that all Christian workers again and again say 
 with Paul, “ For the word of God is quick, and pow- 
 erful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, pierc- 
 ing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 
 and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of 
 the thoughts and intents of the heart.” In an agony 
 the poor girl cries out in the words of the Philippian 
 jailer, ‘‘What shall I do to be saved?” Mother 
 Prindle’s voice whispers the answer which calmed the 
 jailer’s fears and is just as potent now as then, though 
 for more than eighteen centuries, it has been com- 
 forting human hearts, ‘‘Believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” As those words 
 sink into her soul, like Bunyan’s pilgrim, she feels the 
 
122 
 
 TH:e 'TRAFFIC IN CIRLS. 
 
 awful burden of sin fall from her shoulders, and there 
 is rejoicing in two worlds that God led her to Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Mission, and the very angels seem to 
 echo the glad refrain of the song which swells from 
 hundreds of lips : 
 
 “ Hallelujah ! ’tis done, 
 
 I believe on the Son, 
 
 I am saved by the blood of the Crucified One.” 
 
 And not only is she saved, but scores upon scores 
 of men and women here find ‘ ‘ the Lamb of God 
 which taketh away the sin of the world.” As they 
 go forth renewed and consecrated to a life for Christ, 
 relying on his power to keep, they are living proofs of 
 the declaration of the angel, “Thou shalt call his 
 name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their 
 sins.” Not from the penalty of sin, but from sin 
 itself. The meeting is changed to a testimony meet- 
 ing and the loving heart of Jesus must be thrilled 
 with joy as he listens to these. His little children, 
 redeemed from sin, of whom He said, “Ye are my 
 witnesses,” and nowhere in all the world could his 
 power be more fully shown. The physican takes the 
 difficult case which has been cured by the magic of 
 his skill, as the criterion of wffiat he is able to do. 
 And so the great Physican, b}^ the living testimony 
 of these who have been redeemed from drink and 
 lust and theft and lying and murder, proclaims again, 
 “All power is given unto me in heaven and in 
 earth.” The age of miracles is indeed not past. In 
 the nineteenth, as well as in the first centur5^ those 
 possessed of devils — the devils of drink, impurity, 
 
FLOREJNCS; CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 23 
 
 and all kinds of wickedness — are brought by lov- 
 ing hearts to Jesus, who as of old says, “If thou 
 canst believe, all things are possible to him that be- 
 lieveth.’’ Straightway comes the answer, “Lord, I 
 believe, help thou my unbelief.’’ And though under 
 the influence of these devils, they indeed seem dead to 
 every noble impulse, and entreaties and sobs of friends 
 have proved of no avail to waken these “who are 
 dead in trespasses and sins,’’ yet divine help is near, 
 and “Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up ; 
 and he arose.’’ And as testimony after testimony is 
 given that they have been kept year after year, we 
 know that it is the “very same Jesus’’ who said to the 
 evil spirit, “ I charge thee come out of him, and enter 
 no more into him.’’ More than one skeptic has been 
 converted by visiting the Mission and seeing these 
 wonderful nineteenth century miracles, and with 
 Thomas has cried, “ My Lord and my God.’’ 
 
 After the meeting those who desire to be prayed 
 for are invited to the inquiry room just across the hall, 
 and here loving Christian workers point the penitent 
 to the Christ who. says, “Thy faith hath saved thee ; 
 go in peace.’’ To those who are out of work and in 
 sorest poverty, comes the passage, “Seek ye first the 
 kingdom of God and His righteousness ; and all these 
 things shall be added unto you.’’ Meal and lodging 
 tickets are given, and work is found, thus proving 
 that Christian friends are the only friends worthy of 
 the name. 
 
 Then the poor Magdalene who has entered the 
 better life, is taken upstairs into the dormitory, a bath 
 is given her, the old tattered clothing is burned, and 
 
124 
 
 THB TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 fresh clean clothes provided, and in a bed whose im- 
 maculate cleanliness makes her think of the home of 
 her childhood and its comforts, she sinks to sleep, 
 breathing a prayer for her deliverer, Charles N. Crit- 
 tenton, — “The restorer of paths to dwell in.’’ The 
 next morning she comes down to breakfast, and in 
 the cozy dining-room she finds Mother Prindle and 
 perhaps twoscore of girls, who give her a hearty 
 welcome, and as she sits down to an appetizing meal, 
 her grateful heart echoes the blessing, and joins in 
 the glad song : 
 
 “ Oh ! there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine ! 
 
 While the peaceful, happy moments roll. 
 
 When Jesus shows His smiling face, 
 
 There is sunshine in my soul,” 
 
 After breakfast a prayer service is held in the library, 
 a bright little sitting-room for the use of the girls, and 
 here these dear ones pour forth the deepest feelings of 
 their hearts, of grief or joy, and in these family pra}'- 
 ers, which remind the girls of home, many a blessed 
 conversion is made, and many a gM arises from her 
 knees and “writes a letter to mother,’’ who has 
 been mourning her as lost, for years. Then this 
 new member of “the family,’’ wants something 
 to do, for there never w’as such a thing as a lazy 
 Christian, and down into the laundry, the kitchen, 
 or the sewing-room she goes with a lighter heart 
 than she has known for man}" a day. In this 
 pleasant home she stays until she is restored to 
 friends or a situation is found for her. If at any 
 time she finds herself friendless or without work. 
 
W. C. T. U. TEMPLE. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 25 
 
 she knows that the doors of the Florence Crittenton 
 Mission will always be open for her. 
 
 In the tabulated reports of cold facts and figures 
 found in the back of this volume, the angels know 
 there is many such a life history, and to us who have 
 heard the sobs of grief of many of these girls turned 
 into songs of gladness, those figures glow with light 
 divine, and from every angular curve seems to breathe 
 the benediction of the Christ, “ Inasmnch as ye have 
 ministered unto the least of these, ye have ministered 
 unto me.''' 
 
 Could there be a more beautiful monument erected 
 to the memory of his beloved child, little Florence, 
 than this wonderful Florence Crittenton Mission, 
 which has already multiplied thirteen-fold, and it is 
 the desire of Mr. Crittenton’s heart that one may be 
 founded in every large city in America and Europe. 
 
 No mausoleum however costly could keep in re- 
 membrance his angel baby as do these Missions. 
 Few visit the lonely cemeteries and fewer still read 
 the inscriptions on the marble shaft, but thousands 
 upon thousands are brought from “ death unto life ” 
 through Florence Crittenton Missions, and how liter- 
 ally is fulfilled the scripture, “A little child shall lead 
 them,” “ who being dead, yet speaketh.” 
 
 It is indeed gratifying that other wealthy people 
 are following the example of Mr. Crittenton, and 
 Senator and Mrs. Leland Stanford have founded that 
 wonderful EelandStandford, Jr., University, in Califor- 
 nia, in memory of a beloved son. Mrs. Stanford also 
 gives largely to the Stanford Memorial Kindergarten 
 of San Francisco, which, under the able superintend- 
 
126 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 ence of Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, is doing a wondrous 
 work in saving girls from a life of shame and boys 
 from the saloons and the prisons. 
 
 Mrs. Senator Hearst sustains several Hearst 
 Scholarships in the California University for worthy 
 young women who otherwise could not receive a self- 
 supporting education. 
 
 The Crockers, too, generously endowed the Crocker 
 Home for Aged Women, in San Francisco, and the Art 
 Memorial Palace by the Crow family and the Mar}’^ 
 Institute, by the family of Chancellor Elliott, of the 
 St. Louis University, and the Steer Memorial Home 
 for erring girls, of New Orleans, in memory of dear 
 ones gone before, and other such philanthropies make 
 glad all humanity. For those, too, who have not the 
 means for so large memorials, what more beautiful 
 way to keep in loving and living remembrance, than 
 to have inscribed in letters of gold the name of the 
 sainted one upon the marble tablets in Willard Hall 
 in the stately W. C. T. U. Temple, founded bj' Mrs. 
 Matilda B. Carse, who has lovingly placed above 
 them. In Memoriam, “ Blessed are the dead that die 
 in the Lord from henceforth : Yea saith the spirit, 
 that they may rest from their labors and their works 
 do follow them.” 
 
I^istorg of of 0ur 
 
 If ye have Tears, Prepare to Shed Them NowP 
 
 “ For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt ; astonishment 
 hath taken hold on me.” — jBREMi.-iH. 
 
 “ I will weep bitterly, labor not to comfort me, because of the spoiling 
 of the daughter of my people.” — I saiah. 
 
 ^ISTEN, dear friends, while we 
 tell to you the stories which have 
 been whispered to us by these poor 
 girls, as with arms about them, and 
 heart throbbing with pity for them, they 
 have with tear-stained faces and faltering 
 lips, confided to us the way by which they fell into 
 the abyss of shame and sin. 
 
 Nellie Gilroy lost her mother when she was four 
 years old and her father when she was eleven, when 
 she was turned into the street to earn her living. A 
 pretty, attractive child, she aroused the admiration of 
 a villainous man who laid a trap for her ruin. See- 
 ing her standing before a jewelry store, admiring as 
 a child would, the sparkling gems, he stepped up to 
 her and said, “ Child, would you like to have a dia- 
 mond ring and a watch and chain?” What child 
 twelve years of age, but would answer in the affirma- 
 tive? "All right, just pick out the ones you want. 
 
 127 
 
128 
 
 THK TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 I own this store and you shall have them.” And so 
 the delighted little girl chose her jewels, not dreaming 
 of the plot of the scoundrel, who said, “ Come upstairs 
 with me and then when we come down you can come 
 into the store and get them.” Willingly the little 
 thing went with him, as the lamb goes to the slaugh- 
 ter. Better a thousand times that he had ‘‘slaugh- 
 tered the innocent ’ ’ by taking her life, for then 
 her agony would have been speedily ended, but the 
 screaming child had no choice ; and she left that room 
 an outcast. Had she any redress from the law, even 
 if she had known enough to seek it ? No, for the 
 man would swear that she had accompanied him 
 of her own free will, hoping to get the jewels, and 
 though she did not understand even what he wanted 
 with her, the judge and jury, themselves fathers of 
 little girls, would hold the child guilty and the man 
 innocent, because she was over ten years of age. Oh, 
 Justice ! Oh, Chivalrj' ! 
 
 The outraged little girl went downstairs and told 
 the jeweler what the supposed owner of the store had 
 told her, and was of course informed that the man 
 had lied to her with the express purpose of her ruin, 
 and in the tiny heart welled up such a feeling of re- 
 venge and hatred that it transformed her into an Ish- 
 mael ; every man’s hand seemed against her and 
 henceforth her hand should be against ever}’ man. 
 She had never had a chance to learn, having only at- 
 tended school fourteen months in all her life, and of 
 course had really no chance to earn an honest living, 
 and having roamed the streets since her mother’s 
 death, what wonder that having been outraged, she 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 129 
 
 should accept the inevitable, “and do as others do.” 
 So out upon the street she went, determined to wreak 
 her vengeance upon not only the man who had ruined 
 her, but upon his sex. She was the “queen of the 
 street ” for quite a time, and became an expert pick- 
 pocket, which yielded her hundreds of dollars. She 
 secured a big bank account and dressed like a princess. 
 
 Mr. Crittenton relates how she used to come 
 to the Florence Crittenton Mission every night in 
 a new costume of gay-colored silk or satin, and 
 yet with all her apparent prosperity she was far from 
 happy, for she knew she was that object of pity and 
 contempt — a fallen woman. Mr. Crittenton first saw 
 her on the street, and seemed unusually attracted to 
 her, and begged her to give herself to Christ. So 
 ignorant was she that she said, “ Who is Christ ? ” 
 He told her all he could in a street conversation but 
 begged her to come to the Mission, which she did 
 quite regularly, as she greatly enjoyed the beautiful 
 hymns. All efforts to get her to look seriously on 
 religious subjects seemed to fail and yet she so much 
 liked Mr. Crittenton that she would, out of regard for 
 him, sit and listen to his exhortations and prayers by 
 the hour. And when he would say, “ Nellie, won’t 
 you give yourself to God just now ? ” she would re- 
 ply, “ Mr. Crittenton, I wish I could be good just for 
 your sake, but I can’t. Don’t waste any more 
 prayers on me. Pray for somebody that can be saved, 
 I’m too bad.” But Mr. Crittenton had the Christ 
 hold of love upon this poor creature, and as many a 
 time before, the human love for the Christian has 
 developed into the love divine for the Christ — as 
 
130 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 Andrew brought Peter to Jesus — this “brother of 
 girls ” was not discouraged, and one night he said to 
 her, “ Remember, Nellie, as long as you live and I 
 live, I will pray for your conversion. No matter how 
 deep in sin you are, you will always know you have 
 one friend who is praying for you."’ The girl for 
 whom nobody cared was touched and burst into tears. 
 And yet she was not ready to surrender, and one less 
 hopeful than Mr. Crittenton would have given her up 
 as hopeless. One afternoon about dusk she came to 
 the Florence Mission and Mr. Crittenton prayed and 
 talked with her with unusual fervor, and seemed to 
 be making a deep impression upon her, and ended 
 with the usual question, “Won’t you give yourself 
 to Christ now ? ” She said, quite coolly, “ Mr. Crit- 
 tenton, you must be crazy, but if it does you any 
 good to pray for me, you can pray some more, for I 
 can’t go out for an hour yet, till after dark, to sell 
 that opium pipe I stole from a Chinese joint last 
 night,’’ and she laughed with great gusto as she re- 
 lated her escapade of the way she watched the China- 
 man till he got to sleep and then made away with 
 his pipe, and ending up with the query, “Say, Mr. 
 Crittenton, it’s worth forty dollars, don’t you think I 
 ought to get twenty dollars for it ? All I get over 
 that. I’ll give to Florence Mission.” 
 
 At last Mr. Crittenton was on the eve of his de- 
 parture for Europe, and thinking a farewell message 
 might have more effect, he sought her again and 
 though she seemed repentant, and wished to lead a 
 better life, still the old temptations were too strong. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 13I 
 
 and that very night she picked a man’s pocket of 
 two hundred dollars. Was she hopeless ? 
 
 Out upon the sea, Mr. Crittenton every day 
 prayed for Nellie Gilroy, and during all his summer 
 trip, her eternal welfare, as well as that of ‘ ‘ his 
 other girls at the Mission,” burned upon his heart. 
 But when he returned in the fall, Nellie was still in 
 sin and Mr. Crittenton realized, as many another has, 
 ‘‘ that hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” At 
 this time Nellie had been the mistress of one man for 
 some months, and they were keeping house in a flat 
 in upper New York, and all the families supposed 
 these two were married, and associated with them on 
 terms of equality. Next door was a church and one 
 Sufiday morning she heard the singing, and God’s 
 Spirit began to strive with her, and she saw her 
 wicked life in all its hideousness. Once Mr. Critten- 
 ton had given her a copy of the Book of Psalms, 
 which she had hidden in the bottom of her trunk, to 
 get rid of it. But now it seemed the only thing 
 which would give her any comfort, and down upon 
 her knees she went beside the bed and the book 
 opened to the 51st Psalm, the cry of David the adul- 
 turer and murderer, and with a rain of tears blotting 
 the page, she drank in every word. Then she tried 
 to pray, and this was her simple petition, ‘‘Oh, 
 Dord, you know I never had a chance, nor any bring- 
 ing up. You know my mother died when I was four 
 years old, and my fatner when I was eleven, and you 
 know how I was ruined and how bad I’ve been. But 
 I’ve heard them say at Florence Mission that you can 
 take bad folks and make them good, and, dear Lord, 
 
132 
 
 The traffic in girts. 
 
 I want to be good.” Do you not suppose the blessed 
 Christ heard that prayer ? 
 
 Then she rose from her feet, and when the man 
 with whom she was living came home to dinner, she 
 
 said, ‘‘ Mr. R. , it is not right the way we are 
 
 living together, and either you or I must leave this 
 house to-day.” ‘‘Why, Nellie, are you crazy? 
 What are you thinking of? You know I have 
 always introduced you as my wife, and treated j’ou 
 well, bringing you all my wages. You’ve been true 
 to me and I’ve been true to you, and we love each 
 other, and in the sight of God we are married.” She 
 replied, with how much bravery, no woman not in 
 
 her position can know, ‘‘ That’s all true, Mr. R. , 
 
 but you know we are not married and God has shown 
 me my sin and one or the other of us must leave this 
 house to-day.” ‘‘ Well, Nellie, I profess to be a gen- 
 tleman and I would not turn a woman into the street, 
 and so of course I’ll go, and you can have the furni- 
 ture, but I’ll leave my address and if you want me 
 send for me. You know I love you, Nellie.” Ah, 
 poor child, she loved him, too, and j’et she was 
 sending out of her life the only human being in all 
 the world that loved her. Do 3'ou wonder that her 
 eyes were full of tears? Surely Jesus was sajnng to 
 her as he does to every disciple, ‘‘ Take up thy 
 cross and follow after me. ’ ’ Would all of us do it as 
 bravely as did this poor gjrl whom the world calls 
 fallen ? 
 
 Back into her desolate rooms she went and again 
 threw herself on her knees, begging God to keep her 
 and not let her send for this man whom she loved so 
 
Pl,ORENC^ CRITTS^N'TON MISSIONS. 
 
 133 
 
 madly that she would almost sell her soul for him. 
 Ah, God would empty heaven of its angels before He 
 would suffer the Evil One to snatch back that soul 
 which He had redeemed. She immediately dis- 
 patched a note to Mr. Crittenton at Florence Mission, 
 begging him to come to her. For some reason the 
 note did not reach him as soon as it should, and she 
 waited and waited, and still he — the one in all the 
 world she trusted — did not come. So several days 
 passed by. The devil tempted her mightily, saying, 
 
 ‘ ‘ You see Mr. Crittenton has gone back on you. He 
 thinks you’re no good. You’ve refused all his invi- 
 tations so many times that he won’t have anything 
 to do with you. You had a good deal better send 
 
 for R . He loves you and he’ll take care of you. 
 
 How are you going to live any way? You can’t get 
 much for this furniture, and after that’s used up, you 
 know you can’t earn your living, and you’ll have to 
 go back to your old life on the street, and that’s lots 
 worse than just living with one man. In the sight 
 of God you are married to him.” Do you wonder 
 that she was tempted ? More than once she looked 
 at the address and knew that a word from her would 
 bring him back. And she was, oh, so hungry for 
 love. But nobly she stood to her purpose, and she 
 often describes those days of trial, and how Jesus 
 sustained her. In her loneliness she would commune 
 with Him as though He were a living presence. Ah ! 
 He is a living presence, and no one knows that better 
 than the once lost but now redeemed Nellie Gilroy. 
 At night when she would go to bed, after saying 
 
134 
 
 THE Traffic in girfs. 
 
 her prayers, she would softly say, “ Good-night, 
 Jesus, Good-night ! ” 
 
 But deliverance is at hand, “for God will not suf- 
 fer us to be tempted above that we are able to stand,” 
 and at last Mr. Crittenton received the pleading note. 
 Do you think he waited long to go to the child ? He 
 did not know his prayers were being answered. 
 When he arrived he found her with the little book of 
 Psalms, conning over that prayer of David, whose 
 sin of adultery was blacker than hers, for to his was 
 added murder. A prayer, a little conversation and 
 then a burst of song, for another soul was redeemed. 
 Mr. Crittenton thought it best for her to come to the 
 Florence Mission, where she would not be so lonel}' 
 and miss so much the companionship of the man she 
 loved. Her happiness was unbounded and ever since 
 she has been praising God. 
 
 Now listen to the happy sequel. It sounds just 
 like a story-book. But God’s truth is stranger than 
 fiction. In her agony and temptation she had read in 
 her precious little book of Psalms, “ Trust in the Lord 
 and do good ; and so shalt thou dwell in the land, 
 and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also 
 in the Lord : and he shall give thee the desires of thy 
 heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in 
 him and he shall bring it to pass.” Trusting in that 
 promise she had conquered the tempter, and now 
 God was going “ to bring it to pass.” One night she 
 saw in the Florence Mission the man she had called 
 husband. She trembled half with fear and half with 
 gladness, for she still loved him. And yet so thor- 
 oughly do these poor girls understand the contempt 
 
FLORENCE CRITLENLON MISSIONS. 135 
 
 in which they are held by these men who make the 
 most fervent protestations of love, that she said the 
 thought that he would want to marry her never once 
 entered her mind, and she supposed when she sent 
 him away, refusing to longer live with him in sin, 
 that she would never see him again. It is such a 
 common thing for the paramour in a life of shame, to 
 come to the Mission to try to win back the girl to the 
 old life, that their presence is always feared by the 
 Matron and Superintendent, for the hold they have on 
 the girls, even though they mistreat them horribly, is 
 most astonishing. So Nellie and her friends in the 
 Mission looked askance at the young man and pre- 
 pared for a defensive warfare for the soul of the re- 
 pentant child. Mr. Crittenton was especially anxious, 
 for no one knows better than he the tricks these men 
 will resort to, in order to get repossession of the girl 
 and again lure her into a life of shame. Oftentimes 
 they pretend they will marry the betrayed one, thus 
 trying to deceive her very friends. But their fears 
 were groundless, for the same Omnipotent Spirit of 
 God that can cleanse the heart of a fallen woman, can 
 also cleanse the heart of a fallen man, though the task 
 is indeed a difficult one, for fallen men do not realize 
 their sinfulness as do fallen women, though often 
 their guilt is far greater. In Florence Mission he 
 found the Saviour, and the very first act of his new 
 life, which proved indeed his conversion was genuine, 
 was an interview with Mr. Crittenton, in which he 
 asked for the hand of Nellie Gilroy, and after a time, 
 in which he showed honest affection, there was a 
 happy wedding at the Florence Crittenton Mission, 
 
136 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 and these redeemed ones went back to their same 
 little home which Nellie thought she had entirely 
 broken up when she sent her heart’s idol away. We 
 had the great pleasure of visiting this consecrated 
 little home, and in all America probably there is not a 
 happier family, for those “who have been forgiven 
 much, love much.’’ The following poem shows 
 the native ability of “ this child of the streets ’’ who 
 never had but fourteen months schooling : 
 
 TO THE WANDERER.' 
 
 BY MRS. E R . 
 
 “ Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,*» 
 Matt. XI, 28 
 
 Dear one, why wander in sorrow alone? 
 
 There’s one loving heart that bids you to come 
 
 And lay your poor weary head on His breast ; 
 
 Ah, there you’ll find comfort, yea peace and rest. 
 
 Oh, what have you gained since first you did roam 
 
 From the scenes of your childhood’s sweet, simple home? 
 
 Where are the pleasures, the friendships you wed ? — 
 
 Your tired heart whispers : All, all are dead. 
 
 Then why not accept the hand of a Friend 
 Who offers to guide you safe to life’s end? — 
 
 Then tenderly bear you to His bright home 
 
 Where hearts ne’er grow weary, where tears are unknown. 
 
 Tell the dear Saviour you’re tired of sin. 
 
 Ask for His help a new life to begin ; 
 
 He’ll bless you, aid you, and give you sweet rest, 
 
 And wash the dark past from your poor weary breast. 
 
 Another so loving, gentle and kind. 
 
 Believe me, dear wand’rer, you never’ll find ; 
 
 Pardon and mercy, He freely will give. 
 
 His great love is boundless, accept it and live. 
 
Florence; crit'Fenton missions. * 137 
 
 Surely such friendship you cannot -well spurn, 
 
 So why slight Him longer ? — Dear one return, 
 
 He’s patiently waiting, ope’ your heart’s door, 
 
 And promise to love Him and wander no more. 
 
 “ Sister Charlotte ” is another of “ our girls ” with 
 a remarkable history. She was the daughter of a 
 Baptist minister and raised amid Christian influences. 
 When about sixteen years of age a well-dressed 
 stranger made his appearance in the little town, and 
 won her affections. She was married to him and her 
 friends thought she had done very well. They went 
 to New York to live and for several months all went 
 well. The young wife loved her husband devotedly, 
 and expecting to become a mother soon, life looked 
 radiant to her, when one night she received a note 
 from him from Ludlow street jail, begging her to 
 come to him. She went and he then confessed that 
 he was a gambler and thief, and had been for years. 
 Almost distracted the young wife burst into a flood of 
 weeping, which was coolly disturbed by her husband 
 saying, “You know now just what I am and how I 
 make my living, and I want to know whether you 
 want to stay with me and help me in this business. 
 I can train you so we can make lots of money, and 
 you can just now take your choice of helping me or 
 going back to your father a disgraced woman.’’ Here 
 was Satan in the form of a dearly-loved husband mak- 
 ing a bid for the soul of this child-wife. What was 
 she to do ? It was the supreme moment of her life. 
 Poor child ! she hardly realized what his proposition 
 meant, only that if she did not accede to it, she would 
 forever lose her husband, and must go back to her 
 
138 
 
 THE TRAEEIC in girts. 
 
 father’s house disgraced and heart-broken or she must 
 earn her living as best she could. She had no way of 
 supporting herself, much less a child whose very ex- 
 istence would tie her hands for money-making work. 
 How often this financial depende7ice forces women to 
 sell their souls. Had she a trade or profession she 
 could have spurned his base proposal. But not hav- 
 ing, and disgrace and starvation staring her in the 
 face, and a beloved husband pleading for her to re- 
 main with him, she did — what manj' of us would do 
 under the same circumstances^ — chose her husband 
 and possible sin. One does not need to look into 
 eternity alone, to find a hell for wrong-doing. Sin 
 brings its own punishment. And for years and years 
 this poor deceived girl did not have a happy moment 
 and was reallj' in a hell upon earth. The first thing 
 her new task-master compelled her to do, was to have 
 an abortion committed, she finding the man she loved, 
 who had been to her the ideal of ever>Thing good in 
 manhood, was willing to murder his own child. How 
 many, many of us find “ we make our idols and we 
 find them clay.” In the unnatural operation she 
 went down to death’s door, and almost paid the pen- 
 alty of her own life for taking the life of her child. 
 In hundreds of cases of abortion the Mosaic law is 
 fulfilled literally, ” A life for a life.” Then this man 
 taught her with the coolness of Fagin to become a 
 most expert shoplifter, and for years she purloined 
 money, jewelry, and all kinds of goods to the value of 
 thousands of dollars. Possessed of a fascinating face, 
 a fine figure and the dignified and even haughty bear- 
 ing of a countess, she would march into a dry-goods 
 
FLORENCi; crittknton missions. 139 
 
 store, look over the most expensive laces and velvets 
 and adroitly pick up a Paisley shawl, throw it over 
 her arm in the coolest manner and walk out of the 
 store, and would even deceive the watchful eyes of all 
 employes. And if any one did suspect her and speak 
 to her of their suspicion, she would meet the interro- 
 gation with such withering scorn and apparent inno- 
 cency, that no man would dare again make even an 
 insinuation, and would humbly apologize for har- 
 boring a thought against her. So wonderfully skill- 
 ful did she become that she had hooks concealed in 
 her skirts so that she could carry shoes, and all kinds 
 of packages, which were afterward sold. To drown 
 her conscience she began to drink, and of course, 
 grew reckless, and was willing to add to the sin of 
 theft, that of prostitution, to obtain money and satisfy 
 her husband’s greed for gain. The last, however, 
 she never resorted to unless she found it impossible 
 otherwise to rob her wealthy patron. She sent large 
 sums of money home to her aged parents, who sup- 
 posed her husband to be a wealthy man. Some- 
 times she would go home on a visit, when her father 
 would proudly speak of her great generosity to her 
 parents, and wish that all parents had such lovely 
 children. Knowing the utter foulness of her life, 
 her feelings at such times can be better imagined 
 than described, and unwilling to leave the life, she 
 drank and drank to stifle all better aspirations, and 
 found herself fast sinking to the lowest depths of 
 shame, when one night she staggered up the steps of 
 Florence Crittenton Mission and was invited in by 
 Mr. Crittenton himself. There she heard the hymns 
 
140 THE Traffic in cires. 
 
 sung to her as a little child, by her sainted mother, 
 and was stricken with penitence and ere-long she 
 found the only happiness her life had known for 
 years, in accepting the Christ who said so tenderly, 
 “ Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, 
 and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart ; 
 And ye shall find rest to your souls." Rest ! she had 
 not known the meaning of the word since that gloomy 
 day in Rudlow street jail, when she took the devil as 
 her task-master, and alas ! she had found that ‘ ‘ the 
 wages of sin is death.” Her conversion was a glori- 
 ous one, and her testimonies were wonderfully used 
 of God in bringing wanderers back to the narrow 
 way. Then her whole soul went out to God that her 
 husband might be saved, and though God tried her 
 faith for some time, yet at last her prayers were an- 
 swered, and for months before her husband’s death 
 she knew it was well with his soul. 
 
 God had endowed her with wonderful gifts and 
 now she consecrated them entirely to His service. 
 She went out into the dives and dance-halls and won 
 from their horrors man)^ a 3^oung man and many a 
 dear girl, and so successful was she that she was 
 known as the leader of the ” Florence Mission Rescue 
 Band.” Very largely from her efforts has grown the 
 Christian Alliance, an industrial scheme something 
 like the Salvation Armj^ shelters, where men can be 
 helped back to honest, self-supporting lives. It is 
 doing a great work for humanit}^, and Florence Mis- 
 sion is always proud of the work for the Master done 
 by her children. ‘‘ Sister Charlotte ” is a speaker of 
 
FLORENC:^ CRITTENTON MISSIONS. I41 
 
 uuusuai power and often pleads for the erring boys 
 and girls before large audiences in the wealthy 
 churches of New York and other places, and thus is 
 helping to change public sentiment to pity for these 
 lost in sin. 
 
 One of the most pitiful cases was that of Annie 
 who was rescued from one of the lowest dives, kept 
 by an Italian, and the story she told Mrs. Emily Pitt 
 Stevens, the “ W. C. T. U. Demosthenes,” and Na- 
 tional Organizer of that great body, who often relates 
 it on the platform, ought to make the blood of all 
 Americans so boil with indignation that they would 
 tear such monsters limb from limb, or better still, vote 
 against the saloon — the cause. She was rescued by 
 the Florence Mission Rescue Band, one of the men 
 taking her bodily from the den, which so infuriated 
 the inhuman slave-master that he fired several shots 
 at the retreating figures, hoping to kill one or both, ^ 
 for these brothel-keepers would at any time rather 
 murder a girl than have her escape their clutches. 
 One reason is because these girls and their degra- 
 dation means money to them, and another is that they 
 know that if their horrid cruelties are exposed that 
 they may well fear lynching. 
 
 When the girl was brought to the Florence Mis- 
 sion she was in a most pitiable condition, her body 
 being covered with bruises and cuts and scars until 
 her own mother would hardly know her. She was 
 given a bath and clean clothing, and her vermin-cov- 
 ered rags were burned, and the next day Mrs. Stevens 
 kneeling by her bedside heard the saddest of stories 
 from lips quivering with emotion. ‘‘ I was the 
 
142 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 daughter of Christian parents and a Sunday-school 
 scholar for years, but in social life I learned to love 
 wine, and under its influence I was ruined. My par- 
 ents cast me out and I drifted down — down — down, 
 till I found myself with four other girls the slave of 
 an Italian dive-keeper who compelled us to receive 
 any and all men who came, and took every cent of our 
 shameful earnings. When we would rebel, he would 
 attack us with knives and clubs.” And the bruises 
 and cuts yet unhealed on all parts of her body attested 
 the truth of her words. 
 
 ‘‘ The doors were always kept locked and we were 
 never allowed outside our prison-house. I can never 
 be thankful enough that I have been brought to Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Mission, for here I have found Jesus. 
 But oh, go back and save the other girls who are 
 slaves of these vile men.” 
 
 Is it strange that as Mrs. Stevens heard that agon- 
 izing cry, that upon her knees she took an oath that, 
 God helping her, she would tell this terrible tale till 
 men and women would rouse out of their strange 
 lethargy and sweep this awful traffic in girls, caused 
 by the traffic in rum, from all Christendom ? No won- 
 der when she eloquently repeats the weird cry of this 
 poor victim, “ Oh, save the other girls who are slaves 
 of vile men,” that sobs can be heard from many of her 
 auditors, and when she declares, ‘ ‘ had mothers the 
 ballot we would save the ‘other girls,’ thunders of 
 applause prove that mother-love crystallized into votes 
 will save our daughters from a death in the charitj^ 
 hospital, and a nameless grave in the Potter’s field. 
 
 Mr, Crittenton often tells of the case of a little 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 143 
 
 girl only thirteen years of age whose story will make 
 every mother clasp her little child closer to her bosom 
 lest such terrible fate befall her. The little thing 
 was found in a Chinese den, her long hair matted with 
 filth, and alive with vermin. She had been kept for 
 weeks in a drunken stupor and when examined by 
 the physicians of Florence Mission, who are used to 
 horrible scenes, they were so unutterably shocked 
 that they burst into tears. In a few days the child 
 was well enough to tell her story, which bears the 
 impress of truth and was verified by some of the 
 Mission workers. 
 
 “ I haven’t any mother nor father and I thought 
 my aunt in Vermont did n’t treat me right, and so 
 I just jumped on the cars and thought I would 
 come to New York and live with my Uncle George. 
 And when I got here I was so lonesome, that in 
 the restaurant where I was eating my dinner, I 
 just cried, and a real kind policeman came up to me 
 and said, ‘ What’s the matter, little girl ? ’ and I said, 
 I wanted to find my Uncle George, and I was so lone- 
 some. And he said real kind-like, ‘ Well, don’t cry ! 
 I know where your Uncle George lives, and I’ll take 
 you right to him.’ And he seemed so good, and he 
 paid for my little lunch, and then I went with him — 
 and — and — ” How could the child describe her tort- 
 ure ? But the Rescue Band found out that, that police- 
 man turned her over to another policeman, who in turn 
 brutally maltreated her, and in less than three weeks 
 she was found in the lowest Chinese slums, where her 
 poor little body earned money for these devils in 
 
144 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 human shape, and so dreadfully lacerated was she 
 that she died in most excruciating agony. 
 
 Let me tell you of one whom we might have had 
 at Florence Crittenton Mission had the man into whose 
 
 clutches she fell been any one else than . Well, 
 
 listen to the story. 
 
 A man who called himself a gentleman, though 
 he frequented houses of shame, tiring of all the 
 girls at a certain resort, asked the keeper to get him 
 a “fresh ’’ article. The keeper had noticed a beauti- 
 ful young school-girl going by daily, and she deter- 
 mined to trap her for her wealthy patron, and to this 
 end took one of the house- servants into the plot. 
 
 One morning this servant, an old colored woman, 
 was washing the steps as the girl went by, and rising 
 from her knees she exclaimed, “ Honey ! you’s dress 
 is all torn in de back. Come in a minute and I’ll fix 
 it up.’’ 
 
 The unsuspecting child startled, quickl}^ stepped 
 inside, and immediately the door was locked and she 
 found she was a captive and was utterl}' bewildered. 
 A messenger was sent for the patron with the news 
 that a beautiful young girl was at his disposal. Hur- 
 riedly he went, and as he opened the door of the bed- 
 chamber the girl rushed and threw herself sobbing 
 on his bosom, with the words, “Oh, papa! I’m so 
 glad you’ve come. They’ve got me locked in here for 
 something — I don’t know what — and I was so afraid. 
 How did 3^ou find me, papa ? ’ ’ 
 
 What if some other man had been sent for? No 
 wonder that man was converted into a rescue worker. 
 
 Who has not heard the story of Nellie Conroy, 
 
fi^orsnce; critti;nton missions. 145 
 
 whose agonizing question, ‘ ‘ Where can I go ? ” in 
 answer to Mr. Crittenton’s quoting the words of 
 Jesus, “Go and sin no more,” was the means of found- 
 ing the Florence Crittenton Missions. Mr. H. B. 
 Gibbud, a grand worker, thus tells the story. 
 
 At an early age her father died and her mother 
 became a drunkard and sold Nellie when only twelve 
 years old to her own paramour — then becoming jeal- 
 ous of her, drove her from the house. She came 
 to New York, hoping to earn a livelihood as a 
 servant, but being young and pretty, she was en- 
 ticed into one of the gilded palaces of sin in the 
 upper part of the city and there began the down- 
 ward course that left her at last a wreck in Bax- 
 ter street. Here for nine years she lived, becoming 
 a victim to all the vices that attend a dissipated life. 
 Writing of her past, she said : 
 
 “I never enjoyed much of my parents’ love. 
 Heaven deprived me of one of the kindest fathers 
 and left me a mother. But oh, poor mother I — the 
 victim of the rum-god, the quiet, gentle woman in 
 her sober moments, the one who ought to have 
 been the guide of my youth and innocence next 
 to God — she turned into a living demon, and so, 
 basely forgot her child and cast her out in her ten- 
 der, innocent years upon the waves of a cold and 
 heartless world. If she had been a mother I would 
 not have been here to-day. Then I was young 
 and healthy ; now I am a wreck, and she struck the 
 first blow. Oh, if she could only look on the wreck 
 her own hands have made ! My soul often cries out. 
 Oh, mother, are you living or dead ? It seems you 
 
146 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRI^. 
 
 cannot rest and think of your poor girl whom you 
 helped to murder. These thoughts often come to me, 
 but I have sweetly learned to say, “Father, forgive 
 poor mother ; it was rum that did it. Oh, may God 
 save poor drunken mother, if she be in the land of 
 the living !“ 
 
 When I found this poor girl in “Hell Gate,” a 
 place appropriately named, she was much intoxicated : 
 tall and thin, one could see that consumption was 
 doing its fatal work. She had no hat, no shoes : a 
 dirty calico dress was all the clothing she had on, and 
 that was not in condition to cover her nakedness. 
 Her hair was matted and tangled, her face bruised and 
 swollen ; both eyes were blackened by the fist of a 
 huge negro who held her as his slave, and had beaten 
 her because she had not brought him as much money 
 as he wanted. I invited her to the meeting and 
 passed on. Near the close of the meeting she came 
 in ; with tearful eyes she listened to the story of 
 Jesus, and was one of the first to request prayers. 
 After the meeting she expressed a desire for a better 
 life, but she had no place to go, save to the dens of 
 infamy from which she came. I decided to take her 
 to a home for fallen women, and, accompanied by a 
 friend who had assisted me in the meetings, we 
 started. 
 
 We were going toward the cars, and congratu- 
 lating ourselves that we had gotten away unobserved, 
 when we were confronted by the ver}" negro we sought 
 to escape. With an oath, he demanded, “ Whar you 
 folks takin’ dat gal to?” It was a fearful moment, 
 near midnight, a dark street, and not a soul in sight. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 147 
 
 I expected every moment to have him strike me. I 
 was no match for him. Signaling my friend to go on 
 with the girl, and taking the negro by the coat, I said 
 excitedly, ‘ ‘ I am taking her to a Christian home — to 
 a better life. If ever you prayed for any one, pray for 
 her ; I know you are a bad man, but you would be 
 glad to help any girl away from this place. So pray 
 for her as you have never prayed before.” 
 
 Her life until her death — nearly two years later — 
 was that of a faithful Christian. She gave satis- 
 faction to her employers ; she was blessed of God in 
 her testimony at the Mission, and soon she was sought 
 after by churches, temperance societies and missions, 
 to tell what great things the Lord had done for her. 
 She spoke to a large audience of nearly three thousand 
 people in the Cooper Union, New York, holding them 
 spellbound with her pathetic story. One of the daily 
 papers, writing of her, said : “ Miss Conroy is possessed 
 of a wonderful gift of language and a natural Irish 
 wit, this with her thrilling story makes her one of the 
 most interesting and entertaining speakers before the 
 public.” She was uneducated, but had a remarkable 
 memory ; she soon became familiar with the Bible, 
 and many were won to Christ through her testimonies. 
 Her pale face would become flushed with a hectic glow 
 as she spoke of the wonderful things God had done 
 for her. 
 
 ‘‘Glory be to His great name,” she would say, 
 “ it was no common blood that washed Nellie Conroy 
 from her sins, and no common power that reached 
 down and took her from the slums of Baxter street, 
 after nine years of sin and dissipation. It was no 
 
148 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 common blood that washed and cleansed her and gave 
 her back purified to the bosom of virtuous society ; 
 it was the precious Blood of Jesus. Glory to His 
 name; won’t many be surprised when the roll is 
 called in heaven to hear Nellie Conroy answer to her 
 name? ” 
 
 Her life was indeed a changed one ; from idleness, 
 filth, drunkenness and sin, she was transformed into 
 a neat, industrious, sober, godly woman. But sin 
 had sown its seed and she must reap the harvest ; she 
 grew weaker until at last she went to the St. Luke 
 Hospital to linger some months in great suffering and 
 pain, but all was borne with a spirit of Christian 
 resignation. Her testimonj'^ was — 
 
 “ The love He has kindled within me 
 Makes service or suffering sweet.” 
 
 A friend visiting her read the “Sermon on the 
 Mount.’’ As she listened to the Beatitudes she 
 repeated them after the reader, and when the last one 
 was uttered, she said, “ There is one more blessed.’’ 
 “No Nellie,’’ replied her friend, “ I read them all.’’ 
 “No, one more,’’ she insisted, “ Blessed are the dead, 
 who die in the Lord.’’ 
 
 One da5^a visitor said, “Nellie, you are nearing 
 the river.’’ “Yes,” she said, “I have already 
 stepped in, but God’s word says, ‘ When thou passeth 
 through the waters I will be with thee, and through 
 the rivers they shall not overflow thee ; ’ the promise 
 is true, I am dry shod.” 
 
 At the last she could scarcely speak ; she knew 
 her end was near; and when the 14th of John was read 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 149 
 
 to her she said, ‘ ‘ My mansion is there, the Comforter 
 is here ; the promise is fulfilled. Sing at my funeral, 
 
 “ I am going home to die no more." 
 
 The night of her death she whispered to her 
 deliverer as he bent over her, “ Mr. Crittenton, I ex- 
 pect to see little Florence to-night and I’ll tell her and 
 Jesus all about you and Florence Mission where I 
 was saved.” Then she faintly whispered ‘‘Jesus, 
 precious Jesus; I love Jesus and Jesus loves me. 
 Hallelujah.” These were her last words, her face lit 
 up as she seemed to catch a glimpse of the King in 
 his beauty, and, with a shout of ‘‘Hallelujah,” the 
 spirit of the once poor, despised Magdalene took its 
 flight to the bright mansions of whose possession 
 she had been so sure. 
 
 At her funeral many Christain workers and friends 
 gathered to do honor to her remains. Many who 
 had been won to Christ by her testimony were among 
 the mourners, and not a few who still lived in sin and 
 shame, but who loved her who had so often entreated 
 them to turn and live, came to look on that pale face. 
 
 On the coffin plate was engraved ; 
 
 E M 
 
 Aged 29 Years, 
 
 Died, March i6th, 1885. 
 
 Lovingly the body was carried to Maple Grove Ceme- 
 tery Long Island where this ‘‘ Brother of Girls” has 
 consecrated a Florence Crittenton Mission plot where 
 all who die in the Mission may have Christian burial. 
 In this sacred spot the very birds seem to sing so 
 
150 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 softly over the grass-grown graves of these who have 
 been so “tempest-tossed and not comforted” — “the 
 wicked cease from troubling, the weary be at rest,” 
 and the breath of the swaying leaves rustling in the 
 wind echo in reverent gladness “ and God shall wipe 
 away all tears from their eyes.” 
 
 Only one more story, though all these might be 
 multiplied by the thousand, for lessening space calls 
 a halt. Annie Gray, her father and mother of good 
 families, but from being a moderate drinker the father 
 became one of our army of six hundred thousand 
 drunkards, and Annie instead of being allowed to 
 finish her education and given some self-supporting 
 profession, was forced out to earn bread for herself and 
 mother and little ones. She applied for a position in 
 a great store owned by a millionaire, who was also a 
 Christian — I beg pardon, a church member — who 
 occupied the highest-priced pew and paid largely to 
 foreign and home missions. She secured the place, 
 but when told that the wages would be only four 
 dollars per week, she said,“ But I can hardl}^ pa}’- my 
 board on that. What shall I do for my clothes.” 
 “ Oh some friend will provide those for you, you are a 
 good-looking girl ” and the leer that accompanied the 
 words showed that he was willing to be the friend. 
 However, she was starving, and so was mother and the 
 children — “for papa drinks you know” — and she 
 must do something. A fellow clerk saw the pretty girl 
 and fell in love with her, and honorable marriage 
 was proposed and accepted. She loved him madly. 
 He insisted on lending her money needed for clothing 
 and the sick mother, and this financial obligation was 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 151 
 
 the net which proved her ruin. He did not intend 
 harm to this fair young girl, but he was a moderate 
 drinker and under the influence of this alcoholic 
 poison which makes men into demons, he drugged 
 her coffee one evening as he took her to a restaurant 
 for supper and when she awakened she was a Pariah. 
 Then by promise of speedy marriage if she consented 
 to further sin, and being branded as a fallen woman if 
 she did not, with the alternative of a life on the streets, 
 and yet trusting this man whom she still loved would 
 repair the foul wrong he was doing her, in an agony 
 of hoping despair she yielded. It is the old, old story 
 enacted every day of the year in our large cities. 
 
 The man who vowed in the name of God that he 
 would marry her, lured her to a house of infamy 
 where he sold her to the brothel-keeper, and where 
 she was kept locked in as a prisoner and a slave. 
 Here the drink was plied constantly, so that she 
 answered truthfully a Mission-worker, who asked, 
 “What do you girls think when you come to your 
 sober senses?’’ “Sober senses I Why madam, we 
 never have any sober senses. We’re always drunk, 
 we never could stand this life if we did n’t drink.’’ 
 
 By-and-by consumption laid its ghastly hand 
 upon her, and when the Mission visitor said, ‘ ‘ Dear 
 child 1 how long have you been so sick?’’ tears 
 gushed from her eyes at this word of kindness, 
 as she gaspingly said, “Oh, ever since that great 
 political convention, when I had so much to do, I’ve 
 been so ill and I wish I could get away and die. 
 Everybody knows that was not a Prohibition party 
 convention.’’ The keeper of the house said, “ Yes ! 
 
152 
 
 thk traffic in girts. 
 
 I wish you would take her away, she’s so sick, 
 she’s no good to us any more.” 
 
 ‘‘Will you come with me, dear, to the Florence 
 Crittenton Mission?” ‘‘Oh! so gladly,” the poor 
 creature said. 
 
 Then the keeper, this h 3 '^ena in human form, inter- 
 rupted, “ Not much, you won’t take her, till you pay 
 me the six dollars she owes me, or she earns it.” 
 
 Sick at heart the Mission-worker went out, and 
 taking a dollar out of her own hard earnings, started 
 the fund to buy this white slave — somebody' s Utile girl 
 — and the monej" was raised, and the poor wrecked 
 child is ending her short life on a bed of pain in 
 the Florence Mission. 
 
 She is only one of thousands ! Whose fault is it 
 they are victims in this awful life of sin ? The fault of 
 the father who drinks and robs his child of a self-sup- 
 porting education ! The fault of the employers, who 
 grind these girls down to starvation wages, and therebj'' 
 to sin, and whose gold is smeared with their blood and 
 blistered with their tears, and upon whom rests the 
 curse of Almighty God for oppressing the poor ! The 
 fault of the seducer, whose hell has onlj^ commenced, 
 whose detestable crime, worse than murder, God’s 
 wrath will follow in unerring vengeance 1 The brothel- 
 keeper and her foul patrons — those men who would 
 cast a girl into hell with as little thought as they 
 would shoot a rat, but who must, before the bar of a 
 just God, “give an account of the deeds done in the 
 body,” and whose fate Jehovah justly decrees shall 
 be “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone ; 
 which is the second death.” Societj", and even so- 
 
FI,ORKNCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 53 
 
 called Christian society, that ostracizes the victim, 
 and forces her to sell her womanhood for bread 
 while they give their best friendship to her black- 
 hearted seducer, and above all the saloon-keepers who 
 sell the devilish poison, alcohol, that causes men to 
 forget everything in their unholy passions, and their 
 partners in business, the voters, and alas ! the Christian 
 voters who license their hellish traffic. Every man 
 who votes for license of the saloon, high or low, votes 
 to send thousands of girls to the horrors of the brothel, 
 and young men to haunts of shame, and prisons and 
 insane asylums. Should they complain if their own 
 beloved ones are the victims, as the man told of who 
 was only kept from ravishing a lovely young girl be- 
 cause she was his own daughter ? Surely that man real- 
 ized — as has many a man who voted for the saloon 
 and the brothel that he knew would make drunkards 
 and prostitutes of somebody’s children, and found 
 among them his own precious son and daughter — 
 that “the Lord is known by the judgment which he 
 executeth ; the wicked is snared in the work of his 
 own hands.’’ 
 
 How can any Christian man expect to be happy in 
 heaven when his vote for the saloon is sending thou- 
 sands of precious girls and boys to hell through 
 the brothels. Their blood will be required at his 
 hand. 
 
 Surely the voice of God comes to each one as he 
 votes. “Whatsoever thou doest, do all to the glory 
 of God,’’ and does any Christian man say it is voting 
 for the glory of God when he votes to license the 
 saloon, which, intrenched in national legislation, is 
 
154 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 making prostitutes of our fairest girls by the hun- 
 dred thousand, for these Christian men well know 
 “ Drunkenness is the mother of harlots.” Let every 
 man ask himself on election morning, would Jesus 
 vote for the saloon and the brothel ? If Christian 
 men would vote as they pray, their 4,000,000 votes 
 would outlaw the saloon in one election. God is 
 watching the ballots as they drop into the box, and 
 as He sees boys and girls transformed by the saloons 
 into monsters of wickedness by the edict of Chris- 
 tian men, He must surely say again, as in the words 
 of Jeremiah, ‘‘Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts 
 . . . . how shall I do for the daughters of my 
 
 people? Shall I not visit them for these things? 
 Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as 
 this?” ‘‘Woe to him that giveth his neighbor 
 drink, that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him 
 drunken.” ‘‘ Woe to him that buildeth a town with 
 blood and establisheth a city by iniquity.” 
 
Hetteris jFrom 4Florence (Enttenton Mis- 
 sion €Jirls. 
 
 The Testimony of the Rescued Ones. 
 
 Berkshire, N. Y., Sept. 20. 
 
 R. CRITTENTON, Dear Friend:— 
 Just one year ago this evening I came 
 to the Saviour in the parlor of the 
 Florence Mission. Since then I have 
 been kept and upheld by faith, and to- 
 night I can say from my heart, “ Praise the 
 Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, 
 bless His holy name.” I have been blessed in so 
 many ways I cannot begin to tell them all. Each day 
 I am blessed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I 
 have so much to be thankful for. I have now one of 
 the best husbands ever a woman had, and I bless God 
 that three weeks ago last Sunday evening, he too 
 started out to serve the Master. My soul rejoices, 
 for in this, I see a direct answer to my prayers. 
 
 Oh, how I would like to step into your meeting 
 this evening and join in the songs of praise with you. 
 How I would love to add my testimony on this, my 
 anniversary, to the many that will be given to the 
 good cause. It would give some one strength or 
 
 155 
 
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 156 
 
 encouragement. Just think of what the dear Lord 
 has done for me in one short year I I was far, very 
 far from His dear footstool ; a poor wanderer on the 
 face of the earth, trying to serve the Evil One in everj^- 
 thing. All the time was in a troubled state of 
 mind because I was walking in the dowmward path. 
 But on the 20th of September, one year ago to-night, 
 I was snatched as a brand from the burning, and 
 since then I live for God and His cause, trying to 
 serve Him in all my outgoings and incomings, and as 
 long as I am left on this earth, will I proclaim His 
 loving kindness. 
 
 I hope some of the converts wnth you this evening 
 will remember me and be pleased to know that I am 
 still in the service of God. How I do regret not 
 starting before. How many times I think of the 
 wasted life, the remains of which I offered to the Lord. 
 But this is all a vain regret. He did not refuse my 
 poor offering, but took me just as I w'as and washed 
 me white in the blood of the Lamb. My language is 
 not sufficiently expressive to paint m5^ feelings, but if 
 I could see you, may be I could tell you better. 
 
 The only thing I can say more is, tell all the new 
 beginners to stick to the only safe way, walk in the 
 light and look to Jesus for help. Go to him with 
 every trouble, tell Him everything, His ear is ever 
 open to our petitions, and He is ever read}^ to help us 
 over the rough paths of our jourue}^ if we only h’ust 
 Him. 
 
 With kind regards and a request that I be remem- 
 bered in your prayers, that I may ever be faithful and 
 press on to claim the reward of the faithful, and also 
 
Florence; criftenton missions. 157 
 
 that you will pray for my dear husband that he may 
 be steadfast to the end, I am, 
 
 Ever yours in faith, 
 
 Mrs. Harriet K. Spencer. 
 
 * * 
 
 New York, March 24, 1890. 
 
 Dear Friend and Brother in Christ : — 
 Yours of the i8th inst. received. It was very welcome 
 for I thought you must be sick when you did not 
 write. I wrote two letters the other day {^via Eon- 
 don) since receiving yours from Cairo, Egypt. I 
 hope you will get them, for one was a long letter 
 about Christmas at the Mission. I met a friend at the 
 Mission who said that you were very ill, but you 
 see God will fulfill all His promises if we will obey the 
 conditions. Psalm 41 : i, 2, 3 : “ Blessed is he that 
 
 considereth the poor, the Lord will deliver him in 
 time of trouble. The Ford will preserve him and 
 keep him alive ; and he shall be blessed upon the 
 earth ; and thou will not deliver him unto the will 
 of his enemies. The Lord will strengtlmi him upon 
 the bed of latiguishmg : thou will make all his bed in 
 his sickness.” 
 
 And now you are well and ready for work. Bless 
 the Lord and may He give you grace to be successful 
 far beyond your expectations. May you truly please 
 Him and may He continually pour upon you the dew 
 of His blessing and the burning fire of His spirit. 
 Then with the sword of the spirit and His word, 
 which is mightier than a two-edged sword, you must 
 succeed. 
 
158 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Do you remember how one year ago you said jmu 
 felt God was leading you in that direction, but I don’t 
 think you ever dreamed He would give you such a 
 glorious opportunity, as He is now to broaden out 
 and make “the Florence’’ the center of a great net- 
 work of homes for the unfortimate, foolish girls, not 
 bad at heart, but oh, so easily led, 
 
 I feel especially drawn to those who have been un- 
 fortunate through love. It does not seem possible to 
 prevent the first step but I would love to be the in- 
 strument in God’s hand to prevent the second or the 
 awful condition we sometimes see. It is a class you 
 seldom see for they do not come for relief till they are 
 utterly helpless. But with God all things are possi- 
 ble. He has done impossible things for me. He 
 makes me meet people in trains and everywhere that 
 are just ready for a word from God, and it makes me 
 so happy. But you can’t explain the happiness that 
 comes from giving a soul some of your oil or light, 
 and the best of it is, the more you give awa5% the 
 brighter your own lamp burns. Now who can explain 
 such things but God ! 
 
 I am indeed praying for you constantl3'. I am 
 going back and back into the simple faith of my 
 childhood when I asked God for the toys I pla3"ed 
 with. I remember once, when I was but nine 3'ears 
 old, getting down on m3^ knees before a number of 
 spectators and saying to my sister, “ Let’s ask God to 
 put the fire out next door.’’ The smoke was rushing 
 into the room where we were, but we didn’t think of 
 running away from danger. We had the faith of a 
 little child in its father. Just like m3' little two-3'ear- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 59 
 
 old nephew says when he gets into his father’s arms, 
 “Jack Frost tan’t bite me when papa’s dot me.’’ So 
 with us the world can’t singe us when the Father has 
 us in His loving arms. But we must go to Him when 
 He says “Come.” I am so glad I’m anchored, and 
 I’m so happy in Jesus. 
 
 Tuesday night, March 4, was my anniversary, so 
 I went down to the dear old “ Florence ” to celebrate 
 my first year of complete freedom. Glory ! Glory ! 
 
 “Jimmy ” led the meeting, which was a good one. 
 I got a great deal of strength from a prayer I made 
 aloud at Charlotte’s request in the inquiry meeting. 
 One there said that he had lost a baby that he had 
 named Florence because he had received so much 
 good at Florence Mission. He had hoped that she 
 would live to do much good for the Master, but 
 although the Ford took her at seven months of age 
 she had been the means of saving his wife who was 
 not a Christian and of drawing him nearer to God. 
 See what God can do with eveti a little infant ! Would 
 any one believe that a child that could n' t speak would 
 turn its mother' s hearty bless its father atid go up to 
 fesus, all through Florejice Mission ! Blessed be His 
 Name. He works in wonderful ways, and how little 
 our faith is at times. • 
 
 I could write all night and I could not tell you all 
 God’s goodness to me. 
 
 Yours, in Christian fellowship, 
 
 Lizzie J. 
 
l6o THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 New York City, April 5, 1889. 
 
 My Dear Mr. Crittenton : — To-day as I think 
 of you, sailing for Europe, my heart fills with grati- 
 tude. To you who pointed me to a loving Saviour. 
 To you who taught me the right from the wrong. 
 To you who for years, on land and at sea, at home 
 and abroad, when my feet were in the paths of sin, 
 prayed daily for my lost and erring soul, and tired not 
 until you saw me at Jesus' feet. And now, as you are 
 about to sail for distant lands, I want you to feel and 
 know that you leave behind you, not as before, poor 
 
 lost Nellie Gilroy, but the happy redeeyned E 
 
 R whose prayers will daily and hourly go up 
 
 to God to save, protect and restore you to us again, 
 well in mind, strengthened in body and filled more 
 with the precious love of God. 
 
 The only return I can make to you for the fatherly 
 interest you have taken in me, is to resolve to so live 
 and act, that no matter what it pleases God to place 
 in my pathway, it shall be only the means of 
 strengthening my faith, and teaching me to live closer 
 to the dear Saviour who shed His life’s blood for me. 
 Yes, dear Mr. Crittenton, wherever you may be and 
 whenever my name comes to your mind, I want 5'ou 
 to take up this little note and feel that trul)^ God 
 (although sometimes to our mind He waits a long 
 time) always answers honest prayer, and that across 
 the deep blue ocean, there is one happy, thrice happ}", 
 little woman, whose salvation will make one of the 
 many stars that will shine in your coronet in the last 
 great day, and who will count the hours for j'our 
 return ; and should it be God’s will that she meet you 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. l6l 
 
 no more on earth, her life will so be spent that she 
 will clasp hands with you and stand at your side and 
 join with you in the glad Hallelujah that will rend 
 the skies when the joyous command sounds, “Enter 
 thou into the joys prepared for you from the founda- 
 tion of the world.’’ 
 
 Your little sister in Jesus, 
 
 E R . 
 
 ^ ^ 'K 
 
 I. H. N. Christian Workers’ Home, 
 
 129 East Tenth St., 
 
 New York City, Sept, ii, 1889. 
 
 Mr. CriTTEnTon, Dear Brother and Friend : — 
 Once more I will try in my feeble way to bear testi- 
 mony to the great goodness of God to me. 
 
 He is wonderfully blessing and keeping and using 
 me. I cannot tell you how, but each step of the way 
 He guides me. I know no will but the will of my 
 Father. Oh, what a grand way to live, to know and 
 feel that each moment of the life He gave me, is 
 devoted to His service, all for love of Him and through 
 His love He brought it all about, for He so loved me 
 that He died to save me. Oh, how He loves ! 
 
 I am perfectly content in my new life. I never 
 think of the old except to thank God for His wonder- 
 ful love in “saving a rebel like me,’’ and whenever 
 I think upon the old life it is to ask God to send me 
 out to those in that old, dark path that leads down to 
 death everlasting, with a message. I pray to be the 
 bearer of tidings of great joy to those I see leading 
 the life of sin and not thinking of what is to become 
 
i 62 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 of them. Oh, will you pray that I may be made very 
 useful in bringing souls to the foot of the Cross. I 
 see every day that the dear Lord takes each one of us 
 at our word. I am willing to live up to the agree- 
 ment I made with Him that I would do anything He 
 asked me to do for His cause, and I find I am most 
 wonderfully blessed in so doing. He keeps me in the 
 way so straight and narrow and feeds me on His love 
 so sweet. Truly, I can say, “ The Lord is my Shep- 
 herd, I shall not want.” Oh, how He loves ! 
 
 Just think, it is not three years till September 20th, 
 since He spoke peace to my weary, sin-sick soul, and 
 to-day I can truly sajL 
 
 “ His yoke is easy. His burden is light, 
 
 I’ve found it so, I’ve found it so ; 
 
 He leadeth me by day and by night 
 Where limng waters flow.” 
 
 I had occasion to call at Florence Mission last 
 week and I was struck by the spirit of love and 
 prayer that seemed to pervade the ver}" atmosphere 
 of the house, and as one after another of the girls 
 came through the room, many of whom were strangers 
 to me, I received a return to my cheery' ” good-morn- 
 ing ” that made my soul sing in ecstasy, and as one 
 dear girl who has been in the Florence sometime, 
 
 came to me, saying, ‘ ‘ Oh, H •, we all prayed 
 
 for you this morning,” I could only say', ‘‘Thank 
 God, we are both on praying ground and interceding 
 terms with Him.” The dear girl then said they' had 
 a grand time at morning prayers. They', every one, 
 consecrated themselves to the work and promised to 
 do just what the Lord wanted them to do, and they 
 
fi^orence; crittenton missions. 163 
 
 believed that God did accept them. Oh, I know you 
 would like to have been present on that occasion and 
 every one felt that you were praying for them and 
 that you would have been so very much pleased to 
 know that they were taking that step. 
 
 I believe the dear Lord is preparing me for a life 
 of active work in His vineyard and I cannot thank 
 Him often enough for His wonderful dealings with 
 me. I am amazed when I ponder upon it. But 
 
 '• He moves in a mysterious way 
 His wonders to perform.” 
 
 I know He saves and keeps me. He saves from 
 the uttermost to the uttermost and I know He sancti- 
 fies me and keeps me pure and clean. Praise His 
 holy name ! 
 
 I am your sister in Christ, 
 
 H E. B . 
 
 ^ 
 
 T , N. Y., August 31, 1890. 
 
 Dear Brother Crittenton ; — Your kind and 
 long-looked-for letter reached me yesterday. I firmly 
 believe that God meant to have it delayed, so as to give 
 me the pleasure of receiving it on the very anniver- 
 sary of my sixth Christian birthday, for just six years 
 ago this very night I was born anew into the King- 
 dom of God. Bless the Lord ! 
 
 I was just feeling a shade sad, knowing there 
 would be no prospect of leaving my patients to go 
 down home -to the Florence Mission — to add my 
 testimony to the rest, so I sent it by letter to Brother 
 Sketchley, who I know will give it for me. 
 
164 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IX GIRLS. 
 
 No, dear brother, since I have entered the work of 
 nursing I rarely have a chance to attend Brother 
 Hatch’s Bible class, and I miss it very much as I 
 alwa5^s found it verj" helpful to me. 
 
 I must tell 3mu that at the beginning of this 5-ear 
 I made up m5^ mind that I would give m5'self up 
 wholly to the Lord, and give up anything that might 
 in an5^ wa5- hinder, and just work for Him in whatso- 
 ever way He would see fit. I felt that in the wa5' one 
 of the girls was livdng, it was wrong in me to make a 
 companion of her as I had done in the past, so New- 
 Year’s day decided it. I told her of what I had done 
 and begged her to do the same. But she said she 
 could not just then. So that decided the matter. I 
 went to the Hospital, which place, I think, was sent 
 me in direct answer to pra5-er. I take charge of the 
 upper Female Ward of the “ House of Rest.” The 
 superintendent told me the}- would start me at 
 fifteen dollars per month, and advance me as I proved 
 m}-self worth}-, because they felt a little doubtful 
 regarding my age, as all the other nurses are over 
 twenty -five years of age. I have been here six weeks 
 and like my work very much, although it keeps me 
 going day and night, the nights being so much 
 harder on the consumptives. I have eleven patients 
 in my ward, five of whom are unable to do anything 
 for themselves. It makes me feel so sad to see so 
 many dear girls after having lived a life of ever}- kind 
 of vice and sin, come in here to die, and then watch 
 them fighting against death. 
 
 One poor girl from the ‘‘Faith Home,” came 
 here in April, after ten years spent in the deml’s 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 165 
 
 service. She had neither seen nor heard from her 
 folks within that time till they found her here, dying. 
 I shall never forget the scene. When just on the 
 verge of death, she grew delirious and raved and sang 
 all night. She was a beautiful singer. I shall never 
 hear any one sing “ A Little Talk with Jesus” with- 
 out thinking of her. She would then cry out, ‘‘0, 
 Jesus, take me ! Make this devil let go of me, I’m 
 in bondage.” Finally, she was sent to the Insane 
 Pavilion in Bellevue, where she drew her last breath. 
 
 Another one, a beautiful girl who had not seen or 
 heard from her folks in eight years, who are very 
 well-to-do people, came here three weeks ago. Fver 
 since, she had been sinking fast and died this morning. 
 Another sight never to be forgotten. A poor gray- 
 haired father and mother broken-hearted, and a 
 brother racked with sorrow stood around the bed of 
 the dying girl praying for God to forgive the past. 
 As she was dying she said, ‘ ‘ O help me ! Everything 
 is so dark around me.” Truly, ” the wages of sin is 
 death.” 
 
 Still another came in yesterday on the verge of 
 the deliriuvt tremens, but with good care she is much 
 better to-day. 
 
 I tell you, my dear brother, the Lord has cer- 
 tainly kept me as it were by a miracle. I tremble as 
 I think of what and where I might have been, had 
 it not been for the timely rescue of the dear Florence 
 Mission ! When only sixteen years of age, I too was 
 walking the streets of New York, not knowing where 
 to go or what to do. Had it not been then that the 
 doors of this dear home were open to me through 
 
1 66 THE traffic in GIRLS. 
 
 your kindly influence, and that there I learned the 
 way to Heaven, a like fate might have overtaken me. 
 This thought makes me very patient and attentive to 
 the wants of these dear girls in the last few days of 
 their lives, and with God’s help I mean to keep on in 
 His service doing the little things “ in His name.” 
 
 Now I did not mean to give you quite so long an 
 account, but then I felt that you might be interested 
 to hear it. I know you are very busy but I always 
 feel like telling you all that concerns me, just as I 
 would a father, if I had one. 
 
 I am so glad to hear of your success in your work 
 in the West, and my prayer for you every da}' is that 
 the Lord will bless you abundantly in every good 
 word and work that you set forth in His service. 
 
 By the way, I must tell you, dear friend, that the 
 Chaplain started for a trip to Europe shortly after 
 I came. Having made it a point to attend the 
 Patients’ service every evening, it seems he was at- 
 tracted by my voice, and asked me if I could play the 
 organ. I told him I could play simple pieces. He 
 asked me to try a few hymns, which went very well ; 
 so he made it a settled matter that I should take 
 charge of the organ and the singing during his ab- 
 sence, which is a great help to me, for I always 
 wanted to have a chance of practicing, even if I never 
 did have the chance of being taught. 
 
 The patients all like to have me sing some of 
 our hymns ; so you see that the Lord has really 
 opened a work for me to do right here. Pray for me 
 that I may make it a success, and that in another 
 year’s time I can look back and say that I have done 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 67 
 
 more for tlie Lord this year than I have ever done 
 before. 
 
 Write whenever you can, as I shall be anxious to 
 hear from you. A letter from you always seems to 
 do me good. “ God be with you till we meet again.” 
 
 T D . 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Florence Mission, 
 
 New York, March 27, 1890. 
 
 Dear Brother Crittenton : — I have just 
 attended a meeting at dear Florence Mission, the 
 dearest spot on earth to me because it was there 
 I received my sight and had my sins all blotted 
 out and was, and am now, washed in the blood 
 of the Lamb. We had a good meeting. Mr. Sketch- 
 ley led. We are having good meetings every night, 
 and good solid work done in the after meetings. 
 Do you remember Mabel, a large girl who wore 
 glasses? She never was in the Mission to stay. 
 You have pleaded with her many times. She is 
 dying. I have been to see her in the hospital. 
 May Cornell was in the Mission to-night. She is 
 married and living at Flushing, but she is not saved. 
 She told me to write and ask you to pray for her, and 
 she promised to pray for herself, that she might give 
 her heart to God. Then there is another girl I want 
 you to pray for, I don’t know her name, but you 
 know her, and God knows her, and I am going to 
 pray for her. 
 
 Mr. Crittenton, there is another “Jennie” from 
 Thirteenth street saved. Glory to God. She was 
 
i68 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 saved last Sunday night, so that makes three. Jen- 
 nie Little is doing very well, and has been in our 
 place nearly a 5^ear. It is almost three years since I 
 started. That makes about one a year. 
 
 Pray for “ Annie Wagner.” I was talking to her 
 one night, and the tears rolled down her cheeks and 
 she was very much interested. 
 
 How the Lord has had you go all around the 
 world for Him, just like a telegraph boy, giving out 
 His word, and trying to interest the people about us 
 poor fallen women and trying to open homes for us. 
 
 How many poor sad hearts 3’ou have been the 
 means of making happy, by holding up the light, the 
 banner of Jesus to us, until we too, are telling it to 
 others. 
 
 We saw the dog that used to get into bed with 
 you, and Mr, Carpenter said it had a nose like yours. 
 We saw the chickens that laid the eggs 5'ou ate. We 
 are so glad you are so near home. If you are not 
 coming just yet, our prayer is that you ma}^ be able 
 to come soon, fully restored to perfect health, to work 
 in the dear Florence Mission for many years, where 
 there is such grand work going on. 
 
 Mrs. Freeman is doing good work in her mission 
 on Thirt3^-first street. Think of it. A converted 
 keeper of a house spending all her time and mone5', 
 and the Lord is using her ! The Beulah is her mis- 
 sion. 
 
 Good-by, with love from your sister in Christ, 
 
 Jennie. 
 
TABERNACLE, BEULAH PARK, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. 
 

S'LORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 169 
 
 [We give also one letter from “ One of the Boys.” 
 may it check other young men in their downward 
 career.] 
 
 ‘‘ HARVEST OF WIED OATS.” 
 
 “ God is not mocked : For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also 
 reap.” — Gal. vi, 7. 
 
 Mr. C. N. CrittenTon, Dear Sir : — I write you, 
 because I am afraid I lack the moral courage to come 
 into your presence and tell you who and what I am. 
 You have traveled much ; you have seen men and 
 women in every depth of sin ; look back over your 
 life, remember the lowest wretch you ever met, then 
 look lower ^ and you will find me. 
 
 A little more than a week ago I went into your 
 meeting. I don’t know why I went, but I did. I heard 
 you preach. You said, ‘‘Jesus would save any- 
 body.” You told how he saved all kinds of people, 
 even fallen women. But tell me ! Can He save a 
 man who caused a woman to fall, who planned and 
 plotted to bring about her ruin and then — O God have 
 mercy on me ! — lived off the earnings of her shame. 
 
 If you want to hear a story of hell on earth, listen 
 to me, I won’t keep you long. Five years ago, if you 
 had looked into my life, you would have said it was a 
 happy one. You would have seen a young man of 
 twenty-seven, with bright prospects for this life, with 
 a wife as pure and good as an angel, and two little 
 children. We were members of the Church, and 
 every Sunday took our little ones by their hands, and 
 brought them into the house of God. ‘‘ We will try 
 to train them right, so they will grow up to be good 
 men like you, John,” said my wife. 
 
1 70 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 You ask now I can speak of these things now, and 
 how I have the courage to dare to mention my wife’s 
 name, and the holy ties that bound me to her before 
 heaven. 
 
 Because I must, because you would never under- 
 stand me if you do not know all that I have done, if 
 you could not see how much deeper is my degradation 
 on account of the heights from which I have fallen. 
 I could never look you in the face and say it. I must 
 hide behind the fact that you are absent, that I will 
 not be there to see the look of withering disgust that 
 your manhood will bring up, in spite of the charity 
 that God has given you. 
 
 Five years ago last February my wife invited a 
 friend of hers to spend a few da3'S with us. She came. 
 Alas ! she had better never have been born. She 
 came to her ruin, her death, her everlasting destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 Why go into details ? She led me to forget every- 
 thing, my love for m}^ wife, my dutj’ as a man and a 
 Christian, in mj’- mad infatuation for her. With a 
 purpose unflagging I went to work to bring about her 
 destruction. I told her that I loved her, and to my 
 great joy I found she loved me. Long she maintained 
 her integrit\L her puritjL but at last I became her 
 destroyer. 
 
 We went together to San Francisco, calling our- 
 selves man and wife. I could not get any work at 
 my regular business (book-keeping) so shifted about 
 from one thing to another, going lower and lower 
 at every change. Both of us began to drink, and 
 after six months we quarreled and sometimes fought. 
 
PLORENCS; CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 17I 
 
 I became bar-keeper in a second-class saloon. Then 
 for a long time I was out of work. 
 
 One day, drunk and crazed for more liquor, she 
 upbraided me for not supporting her. I told her she 
 could “provide for both of us.’’ She took me at my 
 word, and went into deeper degradation, and for three 
 years I, who had once been a man, shared the money 
 she brought from her sinful life. 
 
 Oh, I can’t write it. We went lower and lower. 
 Many a time, when she had nothing to give me, I 
 would curse and beat her. 
 
 One night last May a woman came into the saloon 
 where I was playing cards with others of my class, 
 and said “she wanted to speak to me.’’ I went to 
 her. She said “Sue was sick, and she was afraid 
 she had taken poison. ’ ’ I went to her ; she lay on her 
 bed half dressed, writhing in agony, but cursing at 
 every breath. A doctor came, but it was too late. 
 Ten minutes after I first saw her, she lay dead, dead, 
 with her awful sin written on her face, and as I looked 
 at her, the voice of my old self, my old heart, that I 
 thought was dead, pointed its finger at me and said : 
 ‘ ‘ Yotir work. ’ ’ 
 
 I will not try to tell you what I have suffered 
 since. How I have seen death and hell before me. 
 How I would have killed myself long ago, but I had 
 not the courage to do so. 
 
 Now you know me, you know a man worse than 
 you ever dreamed of. Tell me, can Christ reach down 
 low enough to reach me and lift me upf , Can Jesus 
 save a man who murdered a woman, body and soul ? 
 A man who basely deserted the tenderest wife and 
 
172 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 loveliest children in the world. You say, “Believe, 
 and God will do the rest.” But will my believing 
 take that soul out of hell and put it where it would 
 have been, but for me ? Will my believing heal the 
 broken hearts of my poor wife and children ? Won’t 
 you say something to help me ? When you ask those 
 that want to be saved to stand up, I start to get up, 
 but I always see her face as I saw it that night, and 
 realize that there is no hope for me. 
 
 I want you to say something to me ; I w^ant you 
 to tell me something to-morrow night, whether you 
 think there is any hope for me ? You can say, “The 
 man who wrote the letter,” or j-ou can use my name. 
 Nobody here knows me. 
 
 You think I am a coward not to come to you. 
 So I am, and you would not wonder, if you saw my 
 face, as I see it in the mirror, with “hell” written 
 all over it. Just say there is a chance for me. Tell 
 me what I must do, and I will be the first one to 
 stand up ; that is, may be I will, I can’t promise any- 
 thing. Can I trust you to speak to me ? Speak right 
 out, so I will understand. If 3’ou don’t think God 
 can go down to anj^ one so low as I am, saj' so. I 
 don’t believe He can, because I damned a human 
 soul. 
 
 I will be there early to-morrow night, and for 
 God’s sake do not disappoint me. 
 
 (Signed) John . 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 173 
 
 Convalescents’ Home, 
 
 433 East 118th St., New York. 
 
 Mr. CriTTEnTon, My Dear, Kind Friend : — Ever 
 since I was removed from the hospital I have been too 
 ill to write, but I do want to see you. There is no 
 definite time for my leaving here but it may occur at 
 a moment’s notice, so I wish you would come as soon 
 as you can. 
 
 Until I meet you I know the Lord will shed the 
 light of His countenance upon you and bless you as 
 I pray He may, for the wonderful manifestations He 
 has given through me of what your great work can 
 accomplish. I want to tell you about it all before I 
 go home and am seen no more. I am only waiting 
 until He calls me where there is no more pain, no 
 more parting. Blessed rest ! Happy home ! 
 
 I could write on but I am weak. I will not apol- 
 ogize for the manner of writing for I know you feel it 
 must be a task for me to write. Again, God bless, 
 keep and hold you up as He does all His children, is 
 the prayer of one who has been saved through your 
 Florence Mission. Annie F. Gaylord. 
 
 March 12, i 88 j. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 December 12, 1890. 
 
 Dear Brother Crittenton : — lam sending you 
 a few lines to thank you for your kindness to me. 
 I am learning a good business and one that will pay. 
 I was sorry to hear of Brother Carpenter’s poor 
 health. I hope he will soon recover and do plenty 
 of work in the Master’s vineyard. There is need of 
 
174 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 it and more now than ever before. People want 
 something that they can take with them in every 
 place — in the garret or palace, business or the home 
 — and we want it in our lives that the world can see 
 that Satan has no power over us, if we surrender our- 
 selves to God to be a living witness for Him. Glory 
 to His name. I can never thank Him enough for 
 what He has done for me. “ I would rather walk in 
 the dark with Him than walk alone in the light.” 
 I want to love Him more, and do more for Him here. 
 Pray for me that I may be of some use. Wishing 
 you a merry Christmas and a happy New-Year, I re- 
 main, Yours sincerely, 
 
 ‘,‘1. H. N.” Alice Hapwood. 
 
 5j; 
 
 ONE OF GOD’S WORKERS. 
 
 Respectfully Dedicated to Charles N. Crittenton. 
 
 One of God’s workers, how blest is the name ! 
 Laboring in Christ’s vineyard ere the sun wane ; 
 Striving to win weary wanderers from sin. 
 
 Gather them in, Christian, gather them in. 
 
 O, may the good Lord bless thee alway, 
 
 And scatter fair flowers on thy path to-day. 
 
 May Christ give thee strength to endure every hour 
 The toils of this life and the tempter’s false power. 
 
 Dear worker in Jesus, toil on and lead all 
 Who would come to the Saviour, who heed th}^ blest 
 call ; 
 
 My brother, in fields where God’s laborers are few. 
 Toil on, there’s a harvest awaiting for you. 
 
Florence: crittenton missions. 175 
 
 O may our Lord bless thee and give thee a right 
 To stand ’mid the blest in pure garments of white. 
 To enter that heaven where all are so pure, 
 
 And in those blest mansions thy joy shall endure. 
 
 Dedicated to you by one who is now in Florence 
 Mission. Respectfully, 
 
 Jennie Wells. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Elizabeth, December 2, 1884. 
 
 Mr. Crittenton, Dear When I look 
 
 back and count the mercies of God to me since I 
 came to the Florence Mission, I am ashamed of my- 
 self for complaining and finding fault with God 
 because I don’t feel well. If I had my just deserts, I 
 might be filling an untimely and dishonored grave. 
 But I am redeemed, saved from that terrible life and 
 eternal death which I justly deserved and would cer- 
 tainly be reaping only for Jesus. Oh praise His dear 
 name for His complete salvation in life and death. 
 While I write to you now I can see and feel the awful 
 iiarrow escape I had and I shrink with horror at the 
 sight and my heart swells with thanks to God for 
 His timely deliverance. Some Saturday night I am 
 going to the Florence Mission and tell the people 
 all about it and let them see how Jesus can save and 
 help. Your friend, 
 
 Nellie Conroy. 
 
 ^ sji 
 
 Albany, N. Y., 32 Howard Street, 
 December 18, 1880. 
 
 My Dear Friend and Brother in Christ : — 
 Your good letter I received a long time ago. It 
 
176 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 found me in bed ill, and I have been there for the 
 most part ever since. I have thought so much of you 
 during that time, and it has worried me so much to 
 think that I could not write you and tell you thai" I 
 received 3"our words of love and cheer. 
 
 I must tell you something of God’s goodness and 
 mercy to me during this illness and time of trial, for it 
 has been a time of trial, after having been away from 
 the busy world as long as I was at the insane asylum, 
 and now, when free, and longing so to do something 
 for the Master in that particular work in which you 
 and I are so interested — that of going out into the by- 
 ways and broadways which lead to death, and with our 
 hearts full of gratitude to Him who has done so much 
 for us — trying to point the wandering ones and lost 
 ones to the Saviour who “ died to save them from their 
 sins” — to be laid aside. 
 
 At first I am afraid it was a sore trial, but Jiow, 
 I can see that it was one of the richest blessings that 
 ever came to me. ‘‘ Hallelujah, what a Saviour.” 
 One of the ladies who belongs to the Board of Man- 
 agers of the “House of Shelter,” knowing I was 
 verj' miserable, came up to see me one afternoon, and 
 thought if she could only get me ov’er to her own 
 home and “ mother” me for a little while, I might feel 
 better. Her good husband, who is a physician, Dr. 
 Steinberg, gave me some medicine which he thought 
 would help me, and dear Mrs. Steinberg, who is one 
 of the Lord' s own, put mustard piasters and various 
 other remedies where she thought thej" would do the 
 most effective work, and I went to bed. That was 
 three weeks ago, and Dr. and Mrs. Steinberg have 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 1 77 
 
 nursed me through a most severe illness which at one 
 time threatened to prove fatal. 
 
 I know your heart will go out to these kind friends 
 who so beautifully and in such a Christlike manner 
 have done for me the “ Inasmuch.” ‘‘ I was a stran- 
 ger and ye took me in,” and I know that for His dear 
 sake they took me in and ministered unto me. 
 
 I have learned many precious lessons on my sick- 
 bed. I have told Him all my doubts and griefs and 
 fears. Oh ! how patiently He listened ‘ ‘ and my droop- 
 ing soul he cheered,” and He reproved me too and 
 out of it all I can say, ‘‘ The Lord’s name be praised.” 
 
 My dear friend I have spent very many precious 
 moments in prayer for you, and your work away off 
 on the Pacific coast, and I have told Dr. and Mrs. 
 Steinberg the story of Florence Mission and they too 
 have borne you up on the wings of prayer and faith. 
 I know of six persons in Albany who have promised 
 me to remember you and your labor of love every 
 day. So take courage in the midst of the hard work 
 and the odds which you are fighting against and 
 know that you have Christ’s own promise, and that 
 cannot fail. It is as it always is, a comfort for me to 
 know that wherever you are you are praying for me. 
 
 ‘‘Some sweet day by-and-by ” when we stand 
 inside the pearly gate and look into each other’s 
 faces, Mr. Crittenton, I think that you will praise Him 
 that ever you stood with me that night so many years 
 ago on the corner of two streets in New York City 
 and pointed me to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was that 
 night I first took Him to help me bear the burdens 
 which along with my sins were weighing me down, 
 
178 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRI^. 
 
 down, DOWN, and although I have made many mis- 
 takes since that night, it was not He that willed 
 it should be so, but my own self, for I know that the 
 dear Lord Christ would have gathered me to his side 
 and kept me from harm, yet I would not. But to- 
 night I stand firm in the strength with which He 
 strengtheneth me, and I say I will die before I ever 
 again will do anything that I know to be displeasing 
 to God. “ Where He leads I will follow.” If it be 
 over rough places I’ll follow Him or up on mountain 
 heights, or deep down through the vallej^ or through 
 deep waters, anywhere and everywhere I’ll follow 
 Him. 
 
 I must tell you the good times the girls and I 
 have singing the dear old hymns which I used to sing 
 at Florence Mission. There I used to sing for Jesus, 
 and I hope He will allow me again to sing in His 
 service. I sent my testimony to be given there. Mr. 
 Crittenton, I would esteem it the highest honor that 
 could come to me to be able some day to take charge 
 of the music in dear Florence Mission or in some of 
 her branches, and I consider myself one of her 
 daughters. 
 
 My heart is very full as I write you. I wish you 
 might look in on me as I sit at this table in Mrs. 
 Steinberg’s “Sanctum Sanctorum.” The Doctor 
 sits at one end of the little writing-table, while dear 
 Mrs. Steinberg sits at the other trimming a hat for 
 some poor girl who has no hat to wear, and I sit be- 
 tween writing to you who have been so much of a 
 father and friend to me for years, when I needed just 
 those things the most, and very often our Sister Stein- 
 
florecne; critentton missions. 
 
 179 
 
 berg will say so lovingly, “ Don’t tire yourself dear,” 
 and love reigns supreme in this little Home Kingdom 
 and over us all. We, near the Atlantic ocean, and 
 you, away across the continent on the Pacific coast, 
 can sing : 
 
 “The King of Love our Shepherd is 
 Whose goodness faileth never, 
 
 And we are His and He is ours, 
 
 Forever and forever.’’ 
 
 ‘ ‘ Hallelujah! What a Saviour. ’ ’ 
 
 You ask me to send a testimony that you can use 
 to help some other poor wretched outcast girl whose 
 life has failure written all over it. Well I can only 
 say that ‘‘ God’s arm is not shortened that it cannot 
 save,” and if He could lift me from the horrible pit 
 and the depths of miry clay into which I was plunged 
 and sinking down deep. He can help any 07 ie up 
 who will call on Him for help. And I have always 
 found Him such a tender, gentle, loving Friend, one 
 who understood me and was always ready to hear even 
 my faintest sigh, and to help me. My testimony to- 
 night is, ‘ ‘ The Lord has done great things for me, 
 whereof I am glad,” and that 
 
 “ I’ve found a friend in Jesus, 
 
 Who is everything to me. 
 
 In sorrow He’s my comfort. 
 
 In trouble He’s my stay. 
 
 He tells me every care on Him to roll. 
 
 He’s the Eily of the Valley, 
 
 The bright and morning-star. 
 
 He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul,’’ 
 
 and I am looking forward to a life of service to Him, 
 should my life be spared, and at the end to go to be 
 
l8o THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 with Him in the mansions which He has gone to pre- 
 pare for me and all who love Him, and Minnie Dean 
 Moflfatt expects to praise Him forever and forever, 
 for saving a sinner like her. Sure enough, m)' sins 
 have been many and my failings have been sore, but 
 glory be to Jesus, up there they’ll never vex me nor 
 be remembered more, for His blood has made me white 
 and His hand will dry my eyes when He takes me 
 Home at last to m}^ own country. I inclose a letter 
 from my foster mother dear Mrs. Steinberg. 
 
 May your Christmas be a hallowed joy and peace, 
 is the earnest prayer of one of your girls whom you 
 led to Christ. 
 
 Minnie Dean Moffatt. 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 Albany, N. Y., Dec. 19, ’90. 
 
 Mr. C. N. CrittenTon, Dear Sir : — I can scarcely 
 realize that I am indeed addressing one of whom I 
 had so often heard long before looking upon the face 
 of our dear Dean, but since I have known and loved 
 her I have heard so many wonderful things about 
 Mr. Crittenton and the “ Florence ” and the hundreds 
 of weary ones rested, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clean 
 through His blood, that I can only say over and over, 
 “ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within 
 me, bless His holy name.” 
 
 Dean has been very, very ill. Many an anxious 
 hour have I passed at her bedside the past weeks and 
 many times she whispered ” If I go, it is all right.” 
 Her trust in her heavenly Father has been so beauti- 
 ful and entire, and now that again she is looking 
 toward health, it is with the great desire of serving in 
 
FI.ORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. l8l 
 
 the dear old way, going out and down to the lost and 
 friendless and pointing to Jesus, the Friend of the 
 friendless. But the dear child is very feeble and only 
 Christ knows when or how she is to serve. Most 
 earnest must be our prayer that if His will, vigor of 
 body may come for the work for which she is so 
 rarely fitted. Yours in Christ, 
 
 Ada H. Steinberg. 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 New Yore City, Jan. 26, ’91 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton : — Your kind letter re- 
 ceived. Your request for my life and conversion and 
 also Mamie’s I will promise to grant on condition that 
 names are suppressed. I do not think it is a false 
 pride in my case, but I remember that I have rela- 
 tives who I know would not like ever to see or know 
 anything of the past. They do not know anything of 
 the past at home and I do not believe the Ford wants 
 me to tell them. 
 
 When I think of the years of my life that were 
 spent in vice I feel that I would like to go off some- 
 where and cover myself with sackcloth. There is no 
 pleasure in recalling those days, and many a time at 
 my desk when some recollection thereof comes to me 
 I feel the blood mounting to my face and feel what a 
 shame that it should be true. 
 
 I was thinking of you and your work last night, 
 and I wondered where you were and what you are 
 doing. I knew you were doing the Master’s work, 
 but wondered if you were in a church among the re- 
 spectable sinners or down in the slums among the 
 real bad ones. 
 
i 82 
 
 THK TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 There was quite a good meeting at the Florence 
 Saturday night, it being Mr. McNulty’s fifth anniver- 
 sary. But somehow, Mr. Crittenton, I always miss 
 you at the Saturday night meetings. I know, Mr. 
 Crittenton, that you pray for me every day. You 
 never forget any of the girls. We are all very dear to 
 you, I believe, and I know we are much dearer to 
 Christ. I remember you always and ask that you 
 may have souls for your hire. 
 
 Your sister in Christ, 
 
 M. H. I. 
 
 * * * 
 
 Florence Night Mission, 
 
 New York, Oct. i, 1889. 
 
 To OUR Dear Friend and Kind Benefactor, 
 Mr. C. N. Crittenton ; — We, your girls of the 
 Florence Mission, write a line to offer you universal 
 thanks for all the many benefits we have receiv’ed in 
 this our happy home both spiritually and otherwise, 
 but especially for the very pleasant day we spent in 
 honor of the birthday of our dear matron and mother, 
 for mother indeed, she is to all of us. You will 
 probably, or perhaps have alread}^ received details 
 regarding the pleasures of the day from another 
 source, but we could not resist writing a few lines to 
 let you know that we did not forget you, and many, 
 many were the wishes for your presence, and also 
 many prayers were sent up to the Heaveul}' throne 
 for your perfect restoration to health and for 3’our safe 
 return to us at an early date. The latter part of the 
 last passage may seem selfish as j'ou read it, but dear 
 friend it is not the case, as I am sure there is not one 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSION, SACRAMENTO, CAL. 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 183 
 
 of us who has known you but would forfeit anything 
 in our power only to see you fully restored to health. 
 We cannot in writing convey all we would like to say 
 neither can we express all our thanks, but one thing 
 we can do and by the help of our Heavenly Father we 
 are going to — that is to prove by our lives that we are 
 Mr. Crittenton’s own girls also that our light shall 
 so shine before men that we may glorify our Father 
 which is in Heaven. We still keep up our noonday 
 meeting and look forward to it with much pleasure. 
 Our Sunday evening Bible-class is also very interest- 
 ing, and we appreciate Mr. Hatch more than he im- 
 agines for the untiring interest which he takes in us. 
 
 Sincerely hoping to receive in the next letter 
 still better account of your health, also that you may 
 have a glorious time in the Holy Land, we, are as 
 ever. Your Girls, 
 
 of the blessed Florence Mission. 
 ^ * 
 
 Florence Mission, 
 
 New York, Sept. 13, 1889. 
 
 Dearest op Friends : — I have no doubt you 
 will have forgotten me, but such is not the case on 
 my part. Though I have only had the pleasure of 
 meeting you personally twice, it seems to me that 
 I have been acquainted with you all my lifetime. I 
 have been in the Mission two weeks altogether and 
 have been richly blessed spiritually. I am praying 
 sincerely that the time is not far distant when I shall 
 have the pleasure of seening you personally. May 
 God bless you and return you to us safely, is the 
 prayer of One of your girls, L. H. 
 
184 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Florence Mission, 
 
 New York City, Sept. 13, 1889. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton : — It is with love and 
 pleasure that I write you these few lines. I am very- 
 sorry to hear that you are feeling so badly but I pray to 
 the Ford every day that He may make you well again, 
 and Mr. Crittenton, I am trying to be a good Christian 
 girl and the dear Lord knows if I do make missteps 
 that I want to do what is right and I hope that I will 
 be faithful and that I may meet you in heaven, for I 
 know that if I follow after the example you and dear 
 Mrs. Howell have set before me that I always will do 
 what the Lord wants me to. 
 
 We are having very good meetings now. Last 
 night Mr. Sketchley preached and our noon meetings 
 are good. They have been a great help to us. 
 
 This is all for this time. I will close with love, as 
 ever. Your little friend, N. K. 
 
 The Matron writes : “It has been a hard battle 
 for your poor little Nellie to give up self and her own 
 will and ways, but I believe she is determined to get 
 to heaven by the grace of God. 
 
 ^ 
 
 Florence Mission, 
 
 New York City, Sept. 30, 1889. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton : — I was very happ3" to 
 hear from j^ou this morning. I do long so much to 
 look into your kind and loving face once more. 
 
 Say Mr. Crittenton, yesterday, being that it was 
 my last da}^ here, the girls had me lead the meeting 
 and I tell j'ou Mr. Crittenton that we had a splendid 
 
FI,ORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 185 
 
 meeting. Mr. Hatch came a little while before the 
 time so that gave me a good chance to ask him down 
 to my meeting ; he led us in prayer, then every one of 
 the girls followed after and the night meetings are 
 very good. Mr. Crittenton, I can never forget the 
 kind and loving instructions that I have received ever 
 since I came into this house. I know that there was 
 a time last winter that I did not take heed to what 
 was said to me about Jesus, but I do now, and I ask 
 you as my own dear papa to pray for me that the 
 Lord may always keep me close to Him. I feel that 
 the Lord has greatly blessed me since I have been 
 here just eleven months ago to-night. 
 
 Your affectionate little daughter in Jesus, 
 
 Neleie. 
 
 New York City, Sept, 13th, 1889. 
 
 My Dear Mr. Crittenton : — I write you these 
 few lines wishing to tell you that I am saved through 
 the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and am trying to 
 be a good faithful girl and be a credit to God and to 
 you all. I do want to meet you and all my loved 
 ones up in that bright and better land which Jesus 
 has prepared for us all, and where there will be no 
 more sin or pain, or parting, and where we will al- 
 ways behold the face of our beloved Jesus. 
 
 Mr. Crittenton I am very glad to tell you that I 
 led our noonday meeting and we never forget you in 
 our prayers. I hope to see you when you return in 
 health and strength and I do thank you and God for 
 this blessed home Florence Mission, which is a haven 
 of rest from the bitter cold world that we must face to 
 
i86 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 will souls for Jesus, but He will take care of us all 
 along the way. I must now close by saying that I 
 am standing on the promises of God. 
 
 One of your girls, Genie Hansen. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Florence Night Mission, 
 
 New York City, Sept. 13, ’89. 
 
 To Our Beloved Friend Mr. Crittenton, 
 Founder Florence Mission : — From your own girls. 
 You can never comprehend what joy and happiness 
 it gave us all yesterday as Mrs. Howell gave your 
 card to us as our very own and not a word only to our- 
 selves, and then to think you were thinking of us 
 on top of-that great Eiffel Tower, and as it tells us no 
 matter where you go nor how high you climb j^ou 
 always carry your girls in your heart and in your 
 prayers ; and just to think, you’re not feeling well and 
 yet sitting down to let us know you are thinking of 
 us and praying for us. We have been holding a 
 meeting to-day just for you that God may heal your 
 body and bring you back to us soon, and we believe 
 He will, for whatever we ask God for in our little 
 noon meeting He does it for us. So now we are 
 going to write out the testimonies and send them to 
 you that you may see that your labor which under 
 God you bestow upon us is not lost, for we are truly 
 grateful to God and to you. We are going to have 
 the card you .sent us put in a frame that we maj^ all 
 enjoy it together. With best of good wishes and 
 prayers for heaven’s richest blessings, we remain. 
 
 Your Own Girls, 
 
 of Florence Mission. 
 
PIvORENCE CRITTEnPON MISSIONS. 187 
 
 Feorence Mission, 
 
 New York City, Sept. 13, 1889. 
 
 Dear Friend and Kind Benefactor : — We 
 are all deliglited to hear from you and it affords me 
 great pleasure to write my little testimony — that I 
 love Jesus to-day better than ever I did, and it is my 
 earnest prayer that God will keep me at the foot of 
 the Cross. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton, I often wonder if it will ever 
 be in my power to prove to you how fully I appre- 
 ciate all the kindness I have received at your hands 
 and the hands of our dear little mother, Mrs. Howell. 
 May our Heavenly Father shower His richest bless- 
 ings upon you and return you to us safely again, is 
 the sincere prayer of one of your own girls. 
 
 Hattie Waleace. 
 
 Feorence Mission, 
 
 New York, Sept. 13, 1889. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton : — I am a stranger to you 
 personally, but, thank God, not spiritually — through 
 the kindness and prayers of Mrs. Howell and Mr. 
 Sketchley, I came here to this good home a week ago a 
 broken-down creature, sick of the world, sick of 
 everything, sin and drink especially, and I was weary 
 and heavy-hearted. But, thank God, I have found 
 rest and peace in this blessed home. And oh, Mr. 
 Crittenton how we girls here do pray for you every 
 day that God may bless you and give you strength 
 and health to be able to return to us soon, that we 
 may be able to see our kind and good father, for that 
 is what you have been to all the girls. 
 
i88 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 I may not be here when you return as I must go 
 out in the world again to fight life’s battles, but kind 
 Mr. Crittenton, I have salvation now, and that I did 
 not have before ; and I am trusting in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, therefore I cannot fail to do right. 
 
 Oh, Mr. Crittenton how happy I am. I cannot 
 tell you how happy I feel. Do pray for me in that 
 far land. I love to go down to the meeting every 
 night. Everybody is so kind and happy there. 
 
 “ On Christ the solid rock I stand. 
 
 All other ground is sinking sand.” 
 
 Pray for me that I may be steadfast in the good 
 resolutions I have made. Good-by Mr. Crittenton, 
 and may God bless you, is the sincere wish of one of 
 
 your girls. Bessie Willis. 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 Florence Mission Rescue Band, 
 
 New York, May 25, 1890. 
 
 Dear Friend and Brother : — I received 5*our 
 kind letter some time ago, I was so glad to hear from 
 you. I thank you very much for 5'our kindness to 
 me. From the very first you have alwa3"S been a 
 father, or rather, a very kind brother to me. Some- 
 times when I am very tired after a hard night’s work, 
 I just think it would be so nice to lie down to rest 
 and to open my eyes in the land of bloom where the 
 sun never sets, where sorrow is unknown, where 
 sin never enters and where Satan will never tempt us 
 any more, where our vile bodies will be changed to 
 glorified bodies like unto His. Mr. Crittenton, do you 
 remember that to-day is the 25th of May? Since 
 three years ago, what a change ! The woman that 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 189 
 
 you saw that night is dead, I am a new woman. But 
 you remember that night, I think there never was a 
 more weary soul ever crossed your door than I. The 
 world was so cold, and so hard. Since mother left me, 
 it seemed as if no one cared for my soul, but surely 
 the Master spoke to me through you that night. He 
 looked through your eyes. Something said to me, 
 “This man is true.’’ I saw God in your face. As 
 
 poor B said, “ In one sense you are my Saviour ’’ 
 
 — through Him. 
 
 Then, no one but Jesus knows how many times I 
 was ready to give up, when your words cheered me. 
 But, my true friend, I can tell you to-day I am on the 
 Rock — Christ Jesus. No storm can sweep me off. 
 But it was through many trials and many sorrows 
 before I could say, “ Father, Thy will be done.’’ 
 
 I shall never be able to praise Him enough in this 
 life, it is too short, but in glory we shall have a shout 
 when we cast our crowns at His feet. My heart is 
 full of praise. I have been to church to-day, and 
 took four girls with me from the Mission. Then I 
 went to the hospital with Brother Van Lien, to see a 
 girl we had rescued, or rather we had talked with her 
 in a house of ill-fame on W. Third street, and to-day 
 she told me she wanted to be saved. I tried to hold up 
 Jesus to her. I told her of the Israelites when they 
 were bitten by the serpents in the wilderness, and how 
 Moses lifted up the serpent on the pole that the d5dng 
 Israelites might look and live. And some had to be 
 brought to see it, and how no doubt it seemed impos- 
 sible to them that they could be cured by merely 
 looking, and while I talked to her she just lifted her 
 
igo THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 eyes unto Jesus and she broke all down and wept like 
 a child, and she said that if God had not sent me to 
 tell her that story she never would have believed, and 
 she gave herself up to Him now. 
 
 We must pray for Libby Norton, another one soon 
 to join that number for she never will arise out of her 
 bed. Her life is fast ebbing away. Only to think, 
 by my telling her that story of Christ in my weak 
 way, she is to-day saved! Oh ! when I think of myseli 
 three years ago, do you wonder I feel happy to think 
 He can use me in His service ? 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Florence Night Mission, 
 
 New York, February 20, 1890. 
 
 Dear Friend and Brother : — Your kind letter 
 at hand. I hasten to answer it. You perhaps may 
 never know how it cheers me. Oh, my dear friend, 
 since you went away I have been many times dis- 
 couraged, and if my Father had not taken m3^ hand I 
 would have stumbled many times, but He has thus 
 far kept me from all evil. The w^ay has been rugged, 
 and sometimes the storms have almost overwhelmed 
 me, but the anchor still holds, bless God ! 
 
 Now I must tell you, I have not forgotten to-day 
 is your birthday, and to-night, at the Mission, they 
 are going to celebrate it. Oh, I sincerely pray 3'ou 
 will soon return to us again, if it is His will. 
 
 I must inclose some of the bo3='s’ letters. They 
 want to send them to 3"ou. The work is going on in 
 the Mission as usual, but no one can ever fill your 
 place, no matter ho-w well he ma3^ speak. But I am 
 most interested in the after meeting. Many times it 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. I9I 
 
 falls to my lot to lead it. Many young men are 
 getting saved every night. 
 
 I was up at Avenue A Mission at a meeting last 
 night. Dr. Wilson wants me to take the meeting one 
 night out of the week. He has a band of music just 
 like the salvation army. 
 
 I want to tell you something about Bessy. Of 
 course you know all about her death before this time, 
 but I want to tell you of some of our little talks. One 
 night I was very tired and I went up to talk to her. I 
 also had a letter from one of our converts to read to her, 
 and in the letter he said, “Sister Charlotte, you were 
 my saviour — that night you came to Mulberry street I 
 had entirely given up and had no hope, but your kind 
 words gave me courage — then there was lots more in 
 the letter in the same line, for, poor fellow, he is very 
 grateful. At the close he said, “Jesus saves me 
 now.’’ Then Bessy suddenly broke her silence and 
 said, “Oh, Charlotte, you were my saviour, too !’’ — 
 and I said, “ Now Bessy you know none but Jesus can 
 save;’’ and she said, “Yes, but He uses means, 
 and you were the means.’’ She said, “The night 
 you came to the police station, I had given up to die. 
 When the officer called me out of the cell, I thought, 
 whatever may happen, I am lost. Then I looked up 
 and saw you and the police captain and I said, ‘ If 
 God has put it into the heart of the captain to let me 
 go I will try once more.’ Oh, Charlotte, until that 
 night I never believed much in you,’’ — then she suf- 
 fered so much we did not continue our talk till two 
 nights afterward, when I went up again, and said, 
 “ Bessy do you know you are nearing the valley and 
 
192 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 the shadow? Do you fear any evil?” And she 
 answered, ‘‘ No." Then she said ‘‘ Do you know to- 
 day I have been thinking so much about Mr. Crit- 
 tenton, but I will never see him here. But you must 
 tell him I will meet him where sorrow can never 
 come. I will see Nellie Conroy there and Little 
 Florence,” — and then she was suffering great pain, 
 but she looked up in my face and said again, ‘‘ There 
 wi 11 — be — no — pain — there — ’ ’ 
 
 Again I went up to see her the night after Christ- 
 mas, I gave up the Christmas-tree they had at the 
 Mission and I went to talk to dear Bessy again. 
 I said, “Bessy, can I do anything for you?” She 
 said, “ You might help me to take a bath.” So I gave 
 her a bath. Mr. Crittenton, I shall always praise 
 God for that night. He was surely with me there. 
 I got through with washing her. She was entirely 
 helpless — and she said, “ I am sorry to take you away 
 from all the good time, but Charlotte, you will, per- 
 haps, never know the charity you have done.” I 
 said, “ Bess3L don’t speak so, I feel as though I w^ere 
 washing the feet of my Saviour,” and then I did thank 
 God who so changed our hearts and filled them with 
 His own love. I then said, “Bessy how do 3'ou 
 feel?” She said, “ I feel so much better, I am only 
 waiting for Jesus to call me home.” I said, “Are 
 you sure you are all ready? She answered, “Yes, 
 for He said, ‘ Though your sins be as scarlet the3' 
 shall be as white as snow.’ ” Then she rested, and 
 went on quoting many passages of Scripture, ending 
 with, “ He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast 
 
flore:nce crittenton missions. 
 
 193 
 
 out,” and added, ‘‘ I have come and He has not cast 
 me out.” 
 
 Then I shouted, — I could not help it — ” Glory to 
 God.” 
 
 Eva is getting along nicely and living to please 
 God, The rest of the girls are all well. You re- 
 member Dora. She has started to do right and has 
 given her heart to God. She has a young daughter 
 and getting along nicely. 
 
 My husband is very sick this winter. I do not 
 know whether he will ever be better but I am ear- 
 nestly praying for him. I am constantly working in 
 the dives and parlor houses and in the hospitals. 
 Trusting that I may soon see you again and that the 
 dear Lord may help us to bring many poor lost souls 
 to Himself, I am. Your Sister in Christ, 
 
 Charlotte. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton : — i thought i would 
 write a few lines as i am still home, you know i wrote 
 once before and told you why i came back i am still 
 trusting in Gesus he saves and keeps me to day. it 
 is a grand way to live for when we are in trouble we 
 can go to him in prair and he is all we need and every 
 day i grow stronger i would not exchange this life for 
 all the worled i am praying that you may get better 
 and enjoy your trip this is all i have to say good by 
 
 from Katie Johnson. 
 
 ^ >i< 
 
 Florence Mission, Sept. 13th, 1889. 
 
 My Dear Friend and Kind Benefactor : — I 
 cannot in writing express my thankfulness to God, 
 
194 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 for all His goodness and mercy to me. When 1 
 think, had it not been for His great love in guiding 
 my footsteps to Florence Mission I might have filled 
 a suicide’s grave ! and we know that could I have 
 seen with the eyes I do now, that I should under those 
 circumstances have gone to eternal damnation. How 
 I do thank and praise hhn for saving me ! 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton you cannot imagine how 
 anxiously we were all looking forward to your return, 
 and oh, how sorry to hear that you are not enjoying 
 the best of health ; but I am praying sincerely that 
 Our Heavenly Father may soon restore you and bring 
 you safely back to us. 
 
 We have a very nice little meeting just among the 
 girls every day at i p. M., and how we do pray for you. 
 Do you ever think of us at that time ? — I suppose it is 
 then between 5 and 6 o’clock in England. But what 
 a foolish question for me to ask. Do 3'ou ever think 
 of us then ? when my heart tells me there are not many 
 half hours in the day when you do not think and pray 
 for us. 
 
 With the best of good wishes for your health and 
 safe return to us, I am one of your own grateful girls. 
 
 Emily Robinson. 
 
 5 ); ^ 
 
 Florence Mission, 
 
 New York, Nov. 16, 1890. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton, My Dear Brother in 
 Christ . Dear Brother Carpenter was here last Sun- 
 
 day night and while leading the meeting announced 
 from the platform if any one wished to send word or 
 
fl,ori;nce; crittknton missions. 195 
 
 write to Mr. Crittenton he would be pleased to deliver 
 their message as he — God willing — would start for 
 California the i8th of this month. He remarked, “ If 
 I should not live to meet Brother Charles here on 
 earth, I know I shall meet him in that celestial city 
 where there is no more parting and no more going out 
 forever. He also said he was ready to turn “ the cor- 
 ner” at any time, as it was ‘‘well with his soul.” 
 God bless him. May he return home in safety to us 
 and to his family as we all love him very much. 
 
 Dear Mr. Crittenton, please do make us a visit if 
 nothing more, God grant it. His will be done. I 
 would be so delighted to see you. I have heard so 
 many girls speak of you and your goodness to them 
 and I know what they say to be true as I both see and 
 enjoy your wondrous kmdness every day of my life, 
 therefore accept many, many thanks and many bless- 
 ings from me. May God bless you forever and for- 
 ever. 
 
 Little Annie Tompkins is one sweet girl I heard 
 speak of you particularly and very often. Annie has 
 passed away to the better land where there is no more 
 sickness, no more sorrow, all peace and rest. She 
 died at Blackwell’s Island, but the surroundings did 
 not make any difference with her ; she fully trusted in 
 Jesus. 
 
 I want to tell you something of my spiritual wel- 
 fare. I am nearly forty-eight years of age. Had 
 been a great sinner all my life until, thirty-eight weeks 
 ago to-day, God so deeply convicted me of my sins. 
 I made up my mind by the help of God I would quit 
 sinning and lead a different life. Through God and 
 
196 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 the influence of a Christian woman I came to Flor- 
 ence Mission about half past twelve at night, on Sun- 
 day. The following Monday night I made a complete 
 surrender and gave my heart to God. It was in our 
 inquiry room where Jesus spoke peace to my soul and 
 saved me — saved me from a life of sm. I thank God 
 that the precious blood of Jesus has thoroughly 
 cleansed my heart so that I have no desire for the 
 world of sin. I am fully trusting in Jesus for the 
 great keeping power. Blessed be His holy name. 
 “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, 
 which cannot be removed but abideth forever.’’ 
 
 Since Jesus saved me I have worked everj^ day ex- 
 cept two. That is what Salvation will do. It takes 
 all laziness out of any one. I take full charge of our 
 chapel and do nearly all the work. 
 
 Our meetings are attended largely and precious 
 souls saved every night. Dear Brother Sketchley is 
 one of our best leaders, and, I believe, a true man of 
 God. Mrs. Prindle, our matron and mother as we all 
 call her, is one of God’s own, kind and lovdng, caring 
 for all who come within the doors of Florence Mission. 
 We love her and know her to be a true Christian. 
 
 Dear Brother Crittenton, please do try and come 
 to see us. I pray for 3'ou every day and night and 
 say, “God bless you’’ man}' times a daj'. After 
 each meal I say, “Thank God and Brother Crit- 
 tenton.’’ Yours in Christ, F. H. M. 
 
 Could there in all the world be found greater evi- 
 dence of God’s power to save to the uttermost, than 
 is revealed in these living testimonies ? 
 
©escriptiongi of t!)e J^lorence ^rittenton 
 fifliissions. 
 
 “ A little child shall lead them.” — I saiah. 
 
 N this chapter are the records of the 
 i work done by the various Florence 
 Crittenton Missions, and the perusal 
 must make any heart in which is a 
 spark of humanity thrill with joy. 
 Surely, as these noble workers went about 
 their work of redemption, the very angels 
 must have watched them with bated breath, for their 
 task was so hard and the “ great cloud of witnesses” 
 peered over the battlements of heaven to be the first 
 to telegraph to the throne ” the lost is found.” How 
 many times these self-forgetful ” co-workers with 
 God” have made all heaven ring with joy over the 
 salvation of a precious soul. Perchance when the 
 work has seemed so discouraging that they have 
 almost fainted through toil and weariness and the 
 overwhelming odds of sin, then how inspiring the 
 thought that in heaven the angels hush their harps 
 to hear the prayer of the repentant erring girl, or the 
 drunken bo}^, redeemed through their influence, and 
 then the whole orchestra of heaven takes up the 
 exultant anthem ‘‘Alleluia! Alleluia! the dead is 
 alive.” 
 
 FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSION, NEW YORK. 
 
 The first Board of Managers were Rev. John Dooly, 
 S. D. Howe, M. D. ; Rev. N. Woolsey Wells, E. W. 
 
 197 
 
iqS '•'he Traffic in girls. 
 
 Oakes, Charles N. Crittenton, A. L. Steveson, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Henry Gibbud and A. M. Cochrane. 
 
 The following are the incorporators : Charles N. 
 Crittenton, Alfred W. Dennett. Edward Sketchley, 
 John D. Brower, Robert G. Vassar, Aifrederick S. 
 Hatch. Jotham Carpenter, Wager Swayne, James W. 
 Pierce, Franklin B. Waterman and John S. Huyler. 
 
 To each and every one of these noble men a trib- 
 ute of praise is due for their grand and patient con- 
 tinuance in work for the erring girls and fallen men. 
 They all believe in the Presbyterian doctrine of “ the 
 perseverance of the saints,” for since the founding of 
 the Mission, April 19, 1883, they have been “ instant 
 in season and out of season ” in pushing the rescue 
 work. None have been more faithful than Mrs. How- 
 ells, Mrs. Hall and the gifted organist Mrs. Elton, who 
 - for years and years never missed a meeting. Mr. A. 
 W. Milbury, one of the converts, is devoting his life 
 to evangelistic work, which God wonderfully blesses. 
 
 No one more highly appreciates their splendid 
 cooperation than Mr. Crittenton, and his daily prayers 
 in their behalf prove the words of Paul, “ I have 3’ou 
 in my heart.” 
 
 But not only do Mr. Crittenton and these good 
 brothers believe in rescue work, but thej' also believe 
 in preventive work. It is much better and easier to 
 save a girl from falling into sin than to reclaim her 
 from the gulf of degradation. To this end wms estab- 
 lished Florence Crittenton Home, at 140 East 14th 
 Street, New York, where worthy working girls can 
 find all the comforts of a home, and employment is 
 found for those out of work. In this Home is especially 
 
PivORKNCE CRITTKNTON MISSIONS. 
 
 199 
 
 shown the great generosity of Mr. A. W. Dennett, the 
 noted caterer, who has a chain of thirteen Dennett 
 restaurants stretching across the continent. Mr. Den- 
 nett proves his Christian and prohibition principles, by 
 not allowing liquor or tobacco to be sold in any of his 
 restaurants, and closing them on the Lord’s Day. 
 The cost of such stanch firmness may be seen from the 
 fact that one tobacconist offered Mr. Dennett $15,000 
 per year for a corner in his restaurants for selling 
 cigars. But Mr. Dennett not only prays ‘ ‘ Thy King- 
 dom come” but he works and votes for it to come, 
 and no gain from liquor or tobacco tarnishes his 
 labors for Jesus. He generously gives to the Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Home the continual lease of three 
 large floors over his restaurant, also large numbers of 
 meal tickets at half rates. Like Mr. Crittenton his 
 benefactions run up into the tens of thousands. 
 
 This Home is under the loving supervision of Mr. 
 and Mrs. E. G. Underhill. These consecrated Chris- 
 tians are both ministers in the Friends church, and 
 these homeless, despairing girls find them ministering 
 friends indeed. Large numbers of girls are in the 
 Home all the time and hundreds have thus been 
 saved from a life of shame. Mrs. Underhill is a 
 sister of ‘‘ Mother” Prindle and warmly aids her in 
 all the work of Florence Crittenton Mission. The 
 testimonies of the girls who have been saved from the 
 horrors of a shameful life, touches all hearts to tears 
 and their gratitude is unbounded. 
 
 It is a pleasure to record that the Young Woman’s 
 Christian Association is founding such homes for 
 working girls in nearly all large cities of the Union. 
 
200 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY. 
 
 During the winter and spring of 1889 the Woman’s 
 Christian Temperance Union of this city, two of 
 whose members were conducting weekly meetings in 
 the county jail, located here became deeply impressed 
 with the necessity of having established in this city 
 a mission whose aim should be the conversion and 
 reformation of the lowest class of men and w'omen. 
 Other Christian hearts felt this need and were praying 
 for the same results. 
 
 Smith N. Allen, who was then our City Missionary, 
 called a meeting of Christian people to consider the 
 starting some work which should have for its espe- 
 cial object the rescue of fallen women. 
 
 Mr. Charles N. Crittenton of New York wms 
 asked to address the meeting and came bringing with 
 him several girls who had been rescued from a life of 
 shame at the Florence Mission in New York. His 
 loving sympathetic utterances stirred all hearts, and 
 the result of the meeting was the organization of the 
 Florence Crittenton Mission of the city of New Bruns- 
 wick. 
 
 A sum of money was raised on that occasion, Mr. 
 Crittenton being among those who made donations. 
 
 In the slums of the city, in the midst of saloons 
 and other vile haunts, a building was rented suitable 
 for the purposes of a Mission and Rescue Home, and 
 on the 15th of May, 1889, it was solemnl}- dedicated 
 to the worship of God and the rescue of fallen human- 
 ity. One of the ladies who had held the weekl}' jail 
 services, and who had, under the shock of a great 
 
FI,OR:eNCE; CRl'TTKNTON MISSIONS. 
 
 201 
 
 sorrow, the death of a beloved husband, dedicated her 
 life to God, was chosen matron and superintendent of 
 the work. She took with her, as janitor of the Mis^ 
 sion, a young man who had been converted through 
 her work in the jail. He showed such zeal and con- 
 secration that he was soon made an associate mission- 
 ary and gave about two years of earnest effort to the 
 work, but attracting the attention of the President of 
 Rutgers College and one of the local ministers, who 
 saw in him marked ability, he was encouraged to 
 study for the ministry. He spent two years in Rut- 
 gers Theological Seminary, but belonging to the 
 Methodist church he thought it best to finish his 
 studies at Drew Theological Seminary. He is a 
 licensed preacher and has a small charge in the 
 New Jersey Conference. The W. C. T. U., for some 
 time, bore the responsibility of carrying on the Mis- 
 sion, but as that organization was burdened by a 
 heavy debt on its hall, it was thought best to throw 
 the support of the Mission more generally on the 
 churches of the city. Mr. Crittenton has been a 
 regular contributor. 
 
 The matron has had anxiety at times on account 
 of pecuniary stress, but through the exercise of faith 
 and prayer, the needed help has come. At one time 
 when the janitor had brought up the last shuttle of 
 coal, and the matron was unwilling to go in debt for 
 more, they knelt together in prayer on the subject, 
 and before the fires were out in the stoves a ton of 
 coal was sent in by some unknown friend whose name 
 has never been learned. The work has been carried 
 on successfully for now nearly four years. On the first 
 
202 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 P'ourth of July after the opening of the Mission, the 
 janitor said to the matron, “Shall I light up this 
 evening, it is a holiday and no one may come in.’’ 
 The matron replied, “ The light must never go out? ’’ 
 and just then, looking from the window, she saw a 
 man on the street under the influence of liquor. As 
 he raised his hat to wipe his forehead she was im- 
 pressed with the fact that his head and face bore 
 traces of superior capacity and possibilities, and she 
 asked the janitor to kneel in prayer with her that 
 God would convert his soul. The meeting was opened 
 as usual, and seven men knelt at the altar that night, 
 among them the man for whom they had prayed. God 
 has acknowledged and honored His work from the 
 beginning. The Magdalene feature has been blest with 
 good results. Among our flrst inmates of the Home 
 was a young girl from a neighboring city. She came 
 alone, seeking admission, nearly heart-broken and 
 about to become a mother. Her betrayer had left the 
 city and she was left to bear her shame and sorrow 
 alone, an older brother had threatened to kill her if 
 she stayed any longer in her widowed mother’s house. 
 Her pale, tear-stained face was pitiful to look upon 
 as she told her story, 
 
 Although some objections were made on account 
 of her condition, more loving council prevailed and 
 she was admitted. A few weeks later her child was 
 born, whom we christened “Florence,’’ but the 
 pure, little spirit soon went home to God. Shortly 
 after this the mother was converted, was taken home 
 by the matron, who has since kept up a correspond- 
 ence with her. She is now happily married to a 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 203 
 
 “good, Christian, young man.” In her frequent 
 letters she expresses gratitude for the dear Florence 
 Mission and the kind friends who helped her in her 
 time of greatest need. Her conversion dates back 
 three years. 
 
 Our last inmate was “Agnes.” Her history is 
 most remarkable. One year ago this coming June we 
 were shocked by reading an account in the papers of 
 a woman, crazed and maddened by liquor, who had 
 Ijeeii arrested and thrown into a cell in the county jail, 
 where for over an hour the infuriated sheriff, whose 
 watch-chain she had broken in her struggles, deluged 
 her with water from the hose which was used in water- 
 ing the grounds. The event was very wittingly and 
 pleasantly reported in the city papers. But the ladies 
 who visited the jail for their weekly service were 
 shocked at the sight of poor Agnes, bruised and help- 
 less, lying upon the floor in the corridor, and quietly, 
 with no sign of passion, cursing the man who had so 
 brutally treated her. Was there any hope for Agnes ? 
 Could God’s grace reach this case? Yes ! blessed be 
 His holy name, even this case. A daughter, of one of 
 the ladies who visit the jail weekly, came, and kneel- 
 ing by the bruised and wretched creature, smoothed 
 with tender touch the poor, aching head. For many 
 days she ministered unto her while sick and in prison. 
 Agnes was invited to come into the Home, but re- 
 fused, and on being released from the jail went, more 
 lost and desperate than ever, on her downward path. 
 In the early days of September, 1892, the matron was 
 astonished at the coming of Agnes, who said, “ I have 
 walked twenty-nine miles to give myself up to God 
 
204 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 and to you.” Her story since leaving New Brunswick 
 I will repeat as she told it to me. Agnes said, ‘‘ Your 
 prayers and Mrs. Dunham’s followed me. Your faces 
 would come up before me some times, but not so often 
 as Mrs. Kilmer’s; she rose before me often. I got 
 work at Long Branch. I would get up very early in 
 the morning and fill my apron with bottles of beer. 
 I was laundress in a big boarding-house, and the mis- 
 tress did not care how much I drank if I could do my 
 work. At last I drank too much. I left and wan- 
 dered about in my old way. One afternoon I said, I 
 will go back to New Brunswick, and go into the Flor- 
 ence Mission Home. It was about two o’clock. I 
 had no money, but I knew God was leading me. 
 Late in the afternoon I came to a piece of woods. As 
 I was walking through it I felt happy. I sang, 
 ‘Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a shelter in a time 
 of storm.’ When I got through the woods there 
 were red streaks in the west, the sun was setting and 
 it was getting toward night. I looked all around me 
 and saw no houses, only open fields and pieces of 
 woods, but I walked on until at last, before it got quite 
 dark, I came to a little house with a board fence about 
 it. I walked up the path to the door and knocked, 
 but no one answered me ; a dog came around from 
 behind the house and barked at me. I w'ent back to 
 the gate, the dog follownng me and barking. I stood 
 outside the gate for a short time, when, looking up the 
 road, I saw a man and woman coming ; thej' proved to 
 be brother and sister (Germans), who worked for a 
 neighboring farmer and owned this little house. After 
 talking wdth me fora few minutes they asked me if I 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 205 
 
 was hungry, and brought me out a bowl of milk, but 
 did not ask me to come in. By this time it was quite 
 dark so I put my cape around my head and laid down 
 on the ground outside the gate, saying, to myself, 
 
 ‘ Well, Agnes, as you have made your bed so you 
 must lie upon it.’ I was falling asleep but was 
 awakened by hearing the dog sniffing at me through 
 the fence. I looked up and saw the brother and sister 
 looking down at me. They said. The wind is rising, 
 it is getting cold, 3'ou had better come in.’ They 
 gave me a good bed in the kitchen, and in the morn- 
 ing a good breakfast, after w'hich I started on my way 
 toward New Brunswick.” 
 
 In telling this story one thing seemed to impress 
 Agnes as remarkable, that she met no one that an- 
 noyed her, and that her way seemed to be made so 
 plain before her. Also the strange feeling of happi- 
 ness in her heart, and that God was leading her. 
 Agnes gave herself up to God, and we prayed that 
 the appetite for liquor might be taken from her, 
 which was done, and for six months, until a few days 
 ago, Agnes has been an inmate of the Home. The 
 matron has fitted up for her a humble little home, and 
 she is supporting herself by honest labor. 
 
 Ellen L. Kilbourn, 
 
 Supt. Florence Mission. 
 
 THE SEWING SCHOOL. 
 
 The Florence Mission Sewing School was organized 
 in the spring of 1889 with fifteen scholars on the roll, 
 ranging in age from three to ten years ; most of them 
 entirely innocent of the use of the needle. Our hopes 
 
2o6 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 were high although the material we tried to mould 
 seemed at first almost discouraging. Beginning with 
 patchwork, we led them through the various stages 
 of ordinary sewing until the making of much needed 
 garments was reached, in each case the child making 
 something for herself, and their delight when the com- 
 pleted garments can be carried home in triumph, must 
 be seen to be appreciated. It would delight your 
 motherly hearts to see one of our youngest members, 
 a little German girl of five years, bending over the 
 long seam of a skirt she is so anxious to finish before 
 vacation, her work pinned to her knee, a fixed look of 
 determination on the little face that each stitch must 
 be exact. And these same stitches might put older 
 fingers to shame. We like to give them an occasional 
 treat, for they well deserve it. We have had a Christ- 
 mas-tree each year and thank heartily all those who 
 helped us with their generous donations, especially 
 remembering Mrs. George C. Ludlow, who sent us 
 twenty-four articles of clothing which she had made, 
 and Mrs. Swift, who sent a towel and cake of soap for 
 each one. Mrs. Weir kindly donated mittens. 
 
 During the warm summer months we take a vaca- 
 tion, and at the close of last year Mrs. J. J. Janeway 
 invited us to spend an afternoon on her beautiful 
 grounds. 
 
 The children were conveyed in a stage, and after 
 enjoying themselves with games, refreshments were 
 served, and each carried home a bouquet of flowers. 
 
 Many of those who flrst came to us are working, 
 but we now number seventy on the roll ; and clean 
 faces and hands, and clean, if not whole dresses, are 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 207 
 
 seen almost without exception. That the hour and a 
 half each Saturday is not wasted, may be shown by 
 the number of garments that have been made during 
 the last year, although we were obliged to close the 
 school for six weeks on account of the scarlet fever. 
 
 “ Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least 
 of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” 
 
 Miss Sarah Stoddard, 
 
 Supt. White Sewing School. 
 
 FLORENCE MISSION SABBATH SCHOOL. 
 
 The Sabbath School was organized August 24, 
 1890. The average number enrolled in the primary 
 school is 35, the average attendance 30. In the Bible 
 class, the average number enrolled is 20, the average 
 attendance 16. 
 
 We are indebted to the First Presbyterian Sabbath 
 School for charts ; to the Runsen Avenue Baptist 
 Sabbath School for papers and other supplies, and to 
 the Hope Mission for cards. 
 
 The epidemic of scarlet fever and a number of 
 deaths occurring among the children, have interfered 
 somewhat with the work of the school since its or- 
 ganization, yet the results obtained during the past 
 few months have been very gratifying. The teachers 
 have been faithful in their attendance and untiring in 
 their efforts to bring about the results we are striving 
 to accomplish. The improvement in the attendance 
 and attention of the pupils has been marked, and they 
 deserve great credit for the interest they have 
 manifested. The school is organized as follows : 
 Superintendent, Mr. J. R. Van Natta ; Assistant 
 
2o8 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Superintendent, Mrs. E. L. Kilboum ; Assistant in 
 Primary Department, Miss M. B. MacEaury ; Teach- 
 ers in Primary Department, Miss E. Johnson, Miss M. 
 L. Bowne, Miss S. Langdon. 
 
 COLORED SEWING SCHOOL. 
 
 The colored school was organized on June 19th, 
 1891, with Mrs. Thomas Greenwood as superintend- 
 ent. It has on roll thirty-one — five teachers and 
 twenty-six scholars. We have an average attendance 
 of eighteen. During the year the scholars have fin- 
 ished twenty-eight work bags, twenty pieces of under- 
 wear and thirteen aprons. They are given all the 
 articles that they make. We have given seven enter- 
 tainments to the children. One was a treat ; at 
 another Mr. Janeway kindly gave them a magician- 
 tern exhibition, and at the holidays thej' had refresh- 
 ments and a Christmas-tree, from which each received 
 a gift. Thanks to Miss Louisa Warren for a large 
 sewing-box. 
 
 We have received, by donation, several pieces of 
 goods and $9.02 in cash, and have paid $8,22 for 
 goods used in the school, leaving a balance on hand 
 of $0.80. 
 
 We want to thank the friends who have helped us 
 in the past, and we will be very glad of their assist- 
 ance in the future, as you will see by the balance 
 we are in need of money, and will be glad to receive 
 contributions at aii}^ time. 
 
 Mrs. Charles W. Greenwood, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
FLOREINCK CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 209 
 
 OPEN AIR meetings. 
 
 In the year 1890 a series of open air meetings was 
 begun at the factories during the noon hour. A 
 meeting was held every noon and was well attended 
 by both men and women. A portion of the Script- 
 ures was read, a few hymns were sung and then a 
 plain exhortation was given to cease from sin and come 
 to Christ. Tracts were distributed to all present and 
 Testaments to such as would ask for them. 
 
 A great deal of opposition was made by the rum 
 power. The saloon-keeper who was making a living 
 by enticing the factory hands into his place, one day 
 came out determined to break up the meeting. 
 Throwing both hands up in the air he gave a vile 
 shout and began to dance to attract the attention of 
 those who were listening to the Gospel. He, not suc- 
 ceeding in disturbing the meeting in this way, asked 
 me if I intended to break up his business. I said it 
 would please me very much if God would use me to 
 do so. And He did ; for in a few weeks the saloon 
 was closed. 
 
 At another meeting a man very drunk came out 
 from a saloon evidently to disturb the meeting. As 
 he neared the place where I was standing, Bible in 
 hand, I lifted up my heart to God in a silent prayer, 
 and the Lord brought help. Three hundred people 
 were gathered, and turning to these, pointing at the 
 man, I said : “ Choose ye this day whom ye will 
 serve.” Look at him and see what the devil has done 
 for him, and then look at me and see what the Lord 
 has done for me. The man went away ashamed and 
 a great impression was made that day. 
 
210 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Meetings were also held every Sunday afternoon 
 at 5 o’clock on Handy street with good results. There 
 were large gatherings to listen to the music of organ and 
 the singing of the hymns. An invitation was given 
 at the close of every meeting to come to Christ for 
 pardon, and many were the hands held up for prayers 
 during these meetings. At every meeting an invita- 
 tion was given to visit our different churches and 
 missions. As a result of these meetings an old lady 
 of seventy was soundly convicted and united with 
 the Baptist church. 
 
 In conclusion let me tell you the story of a Testa- 
 ment, Last year I gave a five-cent Testament to one 
 of our converts, who took it to his home, and nightly, 
 after finishing his day’s work, he would read a chap- 
 ter in the book. A young man who was working in 
 the same place and roomed with him, asked the name 
 of the book he was so constantly reading. He then 
 handed him the book, saying, “ It is a Testament, and 
 that is what made me a man. ’ ’ His room-mate, from that 
 night, also began to read in the Testament, and a short 
 time after bought a Bible, became convinced of his 
 sins, and was converted. He united himself with the 
 Baptist church and gave his life to the Master’s serv- 
 ice, and a few months ago left this countr}" as a Mis- 
 sionary to Denmark. 
 
 I wish to thank the Christian Workers of this 
 city who so faithfully helped us in our open air work 
 last summer, and all other departments. They shall 
 not lose their reward. Carl E. Peterson, 
 
 Assistant Superinte7ident. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 2II 
 
 The faithful treasurer, Mrs. M. E. Pratt, reports the 
 annual average expense as about $i ,000. All who know 
 the hard work done by the treasurer of any philan- 
 thropic organization, must realize the good service of 
 Mrs. Pratt. 
 
 The following clipping from a New Brunswick 
 paper, explains itself: 
 
 It is interesting to know that at the time of the 
 consolidation of the Florence Mission work with the 
 People’s Work the Florence Mission was unembar- 
 rassed by any debt. There was money enough in the 
 treasury to pay all the outstanding debts of the Mis- 
 sion, and in addition to this our superintendent, Mrs. 
 F. L. Kilbourn, had a check for one hundred dollars, 
 which had been sent for use of our mission by Mr. 
 Crittenton, of New York. This was turned over to 
 the treasury of the People’s Work as a donation from 
 our Board, and w^as perhaps the first contribution re- 
 ceived by the treasury of the People’s Work. 
 
 The Florence Mission, at the time of the final dis- 
 solution of the Board and consolidation of the work 
 with the People’s movement, was in much better con- 
 dition than when its work began. Our work had 
 commended itself to all classes in the cit}^ and our 
 meetings were usually well attended, and there was 
 no good reason or necessity on the part of the Flor- 
 ence Mission for consolidating with the People’s Work 
 except this : Many of the leading Christian workers 
 of the city felt that it would be for the general good 
 of the cause of Christ if all the mission work of the 
 city could be consolidated under one head, and man- 
 aged by one general committee or board of trustees. 
 
212 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 For the general good of the cause which the Florence 
 Crittenton Mission represented, and in order to unite 
 all the mission workers of the city in such general 
 organization as that proposed by the new movement, 
 to be known as the People’s Work, the Florence Mis- 
 sion Board voted to discontinue its separate existence 
 and suffer the work to be done under the auspices of 
 the People’s Work. The Florence Crittenton Mission, 
 as a separate organization, by vote of the Board, ceased 
 to exist with the following understanding : 
 
 1. First, that ever^' branch of Christian work con- 
 ducted by the Florence Mission would be continued 
 by the People’s Work. 
 
 2. That Mrs. E. E. Kilbourn, who, from the begin- 
 ning, had been the superintendent and leading spirit 
 of the Florence Mission work, would be employed by 
 the People’s Work. 
 
 3. That the work of Mrs. Kilbourn, in connection 
 with the People’s Work, would be under the super- 
 vision of a special committee, to whom all her reports 
 would be submitted. 
 
 4. That the evening evangelical work, heretofore 
 conducted at the Florence Mission room, would be 
 continued so long as the interest in the meetings there, 
 in the estimation of the managers of the People’s 
 Work, justified such continuation. 
 
 5. That the name Flore 7 ice Crittenton Mission" 
 would be retahied in connectio?i with the Missioii 
 alluded to. 
 
 6. That the propert}" of the Florence Mission 
 would be disposed of by Mrs. Kilbourn for the good cf 
 
PLORENCB CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 2T3 
 
 the cause of Christ, as her wisdom and faith may 
 suggest. 
 
 Thanks to all who have contributed or otherwise 
 assisted in making the Florence Mission work a 
 success, that we feel it has been, and prajung for 
 God’s blessing to rest abundantly upon the People’s 
 Work, our report as called for is herein 
 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 Rev. M. V. McDuffie, 
 
 Mrs. E. E. Kilbourn, 
 
 Committee. 
 
 SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ACROSTIC. 
 
 i^lowers forever live, to spread their rich perfume, 
 Zily, violet and rose for aye their sweetness shed 
 O’er men — when dying they but cease to bloom, 
 7?obbed only of their form — their fragrance is not 
 dead. 
 
 ^■ven so she lives for aye — the child whose name we 
 bear. 
 
 Wever bloomed a lovelier flower while here on earth. 
 Changed by the alchemy of death she passed up 
 there, 
 
 Cver to stay with us — Her dying gives this Mission 
 birth. H. G. Pendleton. 
 
 The San Jose Florence Crittenton Mission sprang 
 from Mr. Crittenton’s wonderful evangelistic work. 
 During his trip “Around the world with Jesus,” 
 though in poor health, he frequently spoke on the res- 
 cue work, and God wonderfully blessed his words, but 
 
214 
 
 'The traffic in girls. 
 
 he was destined to be the instrument in God’s hand of 
 gaining marvelous triumphs for Christ in his own land. 
 When he arrived in San Francisco, from Japan, he went 
 to San Jose to see an old school friend, expecting to 
 take the train the next day for New York. But God 
 had ordered it otherwise. He dropped into the Y. 
 M, C. A. meetings and becoming interested, found 
 himself staying day after day and testifying for Christ, 
 and then as the people were more and more attracted 
 to him, a tent was secured, and San Jose was shaken 
 from center to circumference by a revival. Among 
 the many notable converts was Dr. Ellen J. Smith, 
 who had been a Christian but was far away from 
 Christ at the time of Mr. Crittenton’s meetings. One 
 night she heard the preaching and contrite in heart 
 she bowed at the altar and pleaded for forgiveness and 
 rose from her knees a re-consecrated woman. The 
 interest in the meetings was so intense that the w’ork- 
 ers decided to organize a Florence Crittenton Mission. 
 
 The following were the officers ; Dr. Ellen J. 
 Smith, President, Mrs. M. A. Knox, Vice-President, 
 Wm. E. Ward, Secretary, Wm. Fruhling, Treasurer, 
 Wm. Chappell, Superintendent. All baptized with the 
 love of Christ, who said, “ Bring in hither the poor, 
 and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.” 
 
 The Mission was opened with great rejoicing at 
 27 Fountain street, July ii, 1890. Dr. Smith served 
 faithfully, as President, until God called her to "come 
 up higher,” March 8, 1892. Her last sickness of ten 
 long weeks was patiently borne, and at last she lifted 
 her transparent hands to heaven and wearily said, ‘‘Oh 
 Father, I’m so tired, take me home; ” and the weeping 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSION, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 215 
 
 friends from Florence Mission smiled through their 
 tears as they realized that she had entered “ the rest 
 that remaineth for the people of God.” Her funeral 
 was a Florence Crittenton funeral, Rev. Dr. F. F. 
 Jewell, and Mr. Crittenton, officiating, and as the 
 friends and converts burst into weeping as they gazed 
 on the sweet pale face, all realized that the ties of 
 Christian work and love are stronger than the ties of 
 blood. 
 
 Mrs. Mary A. Knox then became President, and 
 Mrs. S. G. Shatter, Vice-President. Both these 
 ladies are stanch white-ribboners, as are also Mrs. 
 John T. Bell, Mrs. Emma McLellan, Mrs. M. E. 
 Baird, Mrs. J. E. Peel, and Mrs. B. Sturtevant Peet, 
 President California W. C. T. U., who have all 
 labored incessantly for the Social Purity work. It 
 was in San Jose that Mr. Crittenton donned the white 
 ribbon, at the solicitation of Mrs. Emma McEellan, 
 becoming an honorary member of the Eucy Webb 
 Hayes W. C. T. U. How little Mrs. McLellan 
 dreamed that from that membership such momentous 
 good was to come to the cause of social purity by 
 belting Mr. Crittenton’s Missions to the W. C. T. U. 
 machinery. Mrs. McLellan, like Mrs. Mary E. Teats 
 and Mrs. H. E. McMath, is one of the few workers 
 who shelter the erring girls and the fallen boys in her 
 own house, literally treating them as she would Christ, 
 whom they represent by the “ Inasmuch.” 
 
 Could any church have more meetings and activ- 
 ities than these shown in the following report of last 
 year’s work of one who modestly signs himself ‘‘A 
 Worker.” 
 
2I6 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 regular service. 
 
 Street meeting at 7:30 p. m., daily. 
 
 Gospel Meeting every night in the year commenc- 
 ing at 7:45. 
 
 Noonday Meeting 12 to 12:45, except Sunday. 
 
 Consecration Meeting every Wednesday at 3 p. m. 
 
 Saturday 12 to 12:45, Exposition Sunday School 
 Eesson, by Dr. Dinsmore. 
 
 Sunday School every Sunda}^ at 3 p. in. 
 
 Mr. C. W. Needham, Superintendent of Sunday 
 School. 
 
 The Second Anniversary service took place Sun- 
 day, July loth, at 3 p. M., in the Baptist Tabernacle 
 and at 7:30 p. M. in the M. E. Church. Both 
 churches were filled to overflowing and much interest 
 manifested in the work. Brother Dawson published 
 a very attractive little anniversary paper in which the 
 statistics for the year were given. 
 
 Immediately after the Anniversary sendee Rev. 
 T. H. Lawson who had conducted the meetings at 
 the Mission for nearly a year, felt led to resign. His 
 resignation was accepted with deep regret b}’’ the 
 Mission Board. 
 
 Brother Lawson is a speaker and singer of rare 
 ability. He felt God called him into the Prohibition 
 party work, realizing that only thus can the traffic in 
 girls be prevented. He with his gifted wife had 
 labored faithfully and God had greatly blessed the 
 Mission under their labors. Brother C. C. Reynolds 
 next took charge of the services of the Mission and 
 labored with success and acceptation for several 
 weeks when he was called by his church (Friends) to 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 217 
 
 become their evangelist for the Pacific Coast. Evan- 
 gelist Bell next took charge and conducted the meet- 
 ings for some time. It was during his services that 
 the noonday prayer-meetings were begun, which 
 have proved a great blessing, and have had an aver- 
 age attendance of from twenty to twenty-five. These 
 meetings are still continued and are growing in inter- 
 est and power. We are praying that the business 
 men may become interested in these meetings and fill 
 up the hall each noonday. 
 
 Mr. E. G. Northup was the Mission evangelist for 
 a number of months, leaving in January to engage in 
 other duties, since which time the whole burden of 
 the work (from a human standpoint) has been borne 
 by the superintendent. Brother Wm. Chappell. Too 
 much praise cannot be given to this earnest Christian 
 man who attends to his business from early morning 
 until the evening, then away to the street meeting, 
 then to the Mission and remains to the close of the 
 service, oftentimes until nearly midnight, and this is 
 done seven nights in a week. For compensation he 
 has the satisfaction of knowing that what is done is 
 as unto the Lord, and then, too, he has the privilege 
 of helping to support the Mission financially, which 
 he heartily enjoys. We say God bless him and those 
 who labor with him in the work. This includes 
 C. W. Needham, S. S. superintendent and the Board 
 of Directors, who are bending every energy to make 
 the Mission successful. The ministers of the local 
 churches are helping the work by their presence at 
 the meetings and their preaching. 
 
2i8 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 DOES IT PAY? 
 STATISTICAL REPORT. 
 
 Attendance 31,943 
 
 Professed conversions 184 
 
 Asked to be prayed for 330 
 
 Testimonies given 5,420 
 
 Much care has been taken to account for onlj^ 
 thosewho were considered converted. Most of the one 
 hundred and eighty-four are members of good stand- 
 ing in San Jose churches. 
 
 This work has been conducted on a grand scale 
 and at a small cost. Notice the following : 
 
 YEARLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
 
 San Jose, July ii, 1893. 
 
 Received from subscriptions, donations and collec- 
 
 tions for general Mission work $ 940.30 
 
 By overdraft on Treasurer 100.00 
 
 Total $1,040 30 
 
 CASH EXPENDED. 
 
 By overdraft on Treasurer, July II, 1S92 $ 30.30 
 
 Rents 480.00 
 
 Janitor 96.00 
 
 Evangelists 200,00 
 
 Light 144.00 
 
 For wood, printing, furniture and incidentals, etc. . 90.00 
 
 Total $1,040.30 
 
 With all the expensive and elaborate machinery of 
 the church we doubt any better results at the cost 
 per soul of five dollars sixty-five cents. What is the 
 value of a soul ? Jesus rates it higher than the whole 
 world. Florence Crittenton Missions win many hun- 
 dreds at a little more than five dollars apiece. Dear 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 219 
 
 friend, did you ever know a better investment ? Don’t 
 you want to invest a few five-dollar gold pieces in 
 souls, which give you such a marvelous dividend. 
 
 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 So marked was the blessing of God upon Mr. 
 Crittenton’s evangelistic work that, like the deeds 
 and words of his divine Master, “ the fame thereof 
 went abroad into all that land,” — showing the won- 
 drous powers of the press — and the Macedonian cries, 
 
 ‘ ‘ Come over and help us, ’ ’ poured in upon him like 
 an avalanche. As Mr. Crittenton gives his services 
 freely, never receiving a penny in return, the influence 
 upon business men, who will not hear other evan- 
 gelists (for, as they say, “It is their business, that 
 is the way they make their living ; of course they 
 are earnest in it, just like I am in my business, for 
 the money there is in it”) is most marked. Often 
 have we heard them say, “Well, if Crittenton has 
 found more happiness in religion than in money, I 
 want to hear about it.” Thank God, they have gone 
 to the meetings and heard about it, and large numbers 
 have been converted. Mr. Crittenton is often called 
 the “ Apostle to business men,” for he realizes how 
 absorbing the pursuit of wealth is, and he often. quotes 
 the words of Christ, “Children, how hard is it for 
 them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of 
 God.” 
 
 So instead of Mr. Crittenton staying twenty-four 
 hours in California, his stay was over three years, 
 perhaps the most fruitful of his life, for all evangeli- 
 cal churches in many cities united in Union meetings 
 
2 20 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 under his leadership, and God gave him thousands 
 and thousands of souls for his hire. 
 
 Not only is he thankful for the privilege of preach- 
 ing freely, but he is glad to pay for the opportunity. 
 Some years ago the Pacific Coast Holiness Associa- 
 tion dedicated Beulah Park, Oakland, to God’s serv- 
 ice, an area of about eight acres, and held camp-meet- 
 ings there every summer for years. At last the Asso- 
 ciation, becoming impoverished, were not able to make 
 the last payment on the land and were about to lose 
 it, and to their horror it was rumored that it was to be 
 bought for a beer garden, and thus the dedicated spot 
 become desecrated by the orgies of the wicked and 
 depraved. 
 
 Imagine their delight then, w’hen Brothers Crit- 
 tenton and Dennett bought Beulah Park, and every 
 summer the voice of prayer and praise rings out among 
 the beautiful trees, and the white tents of the campers 
 make a pretty picture. Mr. Crittenton himself con- 
 ducts a camp-meeting here every summer and then 
 freely gives the use of Beulah Park to all denomina- 
 tions of Christians for holding meetings. He is as- 
 sisted by pastors of all the churches and annually 
 hundreds here start heavenward. The Florence Crit- 
 tenton Mission day results in many gifts of monej^and 
 subscriptions, often ladies giving valuable jewelry 
 to help their erring sisters. As Rev. Dr. Bentley says, 
 the loveliest trait of his character which gives him 
 such great power is his lovableness, so that all his co- 
 workers in the churches and the Missions, think as a 
 dear little girl said, “ Mamma, don’t you think Jesus 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 221 
 
 when he was on earth must have been like Brother 
 Crittenton ?” 
 
 The motto of his every act is ‘ ‘ L,et us love people 
 into the Kingdom.” 
 
 So Mr. Crittenton found great opportunities in 
 California for preaching Christ, and the meetings held 
 in Sacramento by himself and his faithful yoke-fellow, 
 Bro. J. Carpenter, were of the deepest interest, and 
 resulted in the practical work of founding the Florence 
 Crittenton Mission at Sacramento, whose early history 
 we have as follows from Rev. A. C. Bane, one of the 
 stanchest friends of the rescue wprk. 
 
 The preliminary meeting was called by Bro. Crit- 
 tenton of all Christian people, about the ist of De- 
 cember, 1890. It was held in the Methodist Church 
 South, Rev. A. C. Bane, Pastor. Nine hundred dol- 
 lars subscribed that day for the first years’ work. 
 Twenty-five hundred dollars was raised and expended 
 the first year. Rev. G. P. Tyndall and Rev. A. C. 
 Bane appointed a committee with Brother Crittenton 
 and Bro. J. Carpenter to procure a place. 
 
 The last three served and decided the Mission 
 ought to be in Third street between J and K ; and the 
 best spot was occupied by a saloon. Brother Carpen- 
 ter suggested that the three go to the room of Brother 
 Crittenton and pray God to put that saloon-keeper 
 out and allow the gospel to be preached there. On 
 the second day after that a sign ‘‘ To Let” was seen 
 on the door and the prayer had been answered. 
 Brothers Crittenton, Carpenter and Bane procured 
 the key, went in, and stood in the center of the dirty 
 floor and with uncovered heads sang, ‘ ‘ Praise God, 
 
222 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 from whom all blessings flow,” and silently dedicated 
 the place to God. 
 
 It was soon put into shape for the Mission. A 
 board of directors was selected, one from each of nine 
 churches, and R. S. Marshall, a young mechanic, a 
 member of the M. E. Church South, was elected 
 Superintendent of the Mission. 
 
 It was opened December 13, i8go, house crowded. 
 Brother Crittenton opened the word ; the local pastors 
 were present. It was a meeting of great power, 
 many in tears, two happy conversions, both still 
 following Jesus, and one of them, Brother Hadix 
 preaching the gospel. The Board of Directors was 
 organized with R. S. Marshall, Superintendent, Chair- 
 man, Mrs. J. H. Glide, Secretary, and J. H. Huntoon, 
 Treasurer, W. M. Jenks and Mrs. Hesser. Mrs. 
 Glide was a large contributor to the Mission and did 
 much to make it the grands uccess it was from the 
 start, having crowded houses every night, and Mr. 
 Marshall the Superintendent proved the right man. 
 Street meetings were held each night, preceded by a 
 short prayer-meeting, and the main meeting lasted 
 till about II o’clock. About eight hundred converts 
 were enrolled the first year. The Mission became the 
 center of spiritual life. 
 
 The best workers in the Mission were the new 
 converts. All the churches that participated in the 
 work were blest by the additions received from the 
 Mission. 
 
 Sacramento will ever be grateful to God for send- 
 ing Brother Crittenton to .found the Florence Crit- 
 tenton Mission. 
 
FLORENCE CRILTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 223 
 
 [Daily Record Union, Monday, Dec. 19, 1892.] 
 
 SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF FLORENCE CRITTENTON 
 MISSION, SACRAMENTO, CAL. 
 
 The celebration of the second anniversary of the 
 establishment of the Sacramento Florence Mission 
 yesterday afternoon at the Congregational church 
 was an event of marked interest, and the large audi- 
 ence that filled the church shows how popular is this 
 form of religious work. Charles N. Crittenton, the 
 founder of seven Florence Missions, presided with 
 his characteristic ability. The song service, in which 
 the audience joined, was much enjoyed. Rev. Mr. 
 Dodge offered prayer, especially invoking the Divine 
 blessing on Mr. Crittenton and the other noble 
 workers of Florence Crittenton Mission. 
 
 Mrs. J. H. Glide, the efficient President of the 
 Mission, read an interesting report, in which the cold 
 figures represent a flood of human happiness. Fol- 
 lowing are the approximate figures for the year 
 ending December 13, 1892 : Attendance, 49,000 ; 
 professed conversion, 250 ; asked to be prayed for, 
 1,100; visits made, 1,900; lodgings, 144; tracts 
 ( pages), 41,000 ; meals furnished, 300 ; Bibles, Testa- 
 ments and books, 117; articles of clothing given 
 away, 390; expenses, $2,131. 
 
 The attendance of forty-nine thousand represents 
 only seven months, and that through the summer 
 months, when the attendance was lightest. The 
 meals and lodgings were paid for by private means, 
 and not one dollar has been taken from the subscrip- 
 tions. Through this aid many worthy men have been 
 
224 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 kept from evil ways and helped to get work. A great 
 many of the converts have been young men, often 
 from the best families. Sometimes they had become 
 prodigals and were deep in sin, but through the Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Mission they reformed, gave up gam- 
 bling and drunkenness and impure lives, and several 
 have organized Sunday Schools and Missions and are 
 most active Christians. Many young ladies, too, of 
 good social position, who having come first through 
 curiosity, or with Christian workers, have been con- 
 verted. 
 
 “No years of my own life,’’ said Mr. Crittenton, 
 “have been happier than these two in Florence Mis- 
 sion, for a wondrous love has filled my heart, and if 
 all Christians knew this gladness they w’ould come 
 and help us, for we so sadly need their aid. Mrs. 
 Glide has labored with untiring zeal, and, together 
 with Rev. G. B. Ballentine and wife, Mr. Jeuks, Mrs. 
 Hesser, Mr. John F. Gromer and Superintendent T. 
 H. Armour and others, have made possible the grand 
 results.’’ 
 
 Mr. Crittenton said that often in his travels over 
 the Pacific coast he had found converts of Florence 
 Missions, many of them talented and refined men and 
 women — journalists, lawyers, merchants and all pro- 
 fessions being represented. 
 
 Rev. J. B. Koehne, pastor of the Congregational 
 church, electrified his audience by the radical sermon 
 upon the necessity of the church doing more thorough 
 rescue work. The church, he said, seems to be in a 
 hazy dream and just awakening from its apathetic 
 sleep to grasp the magnificent opportunities pre- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTFNTON MISSIONS. 
 
 225 
 
 sented by these Florence Missions and the Salvation 
 army — God bless them — to raise the fallen. These 
 movements herald the time when the church is not 
 entirely represented by the clergy, but by consecrated 
 men and women. The laity are going down to men 
 and women lost in sin, and saying, “ I love you, God 
 loves you,” and are thus winning thousands. They 
 indeed realize that the church was made for man, not 
 man for the church ; and grander than any cathedral 
 ever erected is the baby whose tiny body encases a 
 soul. Let us remember that even an ordinary man is 
 a man, and every inch a king. 
 
 The church does not realize her power. If Chris- 
 tian voters would put their convictions and their 
 righteousness into the ballot-box against the hordes 
 of wicked voters that rule our land, they could exter- 
 minate the liquor traffic in one election. Those boys 
 staggering in drunkenness through our streets are 
 our boys and worth saving. These poor, erring girls, 
 whose hollow laughter betrays the breaking hearts of 
 lost womanhood, have every one a soul so precious 
 that Christ died to save them. 
 
 These Florence Mission workers go down to these 
 despairing ones, giving that which is grander than 
 the grandest organ — the clasp of a warm hand, 
 music more beautiful than that of any choir — the 
 melody of the tender greeting, “ I love you I ” 
 
 The testimonies that followed from those who 
 have been redeemed in the Florence Mission were 
 most striking and impressive and touched all hearts 
 to tenderness and all eyes to tears. 
 
 Mr. Hagar said : ‘‘ For twenty years I had not 
 
226 
 
 the; traffic in girts. 
 
 been in a church. I thought the churches had no 
 use for me and I had no use for them. But Christ 
 took me out of my sin and has kept me for fourteen 
 months, and now I love the church with all my 
 heart.” 
 
 Mr. Bishop said: “Though I was brought up 
 by Christian parents, I wandered away through gam- 
 bling and drunkenness and went into the Florence 
 Mission to break it up. There, thank God, I found 
 friends, real friends, who pointed me to Christ, who 
 took my sins away. I thank God that he put it into 
 the hearts of Brother Crittenton and others to found 
 that blessed Mission. By-and-b}^ thousands from 
 these Florence Crittenton Missions will be found in 
 Heaven, and of them it is written, ‘ These are they 
 that have come up through great tribulations and 
 washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ” 
 
 Miss Ida Brown said : “ For 5'ears I was a Suuda}"- 
 school teacher, but I had become a scoffer and a skep- 
 tic. I had often been invited to go to Florence Mis- 
 sion, but I asked myself if I could go to that Mission, 
 a place for erring women and fallen men. However, 
 I went out of curiosity two 3"ears ago, heard Brother 
 Crittenton, who pleaded with me to give m3’self to 
 God, and I am so glad that I responded. There is a 
 mistaken idea that only fallen women are there re- 
 deemed, for, dear brother, no matter how cultured 
 you may be, if you are rejecting Christ 3’ou are a 
 fallen man, and need salvation as much as an3’ erring 
 girl.” 
 
 Another remarkable case was that of Miss Maude 
 Cann, a most beautiful girl, who being endowed with 
 a wondrous voice was preparing for the operatic 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 22^ 
 
 stage. Out of curiosity she went to one of Mr. Crit- 
 tenton’s meetings and gave her heart to Christ. She 
 consecrated her life to his service and for months was 
 the gifted chorister at Florence Crittenton Mission. 
 Her testimonials always absorb attention, and her 
 voice may yet be heard all over the world as the sing- 
 ing evangelist. 
 
 Miss Clara Brook, another bright and shining light 
 for Jesus, was converted during Mr. Crittenton’s minis- 
 trations at the Sixth Street Methodist church and she 
 has been one of the most faithful workers in the Mis- 
 sion and many souls have been won to Christ through 
 her song, testimony and personal appeal. 
 
 Brother Hays said: “I was brought up by a 
 Christian father and mother, but twelve years ago I 
 got away from Christ, only attending church once in 
 eight years. If I had not been converted I would be 
 in the worst haunts of infamy in Sacramento.” 
 
 W. R. Daly, now engaged in mission work, said : 
 ” A little over a year ago I was getting over an awful 
 spree, having a good time for the devil, but a ver3^ 
 poor time for myself : but I was saved in the Florence 
 Crittenton Mission, and have been so wondrously 
 happy ! God has helped me to save several of these 
 dear girls who have wandered far from home and 
 God, but who are to-day in their mothers’ arms and 
 leading Christian lives.” 
 
 W. L. Tolley said: ‘‘It was the happiest day of 
 my life, when, three months ago, I went into the Flor- 
 ence Mission and Christ made me a new man. It is 
 the greatest desire of my life to point others to this 
 same loving Saviour.” 
 
228 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 Mr. Murray said : ‘ ‘ For years I led a life of sin, 
 gambling and drunkenness, and one night I heard a 
 sister sing in Florence Mission, ‘ A-re you Listening to 
 the Saviour’s Call ?’ and I thought, no, I was listen- 
 ing to the devil’s call. But I did listen to Christ that 
 night, and now the best of my life has been the last 
 these months, when I have been holding open air 
 meetings at Third and K streets, telling of Jesus’ love.” 
 
 Many other testimonies were given of Christians 
 who had found deeper consecration at the Florence 
 Mission. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Reider made an eloquent appeal for sub- 
 scriptions. He said ; ‘ ‘ Let every one study the fig- 
 ures of this report of the Florence Mission, where 
 two hundred and fifty converts have been made this 
 year. Can any church in the city show as good 
 a record ? I thought we were wonderfully blest at 
 Calvar}^ when we received one hundred members from 
 Mr. B. Fay Mills’ meetings. The expense shows 
 these souls have cost about eight dollars apiece. 
 
 Dear friends, can you find a better investment than 
 that ? How blessed, when the soul which our money 
 has been instrumental in saving meets us in heaven 
 and says, ‘ You brought me here ! ’ Some one asked 
 me to ask Brother Crittenton to give one hundred 
 dollars to build a church, and I said ‘ No, I want all 
 Brother Crittenton’ s wealth to go to these Florence 
 Missions which he is founding in so man}^ cities.’ ” 
 
 Nearly one thousand dollars was quickl}" subscribed, 
 showing the great faith of Sacramentans in the Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Mission and its work. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 229 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 In the month of June, 1889, while at Sunol, Cal., 
 for a vacation, we were led to take up our present 
 work, yet the way seemed closed on all sides. At 
 that time, and for some months afterwards, we were 
 unable to do any clerical work, having temporarily 
 lost the use of our eyes, and most of our friends 
 thought that for us to undertake the Rescue work in 
 such a condition as we were then in, would be little 
 less than sheer madness. Some friends to whom we 
 wrote, and others, with whom we conversed on the 
 subject were very emphatic in their words of disap- 
 proval, assigning as their reasons, that a Rescue 
 Home had never been successful in San Francisco, 
 and stating that it was their belief that any venture 
 in that direction meant defeat. We did at that time 
 what we do now, took all the advice and suggestions 
 offered, and then did what we believed was our duty. 
 The result has been salvation to a large number, who 
 would, undoubtedly, have been lost. There has been 
 much of discouragement, financial and otherwise. 
 Very many times we have been misunderstood, our 
 motives have been questioned, and we have been con- 
 demned for the close scrutiny exercised toward every 
 applicant, yet, we believe the results justify the 
 course pursued. With the mistakes of the past to 
 guide us, we hope to make a better record in the 
 future. 
 
 Amid the gloom and clouds caused by so many dis- 
 couraging replies to our communications, one came to 
 us that was as a ray of sunshine, full of brightness and 
 
230 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 encouragement, and best of all it contained a promise 
 of hearty co-operation in the new enterprise. As we 
 take a retrospective view of the association in all of 
 its varied circumstances, the facts compel us to ac- 
 knowledge that the pledge so willingly given has 
 been heartily fulfilled. The letter was signed, 
 
 “ Your friend and brother, 
 
 E. A. Girvin.” 
 
 When the writer first became acquainted with Mr. 
 Girvin, he was trying to interest a number of gentle- 
 men in the “ Home of Refuge ” and succeeded in get- 
 ting subscriptions for that institution that were car- 
 ried forward to the present association and are still 
 being paid each month. His activity in this direc- 
 tion has not decreased. 
 
 Mr. Girvin was present at the first meeting, Jul}”- 
 i6, 1889, at which time the nucleus of the present 
 association was formed. Among other questions 
 which came up for consideration was the subject of 
 assuming the management and debts of the “ Home of 
 Refuge.” This Home had been started in November, 
 1888, by the Rev. George Newton and others. In 
 January, 1889, Mr. Newton was called to other fields 
 of labor and the Home was left without the care that 
 such a work needs, so that we had to face, at that 
 meeting, a debt of $196, in addition to the responsi- 
 bilities connected with such an undertaking. After 
 much discussion and an earnest pra}"er, in which we 
 severally consecrated ourselves anew to God and the 
 work of ‘‘rescuing the fallen,” we decided to assume 
 the debts and management of the Home and to 
 change the name to ‘‘ Pacific Rescue Home.” 
 
I'l^ORRNCE CRITTENTON HOME, SAN FRANCISCO, CARIFORNIA. 
 
FLrORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 23! 
 
 Mr. Girvin was our secretary for two and a half 
 years. In January, 1892, he was elected vice-pres- 
 ident, both of which positions he filled with credit to 
 the association and himself. Lack of space prevents 
 our enlarging more fully on the noble work Mr. Girvin 
 is doing in this and other charities. 
 
 Nathaniel R. Strong was present at the before- 
 mentioned meeting, July 16, and gave us very sub- 
 stantial financial aid in starting our work. During 
 the first year of our existence as an association, we 
 were tided over seemingly insurmountable obstacles 
 through the generosity of Mr. Strong. Ill health has 
 compelled his absence from the city most of the time 
 since our organization. From time to time we have 
 received reminders from our absent friend that con- 
 vince us that his interest remains unchanged. Mr. 
 Strong has been the treasurer of the association from 
 the beginning. Unfortunately we have not been bur- 
 dened with any surplus funds, as those familiar with 
 our cash reports can understand. Yet we are living 
 in hopes of better things farther on. 
 
 Mr. Strong is a kind Christian gentleman, who 
 has spent the best years of his life in business activi- 
 ties. If we had more men of this stamp there would 
 be less suffering in the world. 
 
 We now pass to the remaining member of the orig- 
 inal quartette that assembled at 607 California street, 
 to organize the work, the Rev. John Hannon, D.D. 
 
 It is with great pleasure that we recall to mind 
 our association with this brother in the work. He was 
 one of the first to be identified with the cause, to which 
 
232 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 he remained very faithful, until called to new scenes 
 of activity. 
 
 When discouragements arrayed themselves against 
 us, as they often do, he enabled us to meet them 
 his words of cheer. Although actively engaged in 
 his pastoral duties, we found him ready to “lend a 
 hand ” to the fallen. 
 
 He held the position of vice-president during the 
 latter part of his connection with the association. 
 
 In the fall of 1890, he was sent to the M. E. 
 Church South, of Sau Jose ; accordingly he deemed 
 it necessary to sever his connection wdth this work. 
 We scarcely need say that it was with feelings of great 
 reluctance that the board accepted his resignation, 
 bidding him Godspeed in his new charge. 
 
 After the meeting of July 16, Mrs. Sheriff was en- 
 gaged as matron, in which capacity she remained for 
 two years. At the same time. Rev. A. R. Sheriff was 
 engaged as solicitor and continued with the associa- 
 tion until October, 1890, when he severed his connec- 
 tion with us to engage in the work of the Central 
 Gospel Mission on Stevenson street. The following 
 July Mrs. Sheriff resigned her position to engage in 
 the same work, which they are still carrying on. 
 Mrs. Sheriff endeared herself to ver}^ many of the girls 
 during her administration, many of whom were doubt- 
 less led into Christian lives through her instrumen- 
 tality. 
 
 Being then in a position to have the work carried 
 on, we began making a canvass for a full Board of Di- 
 rectors and corporate powers. In this we were suc- 
 cessful, our certificate of incorporation being signed 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 233 
 
 November 30, 1889, by the Secretary of State. The 
 Rev. W. H. Scudder, Rev. M. D. Buck, Mr. R. S. 
 Sherman, Hon. L,. R. Ellert, George S. Montgomery 
 and the original four were, the incorporators, with Mr. 
 Scudder as president ; L. S. Sherman as vice-presi- 
 dent ; E. A, Girvin, secretary ; N. R. Strong, treas- 
 urer, and the writer as manager. 
 
 Early in 1890, we were permitted to organize our 
 Board of Lady Managers. From that time until the 
 present, they have taken a very active interest in the 
 affairs of the Home. The personnel was as follows : 
 Mrs. J. B. McGilvray, president ; Mrs. Joseph Mos- 
 crop, vice-president ; Mrs. A. H. Breckenfeld, stffcre- 
 tary ; Mrs. E. B. Cooper, Mrs. A. M. Flanders, Mrs. 
 G. K. Frink, Mrs. E. H. Mitchell, Mrs. Carrie Judd 
 Montgomery, Mrs. Leo. Aigeltinger, Dr. Lucia M. 
 Lane and Mrs. Lucy Wood. To these have been 
 added : Mrs. C. H. Sykes, Miss F. R. McCulloch, 
 Mrs. H. C. Girvin, Mrs. F. J. Masters, MissS. M. N. 
 Cummings, Mrs. E. B. Grace, Charlton Edholm. 
 
 In March, 1890, with the same board of directors 
 and management, a Home was started in Oakland, 
 with Mrs. S. C. Russell as matron. This Home had 
 been conducted by Mrs. D. D. McWade (since de- 
 ceased), who on the advice of her physician relin- 
 quished the work, and turned over to our association 
 all the furniture contained therein, while we assumed 
 all debts. This w^ork was continued until February, 
 1891, when it was united with the San Francisco 
 Home in its present location. 
 
 Too much cannot be said in commendation of Mrs. 
 Russell and the executive ability she has manifested. 
 
234 
 
 The traffic in girls. 
 
 During her administration, from July i6, 1890, very 
 many motherless and homeless girls have not only 
 found a home but a mother’s love and care. Surely, 
 she will have her reward. 
 
 We must now pass to January, 1892, when Mr. 
 Crittenton was made president. We deem it entirely 
 unnecessary to present a biographical sketch of him 
 in these pages. Both he and his daughter Addie 
 Crittenton Baldwin are life members. W’^e are very 
 thankful for the aid and advice that has been afforded 
 our work from his means and experience, and believe 
 that the fact of Mr. Crittenton’ s connection with the 
 work assures a refuge for the erring in the city of San 
 Francisco for all time, because people who have means 
 to devote to charitable objects will profit b}^ the ex- 
 ample so prominently before them, and from their 
 abundance will contribute towards the support and 
 permanent buildings. 
 
 Before passing to a brief sketch of the men who 
 have composed our board, mention should be made of 
 the valuable assistance rendered to our Home during 
 its first struggles for existence by Mr. J. B. Stetson. 
 When our former accommodations were too small, 
 Mr. Stetson gave many hours of his time to personal 
 solicitations for funds and material suflScient to enable 
 us to enlarge our borders. He also wrote us a letter 
 that continues to be of value to us. 
 
 We also remember at this time the generous gift 
 (conditional) of a building site at Lakeview, by Mr. 
 Adolph Sutro. We may not be able to avail ourselves 
 of this liberal offer, nevertheless we appreciate the 
 
FLORENCE) CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 235 
 
 real interest manifested in our association and its 
 objects by the donor. 
 
 We must now pass to a brief mention of the Board 
 of Directors. 
 
 Mr. George S. Montgomery became identified with 
 our association early in its history and became security 
 for us when we needed to go to the bank for money to 
 carry on our work. Both he and his excellent wife 
 are in hearty sympathy with any effort that has for its 
 object the salvation of the lost. 
 
 Mrs. Carrie Judd Montgomery became the second 
 life member of our association. She is constantly 
 seeking new methods of showing her real interest in 
 all rescue work, not only in our home, but with the 
 Salvation Army Home at Beulah. 
 
 Rev. M. D. Buck became identified with the 
 association in October, 1889. He has shown deep 
 and abiding interest in the work and has always 
 proved himself ready to serve where opportunity 
 offered. During the entire period of his connection 
 with the Board of Directors, he was a member of the 
 auditing committee. 
 
 While our brother has severed his official connec- 
 tion with “the Home,’’ yet we find him actively 
 engaged in the interests of the same work in his new 
 appointment. 
 
 Mr. Sherman became associated with our work in 
 August, 1889, and from that time has been very 
 earnest and helpful in the cause. We have found him 
 always ready to drop his own work and attend to any 
 matters concerning “the Home.’’ During great 
 financial depression there have been times when the 
 
236 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 work must have ceased, had not Mr. Sherman come 
 to the rescue. His money has always been very 
 freely given to support the cause. 
 
 He was the second president of the Board and for 
 a period of fifteen months fulfilled the duties of that 
 ofiice with credit. He also has the honor of being our 
 first life member. 
 
 Having occasion to consult an oculist, we were 
 providentially directed to Dr. Pardee who soon proved 
 his skill as a physician and showed his ready sympa- 
 thy with the unfortunate. Since our first acquaint- 
 ance with him, he has never failed in word or deed to 
 do all that lay in his power for the good of the Rescue 
 work. 
 
 When the cau.se was first presented to him, he 
 became a willing subscriber and promised his profes- 
 sional services free of charge to all members of the 
 Home needing such attention, which promise he has 
 repeatedly, patiently and successfully fulfilled. We 
 have the utmost confidence in his ability and feel that 
 when our girls are under his care they are in good 
 hands. 
 
 Dr. Pardee spends much of his time relieving the 
 sufferings of those from whom he receives no compen- 
 sation save the esteem and gratitude of his patients. 
 
 In 1890 he became a member of the Board of 
 Directors, but during the past }^ear and since his 
 election as mayor of Oakland he has been prevented, 
 by professional duties and sickness, from taking an 
 active part in the work. 
 
 Joseph Moscrop joined our ranks in 1891, since 
 which time he has continued in active servuce. At 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 237 
 
 the beginning of 1892 he was elected Secretary of the 
 Board of Directors. He is a frequent visitor of the 
 Home, where he is always welcome. Brother Moscrop 
 has done efficient work for us in holding services at 
 the Home on Sabbath afternoons, and has always 
 been ready to lend a hand when requested. 
 
 It gives us great pleasure when we reniember the 
 noble work of the Rev. Mr. Scudder, who was the 
 first president of the Board of Directors. Although 
 having a large field of work in Plymouth Congrega- 
 tional Church, he found time and energy enough to 
 prove very helpful to the cause so near our hearts. 
 After a year and a half of faithful service he ac- 
 cepted a charge in the State of New York. 
 
 As is often the case, those who already have their 
 hands full of work meet demands for still greater 
 outlays of time and strength. So it was with Mr. L. 
 R. Kllert. He is too well known to the public 
 of San Francisco to need an introduction here ; but 
 we are glad to say that for a period of one year 
 he was identified with this cause and served faith- 
 fully where opportunity offered. He took a very act- 
 ive interest in all the proceedings of the Board until 
 January, 1891, when the press of public affairs com- 
 pelled him to withdraw from the association. We 
 felt very sorry to part with him, yet we saw that his 
 duties as supervisor and his increasing cares were 
 sufficient to occupy all of his time. We feel assured 
 that he will be as efficient in the office of mayor of 
 San Francisco as he has been in other positions. 
 
 Upon the resignation of the Rev. M. D. Buck, 
 Mr. A. G. Smiley was elected to fill the vacancy. In 
 
238 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 times of perplexity as to the proper course in anj’' spe- 
 cial case, we have always found in Mr. Smiley a careful 
 adviser, hence, we feel assured that we have gained 
 a valuable acquisition to our Board of Directors. 
 
 To Sisters Wiltermood and Newell, we feel deepl}^ 
 grateful for their untiring efforts for the spiritual 
 welfare of our girls, making Thursday night of each 
 week a season to be looked forward to on account of 
 the many blessings received through their teaching. 
 
 THE WORK AND ITS RESULTS. 
 
 We are enabled to present a verj^ satisfactory' 
 showing. We appreciate and freely acknowledge 
 that the strongest factors in these results are and have 
 been our Board of Physicians, who have not only 
 been faithful in their attendance at the Home, but 
 have been ready at all times to advance the work 
 wherever opportunity offered. 
 
 Dr. Samuel G. Boyd and Dr. Lucia M. Lane have 
 been connected with the work from its infancy. They 
 were followed by Dr. Park, Dr. Smiley, Dr. W. D. 
 Clark. Consultant, Dr. Beverly McMonagle, Cali- 
 fornia, Woman’s Hospital. 
 
 While we have been writing this history and giv- 
 ing credit where it was due, we have not lost sight of 
 the fact that every step of our w'ay we have been de- 
 pendent on an all-wise Counselor and Friend, without 
 whose aid and benediction w'e should have accom- 
 plished nothing. So we are constrained in closing 
 this report to invoke the same divine aid and blessing 
 for the future years that has manifestly been wnth us 
 during the past. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 239 
 
 THE WORK OF THREE YEARS IN SAN FRANCISCO HOME. 
 Whole number admitted, 190 ; accounted for as follows : 
 
 Debtor. 
 
 Number known to have gone wrong 24 
 
 “ lost track of 13 
 
 “ dead 5 
 
 42 
 
 47 
 53 
 
 23 
 
 3 
 126 
 
 Number remaining in the Home 22 
 
 190 
 
 The ages of girls were as follows : 
 
 6 ... . 
 
 
 14 
 
 28 ... . 
 
 
 18 
 
 18 ... . 
 
 14 “ 
 
 15 
 
 29 ... . 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 26 ... . 
 
 15 “ 
 
 16 
 
 22 ... . 
 
 19“ 
 
 20 
 
 32 ... . 
 
 16 “ 
 
 17 
 
 15 • • • • 
 
 
 25 
 
 14 over 25 
 
 J. W. Ellsworth, Manager. 
 
 January, i8gj. 
 
 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Board of Directors : — Rev. P. F. Bresee, D. D., 
 president ; Rev. T. P. Ferguson, vice-president ; Mr. 
 John Dowe, secretary ; Rev. J. M. Hervey, treasurer ; 
 Mr. Chas. N. Crittenton, Major George A. Hilton, 
 Mr. C. A. Jeffers, Rev. J. W. Ellsworth. Mr. D. M. 
 McDonald, attorney; Mr. A. M. Armour, manager; 
 Mrs. Mary Hilbisch, matron. 
 
 Fife Members : — Rev. W. C. Stevens, Mrs. Eouise 
 E. Stevens, Mr. Chas. N. Crittenton. 
 
 Credit. 
 
 Number at service, doing well 
 
 “ returned to parents, doing well 
 
 “ married, doing well 
 
 “ in active Christian work . . . 
 
240 
 
 THE TRAEEIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 A brief history of the FLORENCE HOME, LOS 
 ANGELES. 
 
 Among the many Christian and benevolent enter- 
 prises in our fair city, the Florence Home certainly 
 deserves a place, and although it was opened only a 
 few months ago, some tired feet have already found 
 this quiet refuge, and the good matron, with a gra- 
 cious measure of encouragement and success, has en- 
 deavored to lead them into the way of peace. For 
 some time previous to the opening of the Home this 
 house had been consecrated to the Lord and the for- 
 mer owners were just waiting to know in what way 
 He had planned to use it. The da5"s went by, but 
 still they wisely waited, for you know God will surely 
 tell you if you tarry, and the answer and guidance 
 came at last somewhat in this waj’- : On the Fourth of 
 last July, the Los Angeles Mission were holding their 
 annual grove meeting, and the blessing of the Lord 
 was on the people. Bro. Ellsworth of San Francisco, 
 a dear personal friend of the leaders of the Mission, 
 was present, enjoying the feast with us, and Bro. 
 Ferguson called upon him to give some account of 
 the rescue work, his work, in that big, beautiful, 
 wicked city. Very touchingly he told us about sins 
 and sorrows, wants and woes, as they had come under 
 his own observation. It was sweet to hear how dear, 
 lost girls had been rescued from vice and frequently 
 converted to God through the efforts of loving hearts 
 and helping hands. At the close of his recital he of- 
 fered to rent a house in Los Angeles and furnish it if 
 the people here would sustain the work. Very still 
 
FIvORENCE CRITTENTON MISSION, EOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. 
 

FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 241 
 
 and clear came the voice of the L,ord to one man in 
 that audience, ‘ ‘ this is what I want with the house 
 you gave to me. I need it for lost, broken-hearted, 
 betrayed, forsaken, fallen womanhood.” So when the 
 meeting was over Bro. Stevens told Bro. Ellsworth he 
 would give over his home to Mr. Charles N. Critten- 
 ton and himself for this purpose, and in a few weeks 
 the whole thing was arranged. Five additional trus- 
 tees were chosen, and a Board of Directors of seven 
 hold the Home in trust for God and for this most 
 needy class of his banished ones. On Aug. 25 it was 
 formally dedicated to God. Dr. Bresee, pastor Simp- 
 son M. E. church and president of the Board of Di- 
 rectors, also presiding at the dedication services. 
 And now the little bark is fairly launched and sailing 
 heavenward, and we want you, Christian reader, to 
 ask the Ford that a large and precious living freight 
 may ‘‘get on board.” Sad tales of weakness, wrongs 
 and sufferings come to the ears of manager, matron 
 and friends, and thank God, a few have been blest 
 and benefited, and we trust there is much more to 
 follow. In a sense, everything is new. The work 
 needs great wisdom ; the field is almost untried, and 
 inexperienced workers have to lean all the harder on 
 their helper, God. But they are leaning 2 ,x\^lear 7 ii 7 ig. 
 
 I suppose nobody can appreciate the need of homes 
 of this kind, unless they are actually engaged in 
 rescue work or in Mission work, which is on some- 
 what similar lines. There is a great variety of need 
 in Christian work becau.se there is a great variety of 
 si 7 i and sufferhig, and this is a crying need, whose 
 voice is oft unheard and oft unheeded, and yet that 
 
242 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 anguish tone has the wail of mother, wife and child in 
 it, if we had but ears to hear. No open door, no means, 
 no work, no friend, no home, drives many a girl, who 
 has made one sad mistake and become the victim 
 of some trusted villain’s base deception, into a life of 
 shame and sin. Dear sorrowful one, if your eyes fall 
 upon this page, let me tell you there is a corner for 
 you in Los Angeles. Desolate or desperate, do not 
 despair, but call at the office of the Florence Home, 
 Room 13, 215 New High street, and the manager, Mr. 
 Armour, will receive you kindl}^ and direct you to the 
 Home. The Lord multipl}^ such rescues and refuges. 
 
 Manie Payne Ferguson. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 This Mission was originally started Februar}’ 17, 
 1893. Bro. Chas. N. Crittenton who was at California 
 about this time had written to me time and again of 
 the importance of founding a Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sion in our city, and after pra5"er and deep meditation 
 on the subject, I felt led to do so. I was then superin- 
 tendent of the Mother Mission at New York. Tues- 
 day, Feb. 1 6th, 1893, the tweiit}'-seventh anniversarj^ 
 of my conversion, at the Florence IMission, New York, 
 Mrs. Jas. R. Johnston, Mrs. Anna Abel, Mrs. Harriet 
 Knouse, Miss Emma C. Abel, Miss Livinia Abel, Mrs. 
 Applegate and Mrs. Tell came from Philadelphia to 
 attend the anniversar}^ and in the front room, known 
 as Mr. Crittenton’s room, we talked over the starting a 
 Florence Mission at Philadelphia, Pa., and I gave m3’ 
 wordl would. On Weduesda}’, Februar}' 17, while 
 attending an all-day meeting at Plainfield, N. J., 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 243 
 
 we were invited to take a ride in a large coach which 
 had been sent to take us around the city. We, in this 
 coach about five p. M., were singing ; the Spirit of God 
 came upon us in power, and under the influence Bro. 
 James R. Johnston made this explanation, and made 
 this motion : “I move that we form ourselves into 
 a Florence Crittenton Rescue Band of Philadelphia,” 
 which was carried with a shout for God and the work. 
 In June, 1893, we met together on Sunday morning at 
 Sixth and St. Mary streets, Philadelphia, and went to 
 Hurst street and Gillises’ alley and held our first open 
 air meeting, which was attended with mighty power, 
 many holding up their hands for prayer ; then to Mid- 
 dle alley where the same result came, and from this 
 time on God gave us wonderful results. Men and 
 women of every grade were brought to Jesus and 
 knowledge of his saving grace. We could relate 
 many instances of God’s power to save. On Sunday 
 morning a very large audience was gathered, and two 
 of our sisters of the Rescue Band went back in the 
 alley among the dens of vice, and there found a girl 
 under the influence of drink quarreling with the man, 
 whose slave she was and she was in a wild rage. She 
 drew a knife and was about to plunge it into his 
 heart when one of the women jumped in between 
 them and saved a life, perhaps two. They brought 
 her around to the meeting on the street, where she 
 gave up her dagger to Mr, Johnston, which he has 
 
 until this day. Katie H (her name) was looked 
 
 after and we prayed with her and got her to think of 
 her soul, but she would not yield. She had been in 
 the night Missions, in the house of correction sixteen 
 
244 'The traffic in gires. 
 
 times, and with all this was arrested, sent up for the 
 seventeenth, and was finally released through the 
 efforts of the Rescue workers ; got a situation with 
 one of our friends, and was converted through the 
 singing of a hymn of a child in the famil}^ where she 
 now lives and is doing well. Another is the case of a 
 girl who was of a very fine Christian family, whose 
 mother died leaving these words to her daughter, 
 
 ‘ ‘ Meet me in Heaven. ’ ’ Through liquor the daughter 
 drifted down into the slums and was a slave to drink 
 and shame, and had become a prisoner in a dive in 
 Middle alley, and was not allowed to go out, but was 
 kept there for an evil purpose, and was well-known 
 
 as Jack the Ripper, but her name was Hattie N- . 
 
 Through the singing of our band, God through his 
 Spirit brought conviction, and she began to pray in 
 her den of sin and was converted. Listen to her 
 testimony on the street, “Oh how wicked I was, and 
 I had got so far down in sin I never thought God 
 would save me. I know you all know me. That 
 police officer over there knows me well, and I was so 
 wicked the police would arrest girls who were even 
 seen with me. You, my friends, who are standing in 
 the crowd, know me and have sinned with me, and 
 let me say this, if God will save one like me he will 
 save you.” Then she sang, and great was the result. 
 In this street houses of shame were turned into 
 houses of prayer, and while the meetings were going 
 on in the streets a number of meetings were going on 
 at the same time in the houses ; many souls were 
 brought to Jesus. 
 
Florence: crittenton missions. 
 
 245 
 
 AN INCIDENT, A FACT. 
 
 Another case of a young girl, Jennie F. who 
 
 left her mother in London, arrived in New York, found 
 her way to Philadelphia, was wrecked with sin and 
 shame which brought on a lingering disease. God 
 for Jesus’ sake converted her, and although dying 
 she would give her testimony of the power of Jesus 
 to save, and would often bring tears of rejoicing to 
 our eyes when our band of workers would visit her, 
 and not long after mother’s daughter in a far-off city 
 was relieved of her suffering. She bade all good-by 
 asking all to meet her in the city of our God, Jennie 
 was buried from the Florence Crittenton Mission No. 
 7, Philadelphia ; Brother Johnston preached the 
 sermon from the text, “ Blessed are the dead who die 
 in the Lord”; many were convicted, and she was then 
 carried to the cemetery to be buried in the lot which 
 was presented to the Mission by the brotherhood of 
 the Bethany Church, with which Mr. John Wana- 
 maker, the noble Christian man, is so prominently 
 identified. 
 
 The open air meetings on Hurst street and Middle 
 alley became perfect revivals and many would fall on 
 their knees on the pavements and became converted, 
 and many wonderful conversions occured on the 
 streets and in the houses of ill-fame. This work con- 
 tinued in the open air until the weather became too 
 cold and damp to continue them, at which time 
 Brother Johnston called a meeting at the house of 
 Mrs. Anna Abel, 946 Lawrence street, Philadelphia, 
 Pa., on Monday evening, September 26th, 1892, for 
 
246 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 the purpose of organizing a Mission ; at this time 
 Brother Johnson told them of a paper which he had 
 received from Bro. Chas. N. Crittenton which read 
 thus : 
 
 To All Whom It May Concern ; — This is to cer- 
 tify that James R. Johnston, late superintendent of 
 the Florence Crittenton Mission of New York City, 
 has been and is hereby authorized, by Chas. N. Crit- 
 tenton, the founder and organizer of all the Florence 
 Crittenton Mission work of the United States, to or- 
 ganize, open and superintend a Florence Crittenton 
 Mission and Home in Philadelphia, and to solicit and 
 receive subscriptions for said mission work. Dated at 
 San Francisco, Cal., this Sixteenth day of July, 1892. 
 
 Chas. N. Crittenton. 
 
 After the meeting was called the purpose was 
 stated and after prayer the following persons were 
 elected to office. 
 
 Official Board : James R. Johnston, President and 
 Superintendent ; Mrs. Anna Abel, Vice-President 
 and Matron ; Mrs. Harriet Knouse, Asst. Superinten- 
 dent and Treasurer ; Miss Kmma Abel, Supt. of Sun- 
 day School and Secretary of Mission ; Mrs. Helena 
 Applegate, in charge of Rescue and MissionaiA' Band ; 
 William D. Pierce, William A. Richard, Executive 
 Officers and Missionaries ; Miss Livinia Abel, Asst. 
 Superintendent of Sabbath School ; Mrs. James R. 
 Johnston, Organist. 
 
 Advisory Board : Chas. N. Crittenton ; Geo. D. 
 McCreary, City Treasurer at Philadelphia, Pa.; A. 
 W. Dennett, F. C. Harder, Wm. H. Hoopel. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 247 
 
 Mr. James R. Johnston, Superintendent of the 
 Florence Mission, was born in Philadelphia, and was 
 converted at a Methodist revival, at Rising Sun, Phil- 
 adelphia, under the preaching of the Rev. Joseph 
 Welsch, on the i6th of February, 1865. He has 
 often said that he was made free just before he was 
 twenty-one years of age, which was on the twenty- 
 fourth of the same month. 
 
 He then became a Sanday-school teacher, and 
 was soon after appointed a class leader and Sunday- 
 school superintendent, and had great success in all 
 these positions. He then felt moved of the Holy 
 Spirit to enter mission work, and started the Mackey 
 Mission in Philadelphia. 
 
 After this he received a call to the position of 
 Superintendent of the Avenue A Mission, under the 
 care of St. George’s Episcopal Church of New York 
 City. He labored here for some time, and when the 
 Mission became established returned to Philadelphia, 
 and entered into the work at his first Mission until 
 August 1889, at which time he went to Vine Street, 
 above Eighth, which is considered one of the worst 
 communities of Philadelphia, and stood on the curb- 
 stone and uttered this prayer : “ O, Lord, I ask thee 
 to help me to open a Mission at Eighth and Vine.” 
 This prayer was answered in the month of November, 
 when a brother, Jas. P. Hall, said he had got the use 
 of an old saloon on the northeast corner of Eighth 
 and Vine, and asked Mr. Johnston to open a Mission, 
 which he did on the night of Thanksgiving, 1889, 
 and in a short time it became a power, he acting as 
 its superintendent until February, 1891. 
 
248 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Kv, tberi prayed that God would move a man of 
 business on North Front street, by the name of John 
 Habacher, to help him to open another Mission, and 
 in a fev/ weeks after this prayer Mr. Habacker came 
 to ask him to assist in opening a Mission. Mr. John- 
 ston joined him, wdth other brethren, and on Easter 
 Sunday, 1891, opened the Harvesters’ Mission, of 
 which he took charge, and carried on a grand work 
 up to October 19, 1891, when he was appointed super- 
 intendent of the Florence Crittenton Mission, New 
 York, by Mr. C. N. Crittenton. 
 
 Brother Johnston received considerable training 
 under Mr. Crittenton, previous to the latter’s journe}’ 
 around the w’orld for his health, which had become 
 impaired by his constant labors. 
 
 Organized as the Florence Crittenton Mission No. 
 7, of Philadelphia, Pa., we then rented a store-room 
 which was used as a notorious place of vice, a pool 
 room w'here gambling had been carried on ; we took 
 possession on Sunday, November 6th, 1893. It was 
 opened by Hon. Geo. D. McCrear}*, Cit}^ Treasurer of 
 Philadelphia. The first person converted was Charley 
 
 R who had been a gambler and a very wicked man, 
 
 and who had lost $28 in the very pool room where he 
 now. w'orships God and w'as converted the first night 
 we opened. The Mission has been crowded and 
 packed and many turned awa}', and man}' remarkable 
 conversions. Men who have come into the meetings 
 drunk have been converted and to-day are workers in 
 the Missions and belong to some of our most promi- 
 nent churches. Over 19,960 persons have attended our 
 meetings and 1,440 testimonies; 375 confessed conver- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 249 
 
 sion ; 1,285 up hands for prayer. We have col- 
 lected over $800 and paid all our bills and have a few 
 dollars in treasury. All this in five months, and the 
 half has never been told. 
 
 ATLANTA, GEORGIA. 
 
 One of the most curious little chapters in the his- 
 tory of Atlanta is that recording the efforts of Mrs. 
 M. M. Wolfe and other charitable ladies to establish 
 a Home here for unfortunate young women. 
 
 Now that the effort has reached success in the 
 completion of the beautiful building to be known as 
 the Florence Crittenton Home, and the object of the 
 work is generally understood and approved, it is hard 
 to understand the panicky prudishness and prescript- 
 i^;e propriety that antagonized it so bitterly at ihe 
 outset, and so blindly and persistently — so malig- 
 nantly, it would seem — until Christianity silenced the 
 churches, and the people taught the preachers moder- 
 ation. 
 
 The good women in charge of the work, as well 
 as the unfortunate charges in their care, were treated 
 as public enemies. They were denounced and spied 
 upon as though they were criminals. Their property 
 was threatened with destruction by mob violence. 
 They were hunted from pillar to post. 
 
 This humble charity was opposed in the name of 
 charity by other charitable interests. 
 
 The good women persevered.. 
 
 Finally at a meeting of preachers, their object was 
 indorsed by a unanimous vote, the preachers standing 
 up to pledge their sympathy and co-operation. 
 
250 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 A few days later Mrs. Wolfe found a site suitable 
 for the Home. It happened to be near the church of 
 one of the pastors who had stood up to promise his 
 prayers and support. 
 
 “ I ’m so glad to see you,” said Mrs. Wolfe, meet- 
 ing this minister ; ” there may be some opposition to 
 our locating here, as there has been ever3’where else, 
 but you can help us. You know — ” 
 
 ‘ ‘‘Right in front of my church ! ” exclaimed the 
 preacher. ‘‘So far from helping you, madam, I shall 
 do all I can to prevent your staying there ! ” 
 
 ‘‘But you promised — ” 
 
 ‘‘ I didn’t think it was going to be right opposite 
 my church. You can’t stay there. If Mrs. Barrett 
 is so unselfish about it, why can’t you locate right 
 opposite St. Luke’s ?” 
 
 Mrs. Barrett had in fact, tried hard to have the 
 Home located just opposite St. Luke’s, in order that 
 she might devote more of her time and personal at- 
 tention to it. 
 
 This incident is one of man}’ — very man}’ ! — serv- 
 ing to illustrate the spirit of those times. The new 
 Home is completed now. 
 
 The story of the Home, as it will appear in the 
 history of the city, is given below in Mrs. Wolfe’s 
 own words. It was written at the request of the 
 Herald : 
 
 ‘‘ During the summer of 1892, while taking a trip 
 through the South in the interest of the Home in 
 New Orleans, of which I was then superintendent, 
 I called on the Rev. Robert S. Barrett, of St. Luke’s 
 Cathedral in this city, to interest him if possible in 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON HOME, ATLANTA, GA. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 251 
 
 the work of rescuing young and friendless girls. I 
 there met for the first time Mrs. Barrett, who from 
 then until now has been a most enthusiastic and 
 faithful worker in the cause. 
 
 From that conversation originated my call to 
 come to this city and endeavor to establish a work 
 here. So confident were we that we should meet 
 with sympathy and help that before leaving the city 
 I rented a small house on Formwalt street, leaving 
 the keys with Mrs. Barrett, that the house might be 
 furnished and prepared for occupancy, while I re- 
 turned to New Orleans to settle matters there and 
 to prepare to move. 
 
 Before returning I received letters from Mrs. Bar- 
 rett stating that objections had been made, to our 
 establishing a Home by residents in the locality, but 
 that she thought if I could come on we could find 
 some suitable building a little out of the city, and in 
 a month or two would succeed in locating our Home. 
 
 Agreeably to this proposition I came on to At- 
 lanta, and we found and leased for one year a pretty 
 suitable house on the Marietta road. Feeling confi- 
 dent of success, I returned to New Orleans, packed 
 the furniture and left it with my assistants and some 
 young children who were in my care, to follow when 
 I should send for them. 
 
 On arriving in Atlanta I was met by Mrs. Barrett 
 with the information that she feared opposition, as 
 some of the residents objected to the Home being es- 
 tablished in the locality where were there own priv- 
 ate residences. We were asked to meet Mr. Powers, 
 the owner of the house we had leased, with a com- 
 
252 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 mittee of five gentlemen, property owners, to see if 
 W'e could not remove their objections. Before this 
 committee Mrs. Barrett spoke eloquently for two 
 hours, but to no effect. They knew nothing espe- 
 cially against the work, but thought if the city, where 
 there were so many vacant houses, objected to our 
 living in their midsts, they surely could not afford to 
 consent to anything which might prove detrimental 
 to their interests as property owners. 
 
 Mr. Powers joined Mrs. Barrett, representing to 
 them that if he, as the largest property owner in the 
 vicinity, was willing to take any risk there might be, 
 they surely ought to be walling to trust him in the 
 matter. It was, however, all to no purpose. And 
 now commenced a never-to-be-forgotten house hunt- 
 ing. Every agent in Atlanta came to know me well, 
 and while there were numerous suitable houses on 
 their lists, and the money w^as readj' to pay for leas- 
 ing them, it was impossible to get them to rent me a 
 Home. 
 
 At last, despairing of securing a house in or near 
 the city, I took the dummy line and went to Decatur. 
 There I found a house, neat, commodious and in 
 everj^ way suitable for mj^ purposes, and agreed to 
 rent it. I was to meet the owner and close the bar- 
 gain early the next morning. You may be sure I 
 was on time, but was met very politeh' b}" the gentle- 
 man, who informed me that his agent had given the 
 refusal of the house to another part}', and I w’ould 
 have to give it up. He w'as very sorry, etc., and I 
 was again left houseless. 
 
 Almost desperate, I determined to go out to Bol- 
 
FI^ORBNC:^ CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 253 
 
 ton, and after having a most unfortunate trip, the 
 car breaking down two or three times, I was much 
 surprised on at last arriving at the terminus, on being 
 told that that was the last trip for the day. It was 
 growing late and I must needs return, without even 
 looking for a house. What then seemed to me a 
 great misfortune has since proved entirely provi- 
 dential. 
 
 I had before this been trying to get a house on 
 the corner of Mitchell and Thompson streets, but 
 was refused the rental of it. Now in my desperation 
 I resolved to resort to strategy. My husband was 
 not known as I was to the real estate agents, and I 
 sent him with money and instructions to pay the rent 
 for one month. This, I thought, would give me a 
 little time, and would enable me to store my furniture, 
 which all this time had been side-tracked, and sent to 
 New Orleans for my family, waiting in great discom- 
 fort, expecting every hour a summons to come to me. 
 
 You may imagine my delight when he returned 
 bringing the receipt and keys to the house. 
 
 Some four or five days after moving into the house 
 on Mitchell street, I w'as called on by the chief of 
 police, who conducted me to the office of Mr. English, 
 who informed me that a complaint had been made by 
 a widow lady owning property in the neighborhood, 
 aud that I could not be allowed to remain. He said 
 he could not, himself, understand the necessity of such 
 a work. Then I explained to him the nature of my 
 work, stating, among others, the fact, that the year 
 before, thirty-six young girls had been sent from 
 Atlanta to other cities, some of whom I had received 
 
254 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 into my house in New Orleans. Still the opposition 
 remained, but I told Mr. English I only wished to 
 remain on Mitchell street one month, as I had already 
 rented a house on Peters street, and expected to move 
 there. I asked him if it would be necessary to apply 
 to the council for permission, but he said ‘ No, not 
 until there was some objection raised.’ 
 
 The objection came soon enough. It got noised 
 about in some way that we intended moving into the 
 house on Peters street, and the agent came to me again 
 and again, begging me to give it up, that he would 
 refund the money if I would only give up the house. 
 This I refused to do, though he visited me day after 
 day, declaring that the feeling was so great he feared 
 if we attempted to move in we would be mobbed. 
 
 During our stay on Mitchell steeet we had received 
 several inmates, and a child was born, so that we had 
 quite a little family. 
 
 The lady managers having charge of the Peters 
 street house were very kind, allowing us to move in 
 and use two or three of the rooms before they -were 
 ready to vacate entirely. The feeling ran so high 
 that there was quite a crowd on the corner watching 
 us as we moved our furniture and carried in our 
 little ones in the greatest haste. Just about this time 
 there was one ray of light. I had written to Mr. 
 Charles N. Crittenten, of New York, to see if he 
 would help us, and had received his answer that he 
 would give us a donation. This was a great encour- 
 agement. Still persecutions came from ever}’ side. 
 Unknown to us a policeman was detailed, who for 
 two weeks walked up and down before our house to 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 255 
 
 see if he could perceive any signs whatever of our hav- 
 ing inmates in a Home. 
 
 We had met some little time before with the Min- 
 isters’ Association, and Mrs. Barrett, by her sweet 
 and womanly address in favor of our work, had com- 
 pletely won their hearts, so much so that they all 
 promised their sympathy and aid. Seeing the spires 
 of several little churches in our vicinity, I determined 
 to call on the pastors, hoping to induce them to speak 
 from the pulpits in favor of our Home, and thus to 
 calm the people. Mrs. Barrett and I called one Sun- 
 day morning on Rev. Britton, pastor of the 
 
 little Baptist church opposite our home. As soon 
 as I spoke to him on the subject, reminding him 
 of what the ministers had promised, and begging him 
 to say something for us to his people, I was met with 
 a most decided refusal. He said “ so far from speak- 
 ing in our favor, he would do all he could against us, 
 and fight us to the best of his ability.” When 
 reminded of what the clergyman had promised, he 
 said : “ Yes, but he had never thought we were going 
 to locate our Home right in front of his church — 
 that we had better go and take a house opposite St. 
 Luke’s Cathedral,” and more to the same effect. 
 This was so discouraging I gave up making calls 
 on the neighbors, but took especial care that nothing 
 should be done that might antagonize any one in the 
 community. 
 
 We were conscious of the feeling in the neighbor- 
 hood, and to avoid all comment kept our inmates com- 
 pletely secluded. They never even crossed the yard 
 
256 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 but for the most unavoidable errands, and in no way 
 whatever gave cause for comment or rebuke. 
 
 About this time, having failed to gain any in- 
 formation from the policeman, a man by the name of 
 Wesley, who' had from the first been bitterly opposed 
 to our work and persecuted us in every way possible, 
 conceived the idea of gaining the much-desired in- 
 formation, as to whether we really had a Home and 
 received inmates, by sending a woman from one of the 
 evil houses, who was to represent to me her disgust 
 with the life she had been leading and her desire tc 
 reform and lead a new life. I received her unsuspect- 
 ingly and questioned her as to her past life, dwelling 
 on the point of her being thoroughly in earnest in the 
 matter, and pointing her to Christ as her only means 
 of salvation, at the same time promising, if she were 
 really in earnest, to give her all the help in my power. 
 
 I noticed she seemed agitated, and thought it but 
 natural ; but at this point she broke down completel}", 
 saying : “I can go on with this no longer. I am not 
 what I seem.” She then told me who had sent her 
 and for what purpose, and I told her when she returned 
 to tell exactly what she had seen and what I had said 
 to her. 
 
 Just about this time we received a visit from the 
 council, who wished to investigate the work which 
 had caused so much sensation in Atlanta. We were 
 only too glad to receive them, and after explaining the 
 nature and object of the work, they visited ever5^ 
 room, where the inmates were engaged in all branches 
 of domestic industry, ending by visiting the nursery, 
 where they were much affected by the sight of so 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 257 
 
 many innocent, helpless, little ones. They seemed to 
 feel that our work was a good one, and we were quite 
 encouraged to hope for their sympathy ; but even 
 then there was a petition circulating, signed by two or 
 three hundred citizens, requesting our removal from 
 Peters street, and we were obliged to meet the council 
 to consider it. 
 
 We found the faction who were so much against 
 us, headed by Mr. Wesley, whose remarks tended to 
 arouse all bitter and antagonistic feeling. Mrs. 
 Barrett quietly rose, and in the course of a most 
 beautiful and earnest appeal, called on the gentleman 
 to mention one thing he knew of the work, which 
 would not bear the eye of God and man upon it, 
 engaging, if one such thing could be specified, to give 
 up the work and have no more to do with it. The 
 gentleman was obliged to admit that he knew of 
 nothing against the work. Mrs. Barrett’s remarks 
 were also the means of convincing Mr. Rice, of the 
 council, that he had not before thoroughly understood 
 the nature of the work, and to our great j oy he yielded 
 to us his sympathy and aid ; for we had felt the im- 
 portance of securing his influence in our undertaking. 
 
 It was finally decided to give us four acres of 
 ground on land owned by the city, on which stood two 
 small cottages, and to which we moved as soon as 
 they could be rendered in any degree habitable ; glad 
 to lie down under a roof we need not fight for, and in 
 a neighborhood where, instead of frowning looks, 
 policemen and threatening mobs, we could enjoy 
 God’s clear sky, the air resinous with the odor of 
 pines and heavy with the fragrance of wild flowers. 
 
258 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Though living' as we have through an unprece- 
 dentedly severe winter, crowded together in a state of 
 great discomfort, yet step by step we have seen ouj 
 new Florence Crittenton Home rising towards its com- 
 pletion. 
 
 From the very inception of this enterprise until 
 now Mrs. Barrett’s enthusiastic interest in the work, 
 her indefatigable zeal in working and talking for it, 
 her sweet, womanly courage and sympath}", ever 
 ready in the darkest hours, has been our mainstay 
 and comfort, and she too, rejoices to see the com- 
 pletion of the Home for which she has so long and 
 patiently toiled. 
 
 PORTLAND, OREGON. 
 
 FORMER REFUGE HOME. 
 
 In July of 1887, the Portland Woman’s Christian 
 Temperance Union appointed a committee of two, 
 consisting of Mrs. L. C. Peirce and the writer, with 
 instructions to find a building suitable to be used for 
 a temporary home for women and girls coming to 
 Portland, strangers, and in need of shelter and assist- 
 ance while seeking employment. 
 
 Its attention had been called to the urgent demand 
 for such an institution by its intelligence ofl&ce, then 
 in charge of Mrs. L. C. Peirce, where often women 
 came to look for work, who, while doing so, were 
 stopping in cheap hotels, aud w'ho, in some instances, 
 were so reduced in their circumstances that the trunks 
 containing their little all of earthly goods were held 
 for board. These cases, and that of the innocent girls 
 who came occasionally with such tender youth aud 
 
FIvORENCK CRITTKNTON MISSIONS. 
 
 259 
 
 utter lack of knowledge of the world, forced upon us 
 the conviction that some place specially designed for 
 their succor and protection was greatest among the 
 many needs of Portland for active, efficient, moral and 
 saving forces. In due time this committee made a 
 report, and the result of the conference on it was that 
 the W. C. T. U. voted to rent the house recommended 
 by the committee, standing on the northwest corner of 
 Second and Columbia streets, and now occupied by 
 the Refuge Home for erring women. 
 
 We opened the Industrial Home August 15, 1887, 
 with two inmates, besides a babe, the child of one of 
 them. It was soon found that the unavoidable ex- 
 penses incident to the house were greater than the 
 local Union could possibly meet, and it appealed to 
 the Executive Committee of the State W. C. T. U. 
 to ask if it would adopt the enterprise as a depart- 
 ment of its work. 
 
 The report in answer by the Executive Committee 
 of the State Union was satisfactory, and was brought 
 before the Portland Union, and, after discussion, a 
 majority voted to release its exclusive right to the 
 management and maintenance of the Home, and vest 
 it in the State Union. 
 
 The sole eondition of this transfer of responsibili- 
 ties was that each local Union in the State of Oregon 
 should pay for the support of the institution not less 
 than fifty cents per month. It was thought that this 
 amount, together with individual gifts which were 
 reasonably to be expected, and nominal sums for 
 rooms and board, would be amply adequate to its sup- 
 port ; but at the meeting of the State W. C. T.U. next 
 
26 o 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 after opening the house, a period of nine and a half 
 months, it was found that there had been an expend- 
 iture in money of two hundred and seventy-eight 
 dollars and sixty-two cents more than accrued from 
 receipts, and that this sum, together with bills for 
 furniture, and to the Woman’s Exchange, where in- 
 mates were boarded previous to any arrangement in 
 the house for that purpose, aggregated an indebted- 
 ness of two hundred and twenty dollars and forty- 
 seven cents more than was due on the subscriptions 
 on which the Home depended mainly for its support. 
 
 If we consider the amount of debt often hanging 
 over benevolent organizations, missionary societies, 
 churches even, it may readily be conceded that we did 
 fairly well during the inception of the undertaking. 
 We had no one in the field to lay the matter in all the 
 magnitude of its importance before the local unions, 
 or the reasonable conclusion is that there would have 
 been no deficit and consequently no anxiety as to how 
 to meet this emergency. They did nobly for the 
 greater part, and only failed to rise to the emergency 
 because it failed of being fully and clearly presented 
 to their attention. We pass over the struggle that 
 ensued in our efforts to discharge this debt. Suffice it 
 to say, that the entire amount that could not be can- 
 celed otherwise was assumed as a personal responsi- 
 bility by a member of the local Board of Managers. 
 
 Here we leave for a time the financial aspect of the 
 case, and consider another vital phase in the histoiy" 
 of this effort to conserve morality. 
 
 “ There’s a divinit}' that shapes our euds 
 Rough-hew them how we will,” 
 
FLORECNE CRITENTTON MISSIONS. 
 
 261 
 
 and He was directing all things into the channel of His 
 ultimate purpose; and He led us to consider the project 
 of changing this to another kind of Home, for which 
 there exists a great and growing need in Portland to- 
 day, with nothing that answers to anything like its 
 purpose already in the field ; while we feel that the 
 Woman’s Home, corner Fourteenth and F streets, is, 
 in part, meeting the object of our Home, as conducted 
 up to this date. Hence, there being now a greater 
 necessity for a first effort to establish a house of refuge 
 for erring women and girls, the desire to found the 
 initial one, born of this conviction, pressed upon us 
 and deepened until we opened all our hearts to the 
 local board of managers, and to our great surprise 
 found that the}', too, were fully ripe for this change in 
 the character and object of the Industrial Home as it 
 had solely and singly been hitherto. In this capacity, 
 during the eighteen months that have elapsed since the 
 inauguration of the enterprise, it has sheltered vary- 
 ing lengths of time nearly two hundred adults and 
 forty children, aside from one hundred enrolled in the 
 Kindergarten, Industrial School and Day Nursery. 
 
 At once the Board of Managers proceeded to incor- 
 porate under the name of “ Refuge Home ” and peti- 
 tion the State Legislature for an appropriation for its 
 support. The articles of incorporation are so drawn 
 as to admit of carrying on different branches of be- 
 nevolent work, and so that at any time, should it be 
 desirable to revive the original object of the Home as 
 a branch of this work, we may do so legally. The 
 State Legislature, convening in January of the cur- 
 rent year, in February of the same passed an act 
 
262 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 appropriating to our work the sum of $5,000, payable 
 in two equal, annual installments, for which we thank 
 it and God who inspired its heart and understanding 
 to so favor us that we are now enabled to open a 
 Refuge for those, to one of whom the Saviour said, 
 “ Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.” 
 
 We are much indebted, for the success of our In- 
 dustrial Home, to our treasurer, Mrs. Elizabeth Dal- 
 gliesh, whose energies have been unflinching from the 
 first. 
 
 PAST WORK DONE IN THE CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT. 
 
 This branch of our effort has been under the entire 
 management of Miss Ahern, and w’as a success from 
 the first, as well as a great pleasure to those of us who 
 have noted her diligent and self-sacrificing labors. It 
 is due to Miss Ahern that we call attention to the fact 
 that she has acted not only as teacher and manager 
 of the kindergarten and industrial school, but to these 
 duties in many instances superadded the labor of nurse 
 for inmates of the Home, as well as that of frequent 
 visitation and watching with sick among her pupils ; 
 and since September last has been acting matron of 
 the Home, harmonizing discordant elements that from 
 time to time thrust themselves among us, looking 
 after domestic and financial details with as much zeal 
 and fidelity as if it all were her own private, personal 
 enterprise ; often using her own salar}" to meet neces- 
 sary outlays ; proving conclusive!}' that she may be 
 depended upon in exigencies and adversity. May 
 she live long to carry on the kindergarten and other 
 branches of children’s work as State superintendent 
 
Florence; critten'ton missions. 263 
 
 of that department, for the Woman’s Christian Tem- 
 perance Union. 
 
 TO OUR FRIENDS IN REGARD TO FUTURE WORK. 
 
 We earnestly solicit the encouragement and aid of 
 all philanthropic, benevolent and Christian persons in 
 carrying out this great work. Especially we look to 
 the churches of God, by whatsoever name, irrespective 
 of creeds and denominations, to co-operate with us in 
 this movement, which is essentially for the salvation 
 of the lost, and intended to supplement its work by 
 helping those that in the discharge of its usual func- 
 tions it cannot so well reach as we. 
 
 To the philanthropist, we appeal for sympathy in 
 the many difficulties sure to meet us at each step of 
 the troubled way. 
 
 To the benevolent, we appeal for financial assist- 
 ance. By the provisions of the legislature it is 
 possible with present prospects, to meet ordinary 
 expenses ; but should the number of inmates increase 
 to the full capacity of the building, it will hardly be 
 possible to keep within limit of the appropriation 
 fund. And then, again, we desire to purchase land 
 with a view to building and owning a home of our 
 own, which certainly we should do ; and for this pur- 
 pose we have no provision whatever, outside of one 
 thousand dollars pledged by a single individual. We 
 think it behooves us now and here to anticipate, as 
 far as may be, all probable future needs. 
 
 Earnestly we pray that God will fill our Refuge 
 with those for whom it is intended, who sigh for release 
 from the loathsome prison-houses of sin and shame. 
 
264 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Also we pray that God will give us a house of our 
 own in which to receive them. We believe each of 
 these petitions to be in accordance with His will, hence 
 our confidence in bringing all our work and plans to 
 Him, trusting for a successful issue, and look to those 
 to whom we appeal as the instruments through which 
 His will is to be performed. Not least among the 
 causes we have for thanksgiving and belief in our 
 ultimate success, is the accomplished fact that 
 already we have in Mrs. Martha Kersey a matron 
 whose qualities of mind and heart, as well as her 
 unusual ability in every way, fit her for the position, 
 so that the entire supervision of the Refuge Home 
 promises to be all our hearts can desire in the way of 
 domestic and religious influences. 
 
 As a band of Christian w^omen we promise to exer- 
 cise a spirit of charit5’ toward the outcast women and 
 do all in our power to protect them from further degra- 
 dation, also to maintain the laws of purity as equallj’ 
 binding upon men and w'onien. 
 
 An Evangelistic Committee, of which Mrs. Fanny 
 Montgomery is chairman, will co-operate with Mrs. 
 Kensey in looking after the moral and religions inter- 
 ests of the inmates, in conducting Bible readings and 
 all religious services deemed desirable to the work of 
 saving the fallen. 
 
 We have learned to love the work, because of the 
 wounded hearts we have been instrumental in heal- 
 ing, and the buried hopes that have been revived. 
 
 We are indebted to Doctors Frazer and Richmond 
 Kelley for most faithful services, rendered in visiting 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS- 
 
 265 
 
 the Home whenever called upon, and giving extra 
 attention to special cases. 
 
 The following is a statement of the ages and num- 
 ber of inmates since our last report, October, 1890 : 
 
 Number under 14 years of age 33 
 
 Number between 14 and 18 years of age 53 
 
 Number between 18 and 24 years of age 18 
 
 Number past 24 years of age 4 
 
 Total 108 
 
 BOARD OP MANAGERS. 
 
 Mrs. Anna R. Riggs, President, Mrs. I. H. Amos, 
 Vice-President, Mrs. R. T. Rankin, Corresponding 
 Secretary, Mrs. Susie Foster, Recording Secretary, 
 Mrs. Hessie Shane, Treasurer, Mrs. Julia Snyder, In- 
 structor and Superintendent of Sewing, Mrs. John 
 Barrett, Mrs. C. E. Shipley, Mrs. William Wadhams, 
 Mrs. Ellen Sickafoose, Mrs. R. M. Robb, Mrs. M. H. 
 Holbrook, Mrs. James Steel, Mrs. Elijah Corbitt, Mrs. 
 W. S. Ladd, Mrs. John Williamson, Mrs. M. L. 
 Driggs, Mrs. Ahern Sickafoose, Mrs. J. C. Moreland, 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Dalgleish, Mrs. Capt. Kern. 
 
 Mrs. Anna R. Riggs, Presidejit. 
 
 As Portland, Oregon, was one of the places 
 selected by the National Woman’s Christian Temper- 
 ance Union for one of the Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sions under W. C. T. U. auspices, the Home takes its 
 new name. Mrs. Riggs modestly says but little of 
 her own heroic efforts in founding the Refuge Home ; 
 but it is but just to her to say that from the first she 
 was the leading spirit, and, being at the same time 
 
266 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 President of the Oregon W. C. T. U., she used her 
 influence to have the work adopted as a State Depart- 
 ment. As it now belongs to the chain of Florence 
 Crittenton Missions, whose very name is a Mascot, 
 no doubt its future work will, like the work of the 
 past, redound to the glory of God. 
 
 DENVER, COLORADO. 
 
 At the National W. C. T. U. Convention held in 
 Denver, 1892, Mr. Crittenton addressed the ladies so 
 earnestly on the need of a place of refuge, and through 
 Miss Willard and National W. C. T. U. made his 
 generous offer of $1,000 to the state for that purpose. 
 Our white-ribbon sisters realized the demand was im- 
 perative that steps be taken at once to make a home for 
 those desiring to lead better lives. Especiall}' was this 
 urgent, as during the revival services of Fred Schiverea 
 and Gypsy Smith several were led to believe and hope 
 for remission of sins in obeying the Saviour’s com- 
 mand, “Go and sin no more.’’ Consequent!}" at a 
 council of the Unions at headquarters it was decided 
 to hold a mass-meeting in Trinitj" church and people 
 were interested in the work, presided over by Mrs. M. 
 A. Brazee, Vice-President Colorado W. C. T. U. With 
 due deliberation a permanent organization and cor- 
 poration was formed with the following officers : IMrs. 
 Governor Waite, President ; Mrs. Battis, first Vice- 
 President ; Mrs. S. M. W. Likens, second Vice-Presi- 
 dent ; Mrs. A. A. Cameron, Corresponding Secretar}' ; 
 Mrs. C. M. Craise, Recording Secretary, succeeded b}" 
 Mrs. Quin ; Treasurer, Mrs. Dr. Ordwa}", succeeded 
 by Mrs. Rev. Spencer. A Board of Directors was 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON HOME, DENVER, COLO. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 267 
 
 selected, several committees appointed, and all went to 
 work with great earnestness. Too much credit can- 
 not be given Mrs. Battis and Mrs. Likens, superin- 
 tendent Rescue work, Colorado W. C. T. U., for their 
 untiring efforts. Mrs. Craise is W. C. T. U. city 
 missionary and most efficient. Most of the churches 
 responded nobly, setting apart certain evenings in the 
 interest of the Home. I feel special mention should 
 be made of Dr. Kerr B. Tupper, who donated the col- 
 lection of one hundred and fifty dollars, the proceeds 
 of the sale of a sermon to the Home. Since then he 
 has given thirty volumes from his own library as a 
 nucleus for a library. To the merchants of the city 
 we are largely indebted for most of the elegant fur- 
 niture, and nearly all the supplies for the table since 
 the establishment of the Home. The Episcopal sis- 
 ters, furnished one room. All our papers have aided 
 us greatly by reporting our work and urging the 
 need of contributions. 
 
 A lease was secured of a commodious house, No. 
 3138 Lawrence street, and an experienced matron, 
 Mrs. Moore of Canada, put in charge. Religious 
 services are held once a week. We have an efficient 
 Board of lady physicians who willingly donate their 
 services and time. 
 
 Although these friendless ones come to us from 
 the whole state, the work for the first six months was 
 done under the auspices of the W. C. T. U. of Den- 
 ver. The expense was met by the sisters, and the 
 generous gifts of the citizens. When the State Con- 
 vention met at Boulder, September 22, 1893, they 
 indorsed the work done, accepted it as state work, 
 
268 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 and placed it under the same superintendency as the 
 Cottage Home, a similar institution, and the Or- 
 phans’ Home, both under the auspices of the \V. C. 
 T. U. . The State Convention also set apart Mr. 
 Crittenton’s donation of one thousand dollars, as a 
 building fund. 
 
 Many sad tales have been confided to us in the 
 Home, and often the first fatal steps have been taken 
 in the wealthy and cultured circles. It is the old 
 story of ruin traced to the sparkling wine. 
 
 One particularly sad case thrilled us through and 
 through with indignation as Mrs. Likens related it to 
 us. A young girl who became engaged to a young 
 man who was unworthy of her, asked her one Sunda}’ 
 evening to come and take supper with him at his 
 aunt’s. Unsuspecting she went, and found herself a 
 prisoner in a house of ill-fame. Perfectly frantic, she 
 begged and implored the keeper to let her go, but was 
 told that her lover intended to keep her there as his 
 mistress. Enraged at his perfidy she said, “ I will be 
 ruined, but not by him,” and every entreat}" on his 
 part could not change her decision ; but she taunt- 
 ingly replied, ‘‘I will be ruined, but not by you.” 
 Still her womauhood was not after all so near zero as 
 she thought, and several days passed by, she still 
 keeping her purity, even in that dreadful place. 
 
 One night a patron of the establishment, who had 
 a spark of manhood left, knowing she was making a 
 desperate fight for purity, said to her, ‘‘You ought 
 not to be here.” She replied, almost in a whisper, 
 ‘‘For God’s sake help me get away.” He said, 
 ‘‘Very well, follow my plan, and I will. I’ll tell the 
 
Florence; crittenton missions. 269 
 
 keeper I want to take you for a drive, and as I am one 
 of the most wealthy patrons, she dare not refuse,” 
 Trembling in every limb, yet compelled to appear as 
 though she had accepted base proposals from this man, 
 she went with him and he conducted her to Mrs. 
 Likens, who took her to the Cottage Home, then the 
 only W. C. T. U. refuge in Denver for erring girls. 
 Now mark the venomous hate of these villains: A 
 position was found for her and she was earning an 
 honest living, when one day she was confronted by 
 her old-time lover who had tried to seduce her. Again 
 he tried his wiles, but she repelled him with the ut- 
 most scorn. “Then,” said he, “ you shall hever have 
 honest work in Denver. I’ll tell your employer you 
 have been an inmate of a house of ill-fame.” “But 
 you know how I came to be imprisoned there through 
 no fault of my own, and I never lost my purity.” 
 
 “ That does n’t make any difference, no man or wo- 
 man will employ a girl that has been in a house of in- 
 famy.” “Yes, but this man for whom I work frequents 
 such places, and when I tell him all about my innocence, 
 surely he won’t discharge me when I’m trying so 
 hard to live an honorable life.” “ Humph ! those are 
 just the kind of fellows that won’t let you have a 
 chance and before to-night you’ll be dismissed and 
 any other place you get I’ll drive you out of. If you 
 won’t be my mistress you sha’n’t stay in Denver.” 
 True to his word he did get her employer to dismiss 
 her, though she told him all her story. In an agony 
 of despair she went to Mrs. Likens, who immediately 
 secured her another place. But this fiendish man who 
 well illustrates the proverb, “ there’s no one whom we 
 
270 the; traffic in girls. 
 
 so hate as one we have injured,” dogged her again, 
 and three different positions he caused her to lose by 
 his infamous persecution. She was compelled to 
 leave Denver, Mrs. Dikens securing her a place else- 
 where, but she has never swerved from a life of puritJ^ 
 What must we think of society that will honor such a 
 man and help him to damn a woman because, forsooth, 
 she will not become his mistress. Such men by the 
 hundred chase our dear rescued girls and by ever>" 
 means in their power try to drag them back to the old 
 life. 
 
 Mrs. Florence Montgomery Taylor, of Chicago, has 
 generously offered for the use of the Denver Florence 
 Crittenton Home several acres of land near Dundy, 
 Nebraska, where our girls can raise chickens and 
 flowers and vegetables and dairy products, and thus 
 keep their little ones with them. It is wonderful how 
 God is raising up noble helpers in this blessed cause. 
 We are under obligations to Mrs. M. J. Morrill, one 
 of the grand white-ribboners of Denver for much of 
 the information in the report of the Florence Critton- 
 ton Home of Denver. 
 
 [ From the Denver Republican.] 
 
 TIRED OF THE LIFE— THE BRAND PLUCKED FROM 
 THE BURNING. 
 
 “That’s one brand plucked from the burning, I 
 hope,” said Police Matron Dikens, with much satisfac- 
 tion yesterday, as she returned from a drive to the 
 Florence Crittenton Home. The cause of the police 
 matron’s complacent exclamation was a little different 
 
FI.ORENCK CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 271 
 
 from that which usually makes necessary a carriage 
 ride to the asylum of the frail sisterhood. 
 
 Women of the street generally go to the Florence 
 Crittenton Home, the House of the Good Shepherd, 
 the Cottage Home and kindred Denver houses of re- 
 demption via the city jail or the justice court. They 
 are chiefly 3"Oung girls who hardly realize that they 
 have gone astray and for whom there is hope, or they 
 are more advanced women who know it too well and 
 see little in the future but dissipation and despair. 
 
 The woman who went with Matron Likens yes- 
 terday was a young girl, a dweller on the threshold 
 of sin, and her recreancy from the life of shame, upon 
 which she had but entered, was a voluntary act. 
 Near noon she drove up in a carriage to the Four- 
 teenth street entrance of the central station, and pay- 
 ing the hackman, hurriedly inquired for the matron’s 
 quarters. An ofi&cer showed her upstairs to the place 
 and she stepped in. Her form was wrapped in a 
 waterproof mantle and she never raised the heavy 
 veil she wore until the door of the matron’s ofiice 
 closed behind her and she was alone with Mrs. 
 Likens. 
 
 Then she unbuttoned the wet mantle and lifted the 
 veil. Under the mantle was a costly-looking dress of 
 light material, and cut in a style not usually worn on 
 the street. It was more pronouncedly decollete than 
 a ball-room dress — ^and that is all need be said. The 
 girl’s face was honest-looking, her complexion fresh, 
 her eyes bright, with the dew and light of innocence 
 still in them. 
 
 The matron was a little puzzled as to the character 
 
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 272 
 
 of her visitor. “Sit down,” she said, “and take your 
 things off.” The waterproof, bonnet and veil were 
 laid away, and then the two women looked at each 
 other. 
 
 “ What can I do for you, my dear?” the matron 
 asked. The girl blushed, coughed once or twice and 
 then burst out : “ Tve been living a bad life ; there’s 
 
 nothing in it but misery, and I’m sick of the whole 
 thing !” 
 
 “ Go on, child ; ” said Mrs. Likens, encouragingljL 
 
 HER STORY. 
 
 “ My name is Jennie Moore,” went on the girl, “ I 
 came down on the train from Como to-day. I heard 
 of the Florence Crittenton Home and want to go in 
 there.” Then she told her story. The details are 
 not necessary. Such stories are pitifull}' alike up to a 
 certain point. This one, however, diverged radically 
 from the general downward trend at that point. 
 
 Jenni'e Moore went wrong as many other girls go 
 wrong. She took the same after-plunge into a life df 
 dissipation. From her home in Kansas an offer of a 
 gay life and plenty of money induced her to go to the 
 Colorado mountain town, Como, and she was installed 
 in a house there. She went with e3ms open, but they 
 were soon opened wider. She saw nothing in the life 
 but misery, as she herself expressed it. To the 5’oung 
 girl (she gave her age as 19) there was nothing gay to 
 be found in such compaii}'. 
 
 She told the woman in charge of the house that she 
 wanted to leave, but the landlady brutall}’ replied that 
 she could not go until she paid her expenses. As 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 273 
 
 the “expenses ” made up a big bill, and Jennie Moore 
 did not have more than ten dollars, she was compelled 
 to remain a veritable prisoner in the house. In the 
 Denver papers she had read about the Florence Critten- 
 ton Home and the fact that Matron Likens was con- 
 nected with it. She made up her mind to leave Como 
 on the first opportunity and apply for admission. 
 
 Yesterday the opportunity came. While the 
 keeper and most of her fellow inmates were sleeping 
 off the effects of Saturday night’s debauch, Jennie 
 Moore donned a waterproof, bonnet and veil, and in 
 the scant dress of her kind, stole out of the house and 
 took an early train for Denver. 
 
 With the money left she hired a hack at the Union 
 depot, drove to police headquarters and threw herself 
 on the mercies of the matron. 
 
 After hearing her story Mrs. Likens promised the 
 girl every assistance in her purpose of turning over a 
 new leaf. She explained to her that her stay at the 
 Florence Crittenton Home could not be of long dura- 
 tion, and asked herwhat she meant to do after leaving 
 there. “I will work at anything I can get to do,” 
 said the girl determinedly, “but I’ll never go back to 
 that life again.” The police matron believes the girl 
 will keep her word. 
 
 The above clipping from the Denver Republican 
 shows how wonderfully the press can aid our work ; 
 with a consecrated press, we could take the world for 
 Christ. Our debt to the printed page both of leaflet, 
 book and newspaper can never be known this side of 
 eternity. Newspaper men are usually sympathetic 
 
274 'The trapeic in girls. 
 
 and kind-hearted and want to help these girls out of 
 their wretched life, and when everybody interested in 
 rescue work writes a personal letter of thanks to the 
 managmg editor for every helpful article which appears, 
 also assuring hhn of financial support hi the shape of 
 subscriptions, social purity articles would become so 
 popular that a revolutionized public sentiment would 
 speedily sweep away this awful traffic in girls. 
 
 FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA. 
 
 The State W. C. T. U. of North Dakota was or- 
 ganized in September, 1889. Miss Adelaide M. Kin- 
 near was elected President. In the following winter 
 an appeal was made to her from one of the local 
 unions in reference to a 3^oung girl who, having gone 
 astray, was exerting a bad influence over the boj'S and 
 girls of the town. The girl was eighteen j'ears of 
 age, had no one to care for her, and had had a bad 
 example set before her all her life. As our state was 
 new, there was no place for her save the common jail 
 or penitentiary. We appealed to the Bethanj^ Home 
 at Minneapolis, but they refused to take her because 
 she was diseased. Miss Kinnear then wrote to Mrs. 
 Carse and a few personal friends in Chicago, and Mrs. 
 Carse Anally succeeded in placing her in one of the 
 charitable institutions of that cit}". We were all ex- 
 ceedingly thankful to our great Temple general for 
 aiding us in the care of our erring sister. This cir- 
 cumstance opened our e3"es to the need of a Chris- 
 tian Home, in our own state, where the tempted and 
 fallen could be rescued “ In His Name.” 
 
 As Miss Kinnear went about she mentioned the 
 
FLORENCE CRIFTENTON MISSIONS. 275 
 
 fact to the women of our local Unions, and urged them 
 to plan and pray for such a Home. At our first annual 
 convention held in J amestown the following September, 
 Mrs. M. V. Wood, State Corresponding Secretary, told 
 the story of the poor girl whom we had sent to Chicago, 
 in her report on Purity, and attempted to arouse our 
 women to the pressing need of work in this direction. 
 At the second annual convention, September, 1891, 
 Miss Kinnear mentioned the need again, in her an- 
 nual address, in the following language : 
 
 “As case after case of misery and wretchedness 
 has been brought to my notice, I have felt the great 
 need of a home for the poor unfortunates of our state. 
 In each of these fallen, suffering mortals we should 
 recognize a sister, one for whom Christ died ; that 
 His death for such an one shall not be in vain, may 
 lie largely with you and with me. 
 
 “ Responsibility is a many-sided word. Somebody 
 is responsible for many of these outcasts remaining 
 such. Is it you? Is it I ? We are to-day indebted 
 to the kindness of Chicago ladies for the care of one 
 of these fallen ones of our state. We had no place 
 for her, and these ladies kindly received her into one 
 of their institutions. Let us plan, and hope, and pray 
 for the day when we can gather these unfortunates 
 into a home within the borders of our state, where 
 Christian influences shall surround them morn, noon 
 and night. This must be a part of our work in the 
 future, for, ‘ Souls are made sweet, not by taking the 
 acid fluids out, but by putting something in — a great 
 love, a new spirit, the spirit of Christ.’ ” 
 
 The next day Miss Lmma F. Bates made an ear- 
 
276 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 nest plea for such a home. A committee was appointed 
 to canvass the matter. This committee in their re- 
 port favored the appointment of a standing commit- 
 tee to arrange for the opening of a Home in Fargo 
 during the year. The committee were Mesdames E. 
 Ashley Hears, Jennie Benedict, Marie Van Wormer, 
 and E. R. Edwards. The latter could not serve, and 
 Dr. Anna Hill was appointed in her place. 
 
 This committee held a meeting, and after earnest 
 prayer, decided that nothing could be done, until at 
 least one hundred dollars had been pledged. This 
 amount was soon raised, and a small house was hired 
 for eight dollars per mouth ; but in a few days this 
 property was sold and they were obliged to seek other 
 quarters. The onl}^ available place was an old build- 
 ing formerly used for a county hospital. The rent 
 was fifteen dollars per month, and it seemed a great 
 undertaking to hire this place, but faith again sur- 
 mounted the difficulty, the house was hired, and 
 donations came flowing freely from churches and 
 individuals, so that soon the Home was ready for 
 occupancy. At the time of the next state convention 
 eight inmates were sheltered beneath its friendly roof. 
 The president at that meeting referred to it, on this 
 wise, in her annual address : 
 
 THE HOME. 
 
 East year in my address I placed before you the 
 needs of a home for unfortunate women, and urged 
 you to plan, hope and pray for the day when such a 
 refuge within the borders of our own state would be- 
 come a reality. The following da}’ Miss Bates pre- 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 277 
 
 sented the same subject to you, and finally a standing 
 committee was appointed to spy out the land, and if 
 possible go up and take possession. No mistake was 
 made in the selection of this committee. 
 
 These women have been equal to the emergency, 
 and, although a “Gideon’s Band,’’ have accomplished 
 wonders. Located in the city of Fargo, is now in 
 running order a large, commodious and ’homelike 
 Home, containing to-day eight inmates. I will not 
 encroach upon the domain of the committee by de- 
 scribing the building to you, but will simply say that, 
 as I visited the Home a few days ago, went from room 
 to room, noted the pure atmosphere and saw with the 
 eye of faith, peering down through the years, the 
 white souls of those who had been redeemed here, by 
 putting in a great love, a new spirit, even the spirit of 
 Christ, I felt like saying with him of old, “ Loose 
 thy shoe from off thy foot for the place whereon thou 
 standeth is holy.’’ “Who is sufficient for these 
 things ? ’’ 
 
 One short year ago this Home was only a thought 
 in the minds of a few women ; to-day it is a standing 
 reality, sheltering and protecting from the chilling 
 winds of adversity, and even of sin, God’s suffering 
 ones. “ As ye have done it unto one of the least of 
 these my little ones ye have done it unto me.’’ The 
 heavenly Father has given unto us a sacred trust and 
 will hold us responsible for the fulfillment of duty. 
 This trust will require constant care, daily prayer, 
 and often great sacrifice, but He who has rolled the 
 burden upon us will direct our every effort and 
 strengthen our feeble hands. 
 
278 
 
 THE Traffic in gires. 
 
 “My grace is sufficient for thee.” During this 
 convention and through the coming years, your care- 
 ful thought and prayerful consideration will ever be 
 needed for the advancement of this Home, for as yet 
 only the initial steps have been taken, and there are 
 “ More to follow.” 
 
 During the following year, the Home gained in- 
 fluence and helpfulness. Many unfortunates were 
 tenderly cared for, and the people of city and state 
 began to regard this as a Christlike w’ork. The press 
 and the church aided grandly our Home. 
 
 Just at the close of this year Mr. Crittenton’s 
 muniflcent gift was most thankfully received, and at 
 the convention just held in Larimore, a rising vote of 
 thanks was tendered him, and the name of his sainted 
 child, Florence Crittenton, was given to another 
 Home. The lots have been purchased, and w’ork has 
 already begun on the new building, which we trust 
 will be an ornament to the city, and a blessing to 
 many friendless ones. 
 
 The new board of directors are the following : 
 
 Mrs. E. A. Mears, Mrs. Jennie Benedict, Dr. Anna 
 S. Hill, Mrs. M. V. Wood, Mrs. H. L. Campbell 
 and Miss Adelaide M. Kinnear, all of Fargo ; Mrs. 
 M. S. Titus, Mints ; Mrs. Ida G. Fox, Valley City ; 
 Mrs. L- B. Chamberlin, Elliott ; Mrs. N. N. Fuller, 
 Larimore. Respectfully yours, 
 
 M, V. Wood. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENEON MISSIONS. 279 
 
 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 
 
 The Chicago Woman’s Christian Temperance 
 Union, of which Mrs. Matilda B. Carse, the famous 
 founder of the W. C. T. U. Temple, is President, has 
 done a stupendous work for the rescue of girls through 
 the “Anchorage.” In 1886 Miss Frances E. Willard 
 and Dr. Kate C. Bushnell felt that the work must be 
 taken up and that the W. C. T. U. should not spend 
 all its energies in reclaiming men, and do nothing for 
 women. At that time public sentiment had not been 
 so aroused upon the subject as it is now and many of 
 the women demurred at trying to do anything for 
 these creatures whom they had been trained to think 
 were hopelessly lost. But Miss Willard, with her 
 characteristic sweet persuasiveness, persevered, and 
 they timidly consented and opened a Mission called 
 Rehoboth (Still there’s room), at 40 4th Avenue, 
 in which Miss Carrie Moffatt was an indefatigable 
 worker, and where much good was accomplished. 
 
 “Mother” Prindle, now the matron of the New 
 York Florence Crittenton Mission, one of the best 
 known rescue workers in the United States, was the 
 first matron, and Mrs. M. A. Davis, who gave up 
 everything for her erring sisters, was and is the mis- 
 sionary. She goes out into the dives and haunts of 
 infamy, and taking these poor girls in her motherly 
 arms she persuades them to leave the horrors of vice 
 and come to the Anchorage. 
 
 The Rehoboth was a place where the poor creatures 
 — women of vice and sorrow — could come for an hour 
 or a day for sympathy and advice, for prayer and 
 hope. It was but a beginning — an attempt, but it 
 
28 o 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 succeeded, and soon outgrew its very moderate ac- 
 commodations. It could shelter the girls during the 
 day, but at night they must return to their old haunts 
 or be turned into the streets. Ere long it was decided 
 that a Home was necessary and after careful searching 
 the house at 125 Plymouth place was secured. 
 
 This Home, located as it is in darkest Chicago, in 
 the very midst of villainous dens, saloons and dance- 
 houses, is a place of shelter and protection where a 
 young V. lan or girl can go if she wishes to leave 
 the life that has dragged her down. It is a prevent- 
 ive and rescue work, — an “Anchorage” indeed, 
 where young girls who may or may not have taken 
 the first step in vice, may have the opportunit}’^ for 
 sober second thought, and it is their home without 
 money and without price until work is provided for 
 them, or until they are sent to their parents or friends. 
 
 At the suggestion of Miss Julia Ames of sainted 
 memory, a lily, the emblem of purity, has alwa3^s 
 been kept in the window of the Anchorage, and these 
 girls instinctively read the mute invitation to come in 
 and lead a better life. 
 
 The committee to whose heroic efforts the Anchor- 
 age owes its existence is composed of the followdng 
 well-known women : Miss Alice Bond, Mrs. I. D. 
 Evans, Mrs. Foreman, Airs. C. C. Lake, Mrs. AI. W. 
 Mabbs, Mrs. Allen Vane, Airs. E. P. Vail. The work 
 done by these mother-hearted w^omen deserves a tab- 
 let of brass, but better still it is written in the hearts 
 and lives of thousands of girls whom they will meet 
 in heaven, because they helped them in their hour of 
 need. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON ANCHORAGE, CHICAGO, ILL. 
 

FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 28 1 
 
 The present Board is Miss Alice Bond, Chairman, 
 Mrs. Robert Greenlee, Treasurer, who gives most gen- 
 erously both time and money ; Miss Kate Jackson, 
 Secretary, Mrs. M. W. Mabbs and Mrs. E. P. Vail. 
 A more faithful, loving band of women could not be 
 found, and the cry of distress always touches their 
 hearts to loving helpfulness. Miss Nettie Houghton, 
 Miss Celia Smock and Mrs. Dr. McChesney were most 
 helpful workers of the past. Miss Alice Bond has 
 been indefatigable in soliciting for the Anchorage, and 
 she has such a pleasing presence that large donations 
 are received. One man said, “ I’ll give you all the 
 coal you want.” She said, ‘‘Thank you, we would 
 like twenty tons,” and he generously sent it. 
 
 During the last year over six hundred different 
 girls have been in this Mission and over three thou- 
 sand lodgings have been given. Very many have 
 been restored to friends ; many have found homes 
 and situations ; five have been well married ; two 
 are running a large laundry ; one who was going 
 to drown herself when rescued is carrying on a 
 small fruit farm and often brings us fruit, butter 
 and eggs ; one is keeping a large respectable board- 
 ing-house and has several hundred dollars saved. 
 
 We have not space to mention the many who that 
 are constantly writing, thanking us for the timely 
 aid and comfort given them while at the Anchorage, 
 or of the many donations of money, food, clothing, 
 coal, ice, etc. , that have been prompted by our kind 
 friends. Kohlsaat, Chicago’s most popular baker, 
 has supplied the Misson with bread, cakes and pies 
 ever since it started. 
 
282 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 To all our friends we say a hearty “ God bless 
 you.” 
 
 It was but natural that Miss Willard, after the 
 pledge to her of five thousand dollars from Mr. Crit- 
 tenton, for founding five Homes, should plead with 
 the National Executive Committee that her precious 
 “Anchorage” should be the recipient of one thou- 
 sand dollars. In these efforts she was heartily sec- 
 onded by Mrs. Matilda B. Carse, who, as President of 
 the Chicago Central Union, has indeed been godmother 
 and patron saint of the Anchorage. 
 
 So this happy consummation, devout^' to be 
 wished, came to pass, and a most joyful celebration 
 occurred September 15, 1893, when Mr, Crittenton for- 
 mally dedicated the Florence Crittenton Anchorage. 
 A most delicious luncheon was served by “our 
 girls,” and afterwards an impressive prayer-meeting 
 was held in the parlors. Mr. Crittenton talked to 
 the girls with the tenderness of a father, and pointed 
 them to the loving Saviour, who never spoke an 
 unkind word to a woman, and who honored the 
 repentant Magdalene by sending her forth as the 
 first evangelist to tell His disciples of His risen glor}*. 
 As Mr. Crittenton talked the tears streamed down 
 his face, and sobs could be heard from the girls, so 
 deeply were they touched, and several gave them- 
 selves to Christ for life. Mr. John G. Woolley, the 
 famous temperance orator and philanthropist, who 
 has founded at Rest Island, Minnesota, a Mission for 
 men, made a beautiful address, and testified to the 
 wondrous power of Christ to save from drink and all 
 sin. Miss Irene Fockler, Associate Superintendent of 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENFON MISSIONS. 283 
 
 Press of the World’s and National W. C. T. U., was 
 there to spread the report in thousands of newspapers, 
 and Miss Anna Gordon, private secretary of Miss 
 Willard, represented our beloved chief. Mrs. Bliss, 
 the acting matron in the vacation of the hard-working 
 and much-loved matron, Mrs. Kelley, was mistress of 
 ceremonies. Perhaps none was more happy than the 
 author, for she had hoped, and prayed, and worked for 
 that day’s consummation for nearly three years, since 
 her very first meeting with Mr. Crittenton, when she 
 told him what a wonderful help the W. C. T. U. might 
 be to him in founding Florence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 An affecting incident, which happened while Mr. 
 Crittenton was speaking, shows the appalling inroads 
 into homes which impurity is making, and the great 
 need of Florence Crittenton Missions. A young 
 man whose face bore traces of awful agony, ringing 
 the bell excitedly, asked the matron for his sister, 
 whom he described, saying, “Oh, she is lost in this 
 wicked city, and I have been in over fifty houses of 
 infamy and I cannot find her. Oh, for God’s sake 
 help me find her.’’ Only the workers among these 
 dear girls know how many thousands of their ago- 
 nized friends are saying, “Our darling is lost in 
 shame, — for God’s sake help us find her.’’ We are 
 helping just as much as we can, but oh ! we could 
 save so many more if all Christians and generous- 
 hearted ones would only add a little to our funds. 
 
 Mr. George Bidwell, author of “ Forging his Own 
 Chains,’’ and his noble sister Mrs. Mott, have most 
 kindly offered the use of twenty-seven acres of ground 
 and a house of nine rooms at Muskegon Heights, 
 
284 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRES. 
 
 Mich., for a country home for the girls from the Flor- 
 ence Crittenton Anchorage. Who will be the next to 
 give for this noble benevolence ? 
 
 The work done at the Florence Crittenton An- 
 chorage speaks for itself, it rescues fallen women and 
 helps friendless girls, it cares for young mothers and 
 their babes, but it cannot do this without money or 
 means, and we, therefore, appeal to you, kind friends, 
 for good, solid, substantial help. We need it, and we 
 need it now. The Anchorage appeals to you with 
 earnest confidence. “ Help your fallen sister rise, 
 while the days are going by.” 
 
 NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. 
 
 Is the baby of our family of Missions, and we are 
 most proud of this lusty infant, who, when the next 
 edition of ‘‘ The Traffic in Girls and Florence Critten- 
 ton Missions” is issued, will have a splendid record 
 of work achieved. 
 
 Mrs. R. A. Jones, the consecrated president of the 
 Virginia Woman's Christian Temperance Union, gives 
 a brief report which after all is worth many a world, 
 for precious souls have been saved. Mr. D. I. Collins 
 originated the Mission nobl}^ and liberally, spending 
 his money to that end. It was christened the Home 
 for the Friendless, and Mrs. Jones writes : 
 
 “I am glad to tell you of the good work done 
 by our Mission. We rented a house last March, and 
 during that time have sheltered twentj’'-six girls 
 there. Two of these were young women with little 
 babes in their arms, who would have gone to the bad 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 285 
 
 but for our sheltering home. One girl ran away from 
 a house of ill-fame and came to us. Several were 
 converted at the city Missions and then came to us. 
 One was sent to us in almost a dying condition. We 
 had her cared for until she died, when we buried her 
 at the expense of our W. C. T. U. Another was 
 suffering from internal ailment ; we had her oper- 
 ated on by a physician, and nursed her till she was 
 well. Six have gone out to good respectable homes 
 and are doing well. We have now six girls here, 
 three of whom have been seduced and will have 
 infants in a short time. We have sent one infant to a 
 foundlings home, and will send these. 
 
 With its new name and added as a link to the 
 National chain of Florence Crittenton Missions, no 
 doubt thousands of precious souls will be won for 
 Christ. 
 
 “who’ll be the next?” 
 
 What other Christian workers to whom, as a 
 steward, God has committed wealth, will consecrate 
 it to uplifting fallen brothers and sisters ? How much 
 money Mr. Crittenton is investing in Heaven’s jewels ! 
 How his crown will sparkle with the flashing stars — 
 brighter than any diamonds — of redeemed souls ! ket 
 us all invest in heavenly jewels. 
 
Memeiial J^orccs ratid) iuill 
 a\j3a8 Eraffiic in (Sirlsi. 
 
 ERHAPS the greatest remedial forces 
 in the rescue of our girls is the 
 World’s Woman’s Christian Temper- 
 ance Union, and the church of Christ. 
 The W. C. T. U. organized around 
 the globe by Mary Clement Leavitt, that 
 splendid pioneer, with its forty departments 
 of work, is doing much toward ushering in 
 the millennium. The Evangelistic work headed by 
 Hannah Whitall Smith and Elizabeth Greenwood, and 
 the Evangelists, Mrs. J. K. Barney, Mrs. S. M. I. 
 Henry, Mrs. Annie M. Palmer, Mrs. Mary Sparkes 
 Wheeler, Miss E. S. Tobej^, Mrs. Harriet D. Walker, 
 Mrs. Mollie McGee Snell, Mrs. R. J. Trego, Mrs. 
 Mary J. Weaver and Mrs. M. E. Haughton, is the 
 corner-stone of our Temple. The Lo3ml Temperance 
 Legions led by Anna Gordon and Helen G. Rice, 
 Ellen A. Blair and Maude L. Greene, are pledged 
 against liquor, tobacco and impurity. Mary H. Hunt 
 has secured Scientific Temperance Instruction in forty 
 states where the law requires that children in the 
 public schools be taught the evil effects of liquor, to- 
 bacco and opium. Keep our children pure and total 
 abstainers, and this awful social evil will disappear. 
 Lucia E. F. Kimball is doing the same grand work by 
 
 286 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 287 
 
 International Temperance lessons in the Sunday- 
 schools. The Demorest medal contests are sweeping 
 temperance into thousands of homes through the 
 children, and William Jennings Demorest and his wife 
 Madame Demorest will go down in history as philan- 
 thropists. 
 
 Our Peace department under the energetic super- 
 vision of Mrs. Hannah J. Bailey, Amanda Deyo and 
 Emilie U. Burgess is making a public sentiment that 
 will hurl war among the other barbarities out into 
 oblivion. Social purity reformers well know that the 
 standing armies are the very hot-beds of prostitu- 
 tion, and the infamous Contagious Disease Acts were 
 enacted by Napoleon III to let his soldiers give license 
 to their passions and yet not suffer the just penalty of 
 the diseases of the libertine. And so the awful spec- 
 tacle is still seen in Europe of girls going to the hos- 
 pitals to be examined as to their freedom from 
 disease, so these men may be protected. Are men so 
 examined that girls may be protected ? Oh, no, their 
 lives and health are of no consequence. 
 
 The W. C. T. U. believe that woman’s ballot will 
 exterminate the liquor traffic and therefore the social 
 evil. It is a significant fact that in the only two 
 states where women have full suffrage, Wyoming and 
 Kansas, there the “ age of consent ” is eighteen years, 
 the same as that for legal marriage. Dr. Louise Pur- 
 ington and Alice Stone Blackwell push the work 
 energetically with Mrs. S. S. Fessenden, Mrs. Clara 
 Hoffman and Mary T. Lathrap as eloquent lecturers. 
 Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy 
 Stone of The Woman' s Journal and Clara Bewick 
 
288 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRFS. 
 
 Colby, Woman’s Tribune, and the hosts of suffrag- 
 ists led by Lady Aberdeen, May Wright Sewall 
 and Rachel Foster Avery, Laura Ormiston Chant, 
 Florence Fenwick Miller, Madame Bogelot, in the 
 Woman’s Council, are revolutionizing the world by 
 the changed position of women. 
 
 Mrs. Josephine Butler, Superintendent Purity 
 World’s W. C. T. U., and Dr. Mary Wood Allen and 
 Lydia Prescott, Mrs. Dr. J. H. Kellogg, Mrs. Louise 
 S. Rounds, Miss Frances Willard, Mrs. Frank Stuart 
 Parker and Mrs. Ada M. Bittenbender of the Ameri- 
 can W. C. T. U. are making purity thought popular. 
 Mrs. Emilie D. Martin, Superintendent of Purity in 
 Literature and Art is helping to destroy obscene 
 books and pictures. 
 
 Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens, National Recording Secre- 
 tary, secured the appointment of the first Police 
 Matron and now in many cities of the Union these 
 mother-hearted matrons save the girls. Mrs. Marga- 
 ret Watts is National Superintendent. Then listen 
 to these departments, all having an influence in shap- 
 ing public sentiment for temperance and purit}'. 
 Young Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, forty 
 thousand strong, marshaled by Mrs. Frances J. 
 Barnes. These girls insist on the white life for men 
 as well as women. School Savings Banks, Mrs. S. L. 
 Oberholtzer ; Mercy, Mrs. Mary F. Lovell ; Health, 
 and Heredity, Dr. Annette Shaw ; Sanitary Cooking, 
 Mrs. Ole Bull ; Physical Culture, Frances W. 
 Leiter ; Work among Foreigners, Superintendent, 
 Mrs. Sophia F. Grubb ; Secretar}”-, Mrs. S. A. 
 Brown ; Associates : Scandinavian, Mrs. M. H. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 289 
 
 Ostergren ; Dutch, Mrs. M. S. Van Olinda ; Spanish, 
 Mrs. E. J. Harwood ; Chinese, Mrs. E. M. Carey ; 
 Poles, Mrs. Col. Sobieski. Missionary at Ellis Island, 
 Miss Anna Eindabl. Policemen, Miss Catherine Gur- 
 ney, London. Presenting our Cause to influential 
 bodies, The General Officers ; Miss Willard, Mrs. 
 Mary A. Woodbridge, Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens and 
 Mrs. Helen M. Barker. Capital and Labor, Mrs. S. 
 E. V. Emery. Press, Miss Lodi E. Reed, National ; 
 Charlton Edholm, World’s ; Miss Irene Fodder, As- 
 sociate World’s and National. Narcotics, Tobacco 
 and Opium, Mrs. E. B. Ingalls, Mrs Helen L. Bul- 
 lock, Mrs. M. E. A. Gleason and Mrs. Narcissa White 
 Kinney ; School of Methods and Parliamentary Usage, 
 Mrs. A. S. Benjamin ; Prisons, Mrs. J. K. Barney, 
 Mrs. Jane M. Kinney ; Almshouses, Mrs. S. A. Mor- 
 rison ; Securing Homes for Homeless Children, Mrs. 
 Margaret T. W. Merrill ; Flower Mission, Mrs. Ger- 
 trude Ferguson ; R. R. Employes, Mrs. Caroline M. 
 Woodward, Miss Jennie E. Smith ; Soldiers and 
 Sailors, Miss Agnes Weston, England, Mrs. S. A. 
 McClees, Mrs. Mary Grant Cramer (a sister of General 
 Grant), and Mrs. Cornelia Chauvet, America ; Lumber- 
 men, Mrs. Mary C. Upham ; Miners, Mrs. Winnie F. 
 English ; Temperance Literature, Mrs. K. L. Stevenson; 
 Sabbath Observance, Mrs. Josephine C. Bateham ; Un- 
 fermented Wine at Sacrament, Mrs. E. G. Hibben ; 
 Parlor Meetings, Mrs. Bowden, England, Mrs. Mary 
 D. Tomlinspn, America ; Fairs, Mrs. Josephine 
 R. Nichols, Madame Demorest and Mrs. Clara B. 
 Weaver ; Legislation, Gwenlian E. F. Morgan, En- 
 gland, Mrs. Judge Bilford ; Proportionate Giving, 
 
2go 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Mrs. Esther T. Pritchard, Railroad Rates, Mary G. 
 Play ; National Temperance Hospital, Mrs. J. B. 
 Hobbs ; Overflow Meetings, Rev. Anna H. Shaw ; 
 World’s Archives, Helen E. Hood, London, England. 
 
 Among the many enterprises none has given the 
 W. C. T. U. such a commercial standing as the mag- 
 nificent Temple in Chicago, founded by that Necker 
 of finance, Mrs. Matilda B. Carse. The building cost 
 one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 
 The rent roll, when all ofl&ces are occupied, will 
 amount to two hundred and twenty thousand dollars 
 annually. The rentals are now one hundred and 
 seventy thousand dollars, which gives a large surplus 
 above expenses. When the building is filled the 
 rentals alone will pay for it in a few 3'ears and then the 
 society will have the splendid income to be used 
 in pushing the forty lines of work against the liquor 
 traffic. The financial plan has been approved bj^ such 
 thorough business men as George M. Pullman, P. D. 
 Armour, and Thomas B. Br\’au — Vice President of 
 the Columbian Exposition. The press, the pulpit, 
 and our great leaders aid it in every wajL All wish- 
 ing to help this work, or any other, can send contri- 
 butions to the World’s Treasurer, Mrs. Ella F. M. 
 Williams, 26 Chomedy street, Montreal, Canada. In 
 Willard Hall is the largest noon prayer-meeting in 
 the world, under management of Mrs. Dais\^ H. 
 Carlock, secretarjq Chicago Central Union ; the most 
 eloquent speakers and leaders address it. 
 
 Another stupendous enterprise is the Woman’s 
 Temperance Publishing Association of Chicago, of 
 which Mrs. Matilda B. Carse is the founder and presi- 
 dent, and Mrs. C. F. Grow is the able manager. 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 291 
 
 The Association does an annual business of two hun- 
 dred and twent5'-five thousand dollars, doing a vast 
 deal of book publishing for churches of all denom- 
 inations who thus help the W. C. T. U. It also 
 publishes The Lhiioii Signal and World' s White Rib- 
 bon, official organ, a large sixteen-page paper, with 
 its subscription list of eighty-four thousand, thus 
 reaching over four hundred thousand people every 
 week. Its editors are Frances E. Willard, Lady 
 Henry Somerset, Margaret A. Sudduth, Harriet B. 
 Kells. Two of its editors, Mary Allen West and 
 Julia A. Ames have heard the message, “Come up 
 higher.” The W. T. P. A. also publishes the famous 
 literary magazine Otir Day, edited by Joseph Cook, 
 the Oak and Ivy Leaf, edited by Jennie A. Stewart, 
 The Young Crusader 20x6. The Adva7ice Guard, hy Ada 
 M. Melville. Katherine Lente Stevenson is editor of 
 books and publications. *It two hundred a7id 
 
 thirty ^nillion pages of temperance literature annually. 
 
 The printed page and human speech are the two 
 great means of suecess, and over all the land are heard 
 the eloquent organizers : Mrs. L- H. Washington, 
 Miss Frances E. Griffin, Mrs. Helen L. Bullock, 
 Mrs. Mary Bynon Reese, Mrs. Emily Pitt Stevens, 
 Miss Ida Clothier, Miss Belle Kearney, Mrs. Dell H. 
 Cox, Mrs. E. A. Blair, Mrs. Maude L- Green, Mrs. E. 
 Norinne Law, Mrs. Frances E. W. Harper, Mrs. Hen- 
 rietta Skelton, Mrs. Ellen Kinney Denny, Mrs. M. L. 
 Wells, Miss Clara Parrish. And this splendid list of 
 Wells, Miss Clara Parrish, Mrs. F. E. W. Harper, 
 Frances Ensign, Carrie Lee Carter, and E. A. 
 Kenyon. And this splendid list of State Presi- 
 
292 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 dents, the very backbone of our organization : 
 Mrs. Mattie L. Spencer, Alabama; Mrs. John G. 
 Brady, Alaska ; Mrs. L,. G. Hughes, Arizona ; Mrs. 
 Sara B. Hart, Arkansas; Mrs. B. Sturtevant Peet, 
 California; Mrs. M. K. Garbutt, South California; 
 Mrs. Mary C. Woody, North Carolina ; Mrs. M. J. 
 O’Connell, North Carolina (No. 2); Mrs. Sallie F. 
 Chapin, South Carolina ; Mrs. Eva Higgins, Colora- 
 do ; Mrs. S. B. Forbes, Connecticut ; Mrs. J. H. Pres- 
 ton, North Dakota ; Mrs. E. Cranmer, South Da- 
 kota ; Miss Margaret S. Hilles, Delaware ; Mrs. 
 Mary E. Griffith, District of Columbia ; Mrs. E. A. 
 Hill, Florida ; Mrs. W. C. Sibley, Georgia ; Mrs. 
 R. Mitchell, Idaho ; Mrs. Eouise S. Rounds, Ill- 
 inois ; Mrs. Lena Beck, Indiana ; Mrs. Jane Stapler, 
 Indian Territory ; Mrs. M. H. Dunham, Iowa ; 
 Mrs. L. B. Smith, Kansas ; Nannie Munnell, Ken- 
 tucky ; Mrs. Mary R. GoodMe, Louisiana ; Mrs. L- 
 M. N. Stevens, Maine ; Mrs. J. S. Baldwin, Mar}- 
 land ; Mrs. Susan S. Fessenden, Massachusetts ; Mrs. 
 Mary T. Lathrap, Michigan ; Mrs. H. A. Hobart, 
 Minnesota ; Mrs. Clara C. Hoffman, Missouri ; Mrs. 
 
 L. S. Mount, Mississippi ; Mrs. Mary. S. Cummins, 
 Montana ; Mrs. M. A. Hitchcock, Nebraska ; Mrs. 
 Clara Ward, Nevada ; Mrs. C. R. Wendell, New 
 Hampshire ; Mrs. Emma Bourne, New Jersey ; Mrs. 
 
 M. J. Borden, New Mexico ; Mrs. Mary T. Burt, 
 New York ; Mrs. Henrietta L. Monroe, Ohio ; Mrs. 
 Henry Sheplor, Oklahoma ; Mrs. A. R. Riggs, 
 Oregon ; Mrs. Anna M. Hammer, Pennsylvania ; 
 Mrs. Mary A. Babcock, Rhode Island ; Mrs. Lide 
 Meriwether, Tennessee ; Mrs. Helen M. Stoddard, 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 293 
 
 Texas ; Mrs. Caroline H. Reed, Utah ; Mrs. Ida H. 
 Read, Vermont ; Mrs. R. H. Jones, Virginia ; Mrs. 
 Jennie P. Sisson, West Virginia ; Mrs. Julia B. Cole, 
 East Washington ; M. A. Shaffer, West Washington ; 
 Mrs. Vie H. Campbell, Wisconsin ; Mrs. Wilhemina 
 Brown, Wyoming. Mary Sparkes Wheeler, Phoenix- 
 ville, Pa., raises the sinews of war for the World’s 
 Temperance Mission work. 
 
 Closely allied with the W. C. T. U. is The National 
 Purity League led by Mrs. K. B. Grannis and M. 
 Louise Thomas, with its organ, Church U7iio7i, edited 
 by Mrs. Grannis ; the King’s Daughters, officered 
 by Margaret Bottome, Mary Lowe Dickinson, Isa- 
 bella Charles Davis, and Helen Barker ; the Christian 
 Endeavor, organized by Dr. Francis E. Clarke, giving 
 us a consecrated youth ; the Order of Deaconesses, 
 these good Samaritans, with Lucy Rider Meyer and 
 Mrs. Bainbridge, as their consecrated leaders, and 
 the renowned Moody Bible Institutes at Northfield, 
 Mass., and Chicago, 111., sending out thousands of 
 workers. 
 
 Also the Industrial School for girls like that of Illi- 
 nois, under direction of Mrs. Louise Wardner and Mrs. 
 Wallace ; and all who open up new avenues of work 
 for women as Mrs. Juana Neal, the first woman suc- 
 cessful in life insurance, and she placing hundreds of 
 others in the field as agents. It is the common plea 
 of the girls in the life, “ / can' t escape, for I know no 
 way to earn a living." Every girl ought to have a 
 self-sjipporting trade, and every new occupation opened 
 
294 '•'he; traffic in girls. 
 
 up relieves the overcrowded numbers in other 
 branches and wages rise from the miserable pittance 
 of four dollars per week, which starves thousands of 
 girls into prostitution. Miss Grace Dodge, the 
 wealthy New York woman — whose father was for 
 years President of the National Temperance Society 
 and whose brother is President of the Evangelical 
 Alliance, those giant forces for “Christianity ap- 
 plied’’ — is doing splendid work in aiding working- 
 girls in affairs temporal and spiritual. But the labor 
 problem will only be solved when the Golden Rule is 
 applied to employes, and capitalists do as Mr. Critten- 
 ton has done, reward faithful workers with a partner- 
 ship interest in the business, and mistresses treat 
 servants as they would wish their own daughters 
 treated. 
 
 Through the World’s Woman’s Christian Tem- 
 perance Union it is hoped Mr. Crittenton may found 
 Florence Crittenton Missions around the globe. En- 
 gland has known his benefactions, for among a pile of 
 letters we came across the receipt of General Booth, 
 of the Salvation Army, for one thousand dollars for 
 the Florence Hospital, London. Mr. Crittenton is 
 deeply in sympathy with the Salvation Army and 
 he realizes the wondrous force it is in evangelizing 
 the world. Commander and Maud Ballington 
 Booth, Mrs. Bramwell Booth, Catherine Booth- 
 Tucker and the other officers with their grand sol- 
 diery, have opened rescue homes for girls nearly all 
 over the world, and only God knows the extent of 
 their beneficent endeavor. Our own patrons of the 
 San Francisco Florence Crittenton Home, Mr. George 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 
 
 295 
 
 S. and Carrie Judd Montg^omery, through whom Mr. 
 Crittenton took Christ as his healer, are also soldiers in 
 the Salvation Army and they gave the site for the 
 Rescue Home at Beulah, Oakland, California. 
 
 No doubt t&e British W. C. T. U., of which Rady 
 Henry Somerset is President, will cooperate with Mr. 
 Crittenton in the Mission work. Lady Henry’s heart 
 is deeply stirred for social purity work and she often 
 relates on the platform the pathetic story of a poor 
 dishonored girl whose body was found in the Thames 
 and upon her breast a note, “Darling Mother: — 
 Drink brought me to shame, and shame brought me 
 to the river.’’ 
 
 As a means of identification, the note was pub- 
 lished in the London dailies and three hundred and 
 twenty-four mothers came to the morgue to see if the 
 lost girl was their daughter. Then her plea for the 
 rescue of these precious girls fairly electrifies her 
 audience. Her talks on the White Cross movement 
 organized by the Bishop of Durham which ought to 
 sweep the world, pledging men to personal purity, are 
 wonderfully blessed of God, and her work in the 
 slums shows her to be a noble woman, indeed, and no 
 poor girl is too low to be beneath her notice, or too 
 defiled for the soft, white hand to caressingly touch, 
 while her wealth is literally poured out for the good 
 of humanity. 
 
 Mrs. Josephine Butler, Superintendent of Social 
 Purity of the World’s W. C. T. U., who like Mr. 
 Crittenton was brought into the work through the loss 
 of a beloved daughter, is a woman who has stood mob 
 violence for the sake of rescuing these “ mothers’ 
 
296 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 girls,” and has done wonders in helping to abolish 
 the infamous Contagious Disease Acts. Dr. Bush- 
 nell and Elizabeth Wheeler Andrew, the Third and 
 Fourth Round- the-World Missionaries of the 
 World’s W. C. T. U. have done the same great work 
 for India. Miss Ellice Hopkins, another who has 
 been tried by fire, having lost a chivalrous lover, 
 has given herself and writings to the White Cross 
 movement, especially pleading with jmung men to 
 keep themselves pure, and to protect everj^ girl as 
 though she were a sister. No man could read her 
 wonderful booklets without longing to be perfectly 
 pure. Rev. John McNeil, the great temperance 
 preacher of England, and Evangelist Henry Varley, 
 whom Mrs. Stephen Matthews, National Organizer 
 B. W. T. A., pronounces the pioneer in talks ‘‘to 
 men only,” the ones who ought to be lectured until, 
 as Evangelist Sam Jones says, ‘‘they quit their 
 meanness,” have done Herculean work in creating 
 the sentiment for social purity, which must be making 
 headway when Madamoiselle Nikita, the famous 
 prima-donna, a protig e oi Wm. J. and Madame Dem- 
 orest, gives as one of her special selections, ‘‘The 
 Soul’s Awakening,” the stor}’ of the redemption of 
 an erring girl, and in one or two plays the rescue of 
 erring girls through Florence Missions is delineated, 
 amid the rapturous applause of thousands of theater- 
 goers ; also when gifted singers and elocutionists, as 
 Mrs. Sylvia Chapman Martin, give recitals for the 
 benefit of the Florence Crittenton Homes. 
 
 Nor are our dusky sisters forgotten, and in San 
 Francisco the Chinese and Japanese girls sold to 
 brothel-keepers are rescued by the Presbyterian Occi- 
 dental Board of which Mrs. Mary Frank Browne is ' 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 297 
 
 President and Mrs. H. B. Pinney, Secretary, whicli 
 supports a Home under charge of Miss Culbertson. 
 The Methodists also have a Home under charge of 
 Rev. and Mrs. F. J. Masters. The cause of these 
 dear girls is also well pleaded by Mrs. Nellie Blessing 
 Eyster, author of the “ Bright Side of Chinese Rife.” 
 
 Miss Jessie Ackermann, the consecrated President 
 of the Australasia W. C. T. U., is beseeching Mr. 
 Crittenton to come to Australia and found Missions, 
 which he hopes to do, and thus the blessed work 
 goes on. 
 
 Next to the church of God, which is the greatest 
 remedial force in the world, especially when it is 
 awakened by such ministers as T. De Witt Talmage 
 and Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst, visiting the haunts of 
 shame, and telling of the atrocities committed, we be- 
 lieve in the Prohibition party — the only party having 
 a woman, Mrs. Helen M. Gougar, on its Executive 
 Committee — which will outlaw the liquor traffic and 
 therefore the traffic in girls will cease. We are glad 
 that every four years a Gideon’s Band of over two hun- 
 dred thousand Christian men vote as well as pray 
 “for the Kingdom of God to come. “ James Black, 
 Neal Dow, St. John and Daniels, Fisk and Brooks, 
 and Bidwell and Cranfill, representing the party that 
 never casts a vote for the saloons, are the brave expo- 
 nents of “ the good time coming ’’ when such a thing 
 as a legal saloon shall be as impossible as a legal 
 slave. 
 
 Col. John Sobieski in his letter of acceptance as 
 nominee for Governor of Missouri well writes ; ‘ ‘ The 
 
 liquor power is not only the power behind the throne. 
 
298 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRTS. 
 
 but it is the throne itself. The two distinguished 
 gentlemen who are candidates against me, while they 
 were soldiers in the late civil war, and while they can 
 have no natural sympathy with the saloon, yet they 
 would not dare say one word against this corrupting 
 and murderous traffic. ” 
 
 Surely, as A. G. Wolfenbarger truly says, “ if sixty 
 million people cannot put to rout two hundred and 
 forty thousand saloonkeepers, we had better confess 
 our Republic a failure and go back to monarchy. Or 
 as George W. Bain eloquently says, “If you men 
 will not banish the saloon, for God’s sake give women 
 the ballot and let them save their darling children.” 
 
 It is one of the proudest recollections of Evangelist 
 Crittenton’s life that he had the honor of being the 
 nominee of the Prohibition party for Mayor of New 
 York. For this good time of Prohibition the Good 
 Templars, under the leadership of Dr. Oronj^teka, the 
 Sons of Temperance marshaled by Sir Leonard Tilly, 
 the National Temperance Society, A. G. Lawson, 
 President, and J. N. Stearns, Secretary and Manager 
 of their immense publishing house, are -vVorking 
 nobly. 
 
 When will this good time of prohibition come? 
 When Christian men vote as they pray, vote for God 
 and trust results to Him, then will they find fulfilled 
 the words of Christ, “ Great is thy faith. Be it unto 
 thee even as thou wilt, ” for the four million votes 
 would outlaw the saloon and bring victory in one 
 election. Oh, Christian men ! do 5mu not remember 
 the word, “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the 
 Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof ; because 
 
PLORENCK CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 299 
 
 they came not up to the help of the Lord, to the help of 
 the Lord against the mighty." Surely that same word 
 must come to the church members to-day. Cursed, 
 not for what they do, but for what they do not do. 
 Because ill failing to vote against the saloon, they are 
 responsible for the crime and vice and hordes of shame- 
 less men and women which the saloon makes. They 
 are responsible for the widowed wives and beggared 
 heart-broken children. 
 
 Oh dear brother ! arouse from your strauge leth- 
 argy and in answer to the tender question of Solomon, 
 “ What shall we do for our little sisters ?” sweep this 
 infernal liquor traffic from our land and the traffic in 
 girls will cease, and Florence Crittenton Missions will 
 not be needed. 
 
 Oh, brothers ! brothers ! you who have named 
 the sacred name of Christ, listen to the wail of a 
 million heart-broken drunkards’ wives and many 
 million innocent little ones, orphaned and beggared 
 because vote to legalize the saloon, “ Lord, how 
 long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked 
 triumph ? . They break in pieces thy peo- 
 
 ple, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage ; they slay the 
 widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.” 
 
 These millions turn with imploring outstretched 
 hands and tear-stained eyes, and on bended knees cry 
 to the church of Christ, the representative of the 
 precious Saviour who is ‘ ‘ not willing that any should 
 perish” as their only hope in their hopelessness, 
 their only help in their helplessness before the saloon, 
 and moan out ‘ ‘ Who will rise up for me against evil- 
 doers ? or who will stand up for me against the work- 
 
300 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 ers of iniquity?” And can you in answer to that 
 pleading cry in the name of your Christ not only not 
 ‘‘rise up against the evil-doers ” the saloon-keepers, 
 but actually go into partnership with them by your 
 votes and legalize them in making more widows and 
 fatherless as fast as their hellish alcohol can do so ? 
 Surely the curse Jehovah pronounces on those who 
 “ oppress the widow and the fatherless ” shall fall on 
 those who legalize the saloon. The finest definition 
 of religion in the whole Bible is : ‘‘ Pure religion and 
 
 undefiled is to visit the fatherless and the widows in 
 their affliction and keep one’s self unspotted from the 
 world.” But the man who votes for the saloon votes 
 to make thousands of happ}’^ wives into the most to be 
 pitied of all widows, the drunkard’s wife. He votes 
 to make fatherless thousands of little children who 
 never did him any harm. He sells these, Christ’s 
 little ones, to the saloon-keeper for a golden bribe, 
 and, therefore, like Judas, sells his Lord. What if the 
 bribe be high-license instead of low license ? Would 
 Judas’ crime have been le.ss detestable had he 
 gotten three hundred instead of thirt}" pieces of silver ? 
 Oh, dear brothers ! do not again sell your Lord, and 
 crucify Him afresh in the persons of these precious 
 brothers and sisters for He has said, “ Inasmuch as 
 ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have 
 done it unto me.” 
 
Neto ilorfe ^Florence (ttrittenton Jiflisision. 
 
 RKPORT FOR TEN YEARS, FROM APRIE I9, 1 883, TO APRIE I9, 
 
 1893- 
 
 Number admitted 2,439 
 
 Denomination. 
 
 Protestant 1.254 
 
 Catholic 859 
 
 Israelite 23 
 
 Quaker 2 
 
 Unknown 301 
 
 Nationality. 
 
 American 1.093 
 
 Ireland 59i 
 
 England 266 
 
 Germany 126 
 
 Scotland 89 
 
 Italy 3 
 
 West Indies i 
 
 Canada 3^ 
 
 Denmark 6 
 
 France 1 7 
 
 Norway 4 
 
 Hungary 3 
 
 Holland i 
 
 Wales 9 
 
 Austria • • 1 
 
 India 2 
 
 Isle of Jersey i 
 
 Sweden 17 
 
 Switzerland 4 
 
 South America i 
 
 Nova Scotia 2 
 
 Spain 1 
 
 Unknown 170 
 
 Disposed of as follows \ 
 
 Sent to Situations 879 
 
 “ Friends 303 
 
 “ Hospitals 16 1 
 
 “ Institutions 409 
 
 Left of own accord 672 
 
 Dismissed for misconduct .... n 
 
 301 
 
302 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Condilions of Life. 
 
 Widow when came to Mission 
 
 Married but separated 
 
 Fathers living 
 
 Mothers “ 
 
 Fathers dead 
 
 Mothers “ 
 
 Unknown about father and mother 
 
 Ages when ca^ne io Mission. 
 
 From II to 20 years 
 
 “ 21 “ 25 “ 
 
 “ 26 “30 “ 
 
 “ 31 “ 40 “ 
 
 “ 41 “ 50 “ 
 
 “ 51 “ 60 “ 
 
 “ 61 “ 70 “ 
 
 “ 70 “ 80 “ 
 
 Average when came 
 
 282 
 
 174 
 
 340 
 
 418 
 
 1,099 
 
 1,041 
 
 155 
 
 • • 432 
 
 • • 583 
 
 . . 652 
 
 . . 614 
 
 . . 140 
 
 • • 15 
 
 ■ . 2 
 
 . . I 
 
 27>^ j-ears. 
 
 REPORT OF meetings FOR 1892 . 
 
 DATE. 
 
 ATTENDANCE 
 
 AT 
 
 MEETINGS OF 
 INMATES. 
 
 ATTENDANCE 
 
 AT 
 
 MEETINGS OF 
 STREET GIRLS. 
 
 ATTENDANCE 
 • AT 
 
 MEETINGS. 
 
 REQUESTS 
 
 FOR 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 AVERAGE 
 ATTENDANCE 
 OF INM.-VTES. 
 
 AVERAGE 
 
 ATTENDANCE 
 
 OF 
 
 STREET GIRLS 
 
 AVERAGE 
 
 ATTENDANCE 
 
 OF 
 
 VISITORS. 
 
 May 1892 
 
 613 
 
 482 
 
 9,767 
 
 255 
 
 
 
 
 June “ 
 
 646 
 
 441 
 
 7,444 
 
 124 
 
 
 
 
 July ■' 
 
 560 
 
 506 
 
 7,441 
 
 204 
 
 
 
 
 Aug. 
 
 429 
 
 627 
 
 6,096 
 
 127 
 
 
 
 
 Sept. “ 
 
 587 
 
 524 
 
 6,737 
 
 205 
 
 
 >> 
 
 
 Oct. “ 
 
 609 
 
 552 
 
 8,084 
 
 221 
 
 Cj 
 
 r\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 Nov. “ 
 
 688 
 
 527 
 
 7,825 
 
 366 
 
 
 
 
 Dec. “ 
 
 656 
 
 445 
 
 8.754 
 
 348 
 
 s 
 
 
 a> 
 
 Jan. 1893 
 
 608 
 
 447 
 
 9.385 
 
 322 
 
 
 
 P-i 
 
 Feb. “ 
 
 522 
 
 347 
 
 9,716 
 
 257 
 
 
 
 
 Mch. “ 
 
 418 
 
 387 
 
 10,121 
 
 222 
 
 
 
 
 April “ 
 
 510 
 
 402 
 
 10.753 
 
 217 
 
 
 
 
 
 6.S46 
 
 5.687 
 
 T02. 123 
 
 2,868 
 
 iS 
 
 15 
 
 279 
 
 
 STATISTICS FOR NINE YEARS. 
 
 
 
 
 41,215 
 
 87.713 
 
 534 053 
 
 27,168 
 
 12 
 
 26 
 
 162 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ^Irogtitution is i^tot a iEbil. 
 
 R. ACTON, the well-known surgeon, 
 says distinctly, “The boy has to 
 learn that to his immature frame 
 every sexual indulgence is unmiti- 
 gated evil." Sir James Paget, in his 
 Clinical Lectures to Medical Students, says, 
 “Some of your patients will expect you to 
 advise fornication ; I would as soon advise 
 stealing or lying or anything else which God has for- 
 bidden.” 
 
 Dr. Andrew Clarke said to a patient, “ Necessity 
 for fornication, certainly not ; I believe that if you 
 keep from women you will live twenty years longer.” 
 
 Young man, when a physician advises you to 
 commit this sin for your health’s sake ask him if he is 
 willing his sister or daughter shall be your com- 
 panion. She is somebody' s sister or daughter. Why 
 not his ? 
 
 “ As a man thinketh so is he.” If a boy obtains 
 the impression, from books or from companions older 
 than himself, that at the age of fourteen or fifteen the 
 spermatic secretion is necessarily formed and accumu- 
 lated, and that, too, without his knowledge, volition 
 or power of prevention, and that in order to keep his 
 health he must in some way periodically throw off 
 
 303 
 
304 the traffic in girls. 
 
 that secretion, his actions will immediately begin to 
 correspond with his belief. 
 
 A medical writer well says, “ The comparison by 
 medical men, of this secretion with the bile, gastric 
 juice, etc., fixes this false theory in his mind and 
 confirms him in his pernicious habits. But, substi- 
 tute the word ‘tears’ for bile, and you put before that 
 boy’s mind an altogether different idea. He knows 
 that tears, in falling drops, are not essential to life or 
 health. A man may be in perfect health and not cr}^ 
 once in five or even fifty years. The lachrymal fluid 
 is ever present, but in such small quantities that it is 
 unnoticed. Where are the tears while they remain 
 unshed ? They are ever ready, waiting to spring 
 forth when there is an adequate cause, but they do 
 not accumulate and distress the man because the}'^ are 
 not shed daily, weekly or monthly. The component 
 elements of the tears are prepared in the system, they 
 are on hand, passing through the circulation, read}^ 
 to mix and flow whenever they are needed ; but if 
 they mix, accumulate and flow without adequate 
 cause — without physical irritation or mental emotion 
 — the ph3^sician at once decides that there is a disease 
 of the lachrymal glands. It is my belief that tears 
 and the spermatic fluid are much more analogous in 
 their normal manner of secretion and use, than is the 
 bile or gastric juice and the semen. Neither flow of 
 tears or semen is essential to life or health. Both are 
 greatly under the control of the imagination, the 
 emotions and the will ; and the flow of either is liable 
 to be arrested in a moment bi^ sudden mental action. 
 Also, when a man sheds tears there is a subsequent 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 305 
 
 depression arising from nervous exhaustion, conse- 
 quent upon the violent emotions which caused the 
 tears, and a similar effect follows seminal emission. 
 
 “ Now were men and boys made to believe and 
 feel that it is as degrading for them to allow a seminal 
 emission without rational and proper cause, as it is 
 unmanly for them to shed tears frequently or on triv- 
 ial occasions, and that, moreover, uncalled-foremission 
 is a destructive waste of life material, the formation 
 ofhabits of masturbation, promiscuous intercourse and 
 marital profligacy, with all their disastrous conse- 
 quences, might be largely prevented. ’ ’ 
 
 N. E. Boyd says : “As helps to those who would 
 conquer unruly passion and live in purity, we briefly 
 mention — 
 
 “ A simple, unstimulating diet, consisting chiefly 
 of grains and fruits, cooked in the plainest manner, 
 with but little animal food (lean beef, mutton, or wild 
 meat, best broiled or roasted, milk, eggs ; these to be 
 used sparingly, if at all), and dispensing entirely with 
 gross and inflammatory articles {e. g., fat and salted 
 meats, pork, fish, especially shell fish, condiments and 
 spices, pastry, sweetmeats, tobacco, drugs, tea, coffee, 
 and all alcoholic stimulants whatever). The experience 
 of those who have followed these rules is very valu- 
 able. Agreeable exercise daily in the open air and 
 sun, enough to refresh and invigorate the system, 
 not to exhaust it. Bathing (cool, not cold) enough 
 to insure cleanliness and comfort. In temptation 
 apply locally towels saturated with cold water. In- 
 dustrious occupation while awake (for mind or body, 
 or both). Indolence is the mother of concupiscence. 
 
3o6 
 
 THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. 
 
 Sleep, at early hours, on a not luxurious bed, 
 which you should invariably occupy alone, and quit 
 promptly on waking in the morning. The cherish- 
 ing of pure thoughts and ennobling companionship, 
 shunning as very poison all persons, books, objects 
 and contemplations^ that suggest unclean images, or 
 stir up base desires. The cultivation of a manly 
 religious principle, a sense of our high calling and 
 possible Godward growth, and of a determination to 
 live cleanly, honorably, and acceptably before con- 
 science and the all-seeing Eye, turning to Him, when 
 tried, with confidence that we shall conquer by the 
 power of the Spirit.” 
 
 Read such books as Chastity, by Dr. Dio Lewis. 
 Then as Ellice Hopkins truly sa5’s : 
 
 “Above all, try to save others. Get into an ag- 
 gressive attitude towards the whole evil, and fight it, 
 not only in 5^ourself but in others. It is only passion 
 that can cast out passion. The literally untemptable 
 men I have known have not been men who have been 
 thinking only of saving their own skins, but men who 
 have had a noble passion for the wronged, the weak 
 and the defenseless, which surely is the divine flower- 
 ing in a human soul ; a chivalrous passion to save 
 women and children from degradation ; a passion to 
 make the world a little better than the}" found it. 
 That passion, like sunlight in them, had put out all 
 lower fires. Join some societ}" — the White Cross 
 Army, or any similar association of men, and fight the 
 battle of your own mother’s womanhood among 5'our 
 companions and 3’our younger brothers. Saving 
 others 3"OU will find the best means towards saving 
 
FLORENCE CRITTENTON MISSIONS. 307 
 
 yourself. Purity is like health : seek it too directly, 
 and it flies. It is in losing your life for others that 
 you find it. Also may I not say to you one word 
 about the immense help you find in the Holy 
 Communion ? ” This Holy Supper that represents to 
 all of Christ’s followers His own strength and power 
 to keep, and “ to him that overcometh will I grant to 
 sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, 
 and am set down with my Father in his throne.” 
 
“THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS 
 and Florence Crittenton flissions” 
 
 By CHARLTON EDHOLM, 
 
 Superintendent Press World’s W. C. T. XJ, and Reporter 
 Florence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 A thrilling picture of the life of these poor white slaves in the horrors 
 of the brothel, and their rescue by the Thirteen Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sions, founded by that '* Brother of Girls," Evangelist Charles N. Critten- 
 ton, 
 
 FINELY ILLUSTRATED, 
 
 PRICE ONLY $1.00. POSTAGE 15 CENTS. 
 
 As Mr. Crittenton is largely sustaining eight Florence Crittenton Mis- 
 sions, and has generou.siy founded five more under W. C. T. U. auspices— 
 Chicago, Denver, Portland, Oreg., Fargo, S. D., and Norfolk, Va, — every 
 white-ribboner and every Christian should have copies of these books to 
 give to friends. 
 
 Help us, friends, to rescue these precious " little sisters.” Press the 
 sale at State, County and local W. C. T. U. Conventions. 
 
 No better present could be given your pastor and friends. No better 
 work could be done by Unions than to scatter many copies of this book. 
 
 SIX COPIES FOR $5.00. TEN COPIES $7.50. 
 
 All proceeds for the benefit of the Missions. Address orders to 
 
 CHARLTON EDHOLM, Supi. Press World’s W. C. T. U., 
 
 THE W. C. T. U. TEnPLE, CHICAGO. 
 
 YOU WILL BE DELIGHTED WITH IT! WHAT? 
 
 THE PRETTY SOUVENIR BOOKLET 
 
 “ ftround ilie World wltli Josus ” 
 
 BY 
 
 EVANGELIST CHARLES N. CRITTENTON. 
 
 Containing a description of his trip around the world, especially his 
 tour in Palestine, full of most interesting references to Bible events in each 
 place visited, deeply absorbing to all that love Christ. 
 
 Also containing a sketch of Florence Crittenton Missions for the rescue 
 of erring girls f rom the horrors of their pitiable life, written by Charlton 
 Edholm, bupt. Press of the World’s Woman's Christian Temperance Union 
 and Reporter of Florence Crittenton Missions. 
 
 The booklet is handsomely illustrated by fine pictures of Mr. Critten- 
 ton, Miss Frances E. Willard and Lady Henry Somerset, President and 
 Vice-President of the World’s W. C. T. U., the New York Florence Crit- 
 tenton Mission, ” Mother ” Prindle, its noble matron, Anthony Comstock, 
 A. W. Dennett, Mrs. Underhill and Mr. Vasser. 
 
 PRICE ONLY 35 Cts. 5 Cts. POSTAGE. 
 
 CHARLTON EDHOLM, Supt. Press World's W. C. T. U. 
 
 THE W. C. T. U. TEMPLE, CHICAGO. 
 
\ '''; ..' V^'^''‘'’■" ■' V.' ■■ ^ '" 
 
 ■’ ■.!■[. 
 
 ■s 
 
 i 
 
 .\f 
 
 } 
 
(FORM OF BEQUEST.) 
 
I/:'';.