THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.
149
friends, that it is with gravest feelings of a deep responsibility that I stand before this congress to speak on this important subject: “ How can we help the weak and erring girls?”
I wish I could tell of this work; how it was made the loving, consecrated work of a man over two thousand years ago; “a man who went about doing good,” and whose loving service to humanity stands out so plainly the work of his heart—the pardon and purification of lost women. It is through the divine history of this man that hearts have been inspired to enter the vineyard, and with loving hands and kind words reclaim many a weak, sinful girl, and draw her away from sin and hell up into a purer and better atmosphere of light and life.
The reformation of women, “ How to help the weak and erring,” is a work and subject that has many sides, and is fraught with the deepest interest to the entire human family. We all acknowledge that “ prevention is better than cure,” yet we all realize that humanity is and has ever been prone to err. So we must find some way to reach these unfortunate creatures. With many years of experience behind me in this kind of work, I realize that to be successful and to bring about good results there must be intelligent organization and co-operation. I find where homes or houses of refuge have been founded they gradually grow into favor and usefulness. I know there come many struggles, often sad disappointments, sighs and tears to the women who are brave enough to associate themselves with this reform work for their own sex. No worker can be half-hearted or faint-hearted who enters the places where they find these poor abandoned girls. Eyes they must have to see and realize the depth of sin and degradation of their living hell. Ears to hear, not the scoff and jeers, but the sad confession of some sin-sick soul. Hearts of pity and grace from God and the divine love and patience of the loving Saviour, the gentle Jesus who dried the sinful woman’s tears and bade her sin no more. When this Son of God began His ministry in His native town, He took this text: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted and preach deliverance to the captive and the restoring of sight to the blind; to set at liberty those who are bruised.” He is the preacher, and His preaching has inaugurated all the sympathy, all the love, all the humane movements of our modern world. All the leading spirits of this reform have avowed again and again that the reformation of these unfortunate women is a religious question, and that unless the worker in this uninviting, unpopular field is sustained by the religious sentiment of the community, and upheld by the faith and prayers and sympathy and co-operation of both Christian men and women, they may as well lay down their arms. I hold that we as workers have a right to expect from every Christian community intelligent sympathy with the work, and the moral support of an educated public sentiment, and the creation of an atmosphere of hopeful feeling in which the rescued and the reformed may breathe and live again. This work demands tenderness, humanity and self-sacrifice. You and I as Christian people carry in our hands and hearts the power to give life and bring it unto these abandoned creatures. God’s command is: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
This is the true inspiration of all work for the outcast. There is no soul so far steeped in sin that it cannot be saved by Jesus. Some who hear my voice and know of my work may find fault with me for stooping to aid these poor outcasts of society. But listen. There arises the story of Christ and the abondoned woman, and His words, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” Herein is the inspiration of this work.
I must tell you, for I am sure it will interest yo.u, the story of a poor, innocent girl. Twenty-five years ago—twenty-five years tell many hopeful results, for even at that time I was as zealous a worker as I am this day; our poormaster often called to ask my assistance, some child was sick, or some poor family might be tided over and kept from the poor house if a little help were given them, therefore I was not surprised to receive a call from him at any hour. This time he came in haste, and asked me