had　been　stabbed　or　maimed　by　the　dagger　of　the　assassin。　　The　records　of　our　Rescue　Homes　abound　with　life…stories；　some　of　which　we　have　been　able　to　verify　to　the　letter　which　prove　only　too　conclusively　the　existence　of　numbers　of　innocent　victims　whose　entry　upon　this　dismal　life　can　in　no　way　be　attributed　to　any　act　of　their　own　will。　　Many　are　orphans　or　the　children　of　depraved　mothers；　whose　one　idea　of　a　daughter　is　to　make　money　out　of　her　prostitution。　　Here　are　a　few　cases　on　our　register：
  E。　C。；　aged　18；　a　soldier's　child；　born　on　the　sea。　　Her　father　died；　and　her　mother；　a　thoroughly　depraved　woman；　assisted　to　secure　her　daughter's　prostitution。
  P。　S。；　aged　20；　illegitimate　child。　　Went　to　consult　a　doctor　one　time　about　some　ailment。　　The　doctor　abused　his　position　and　took　advantage　of　his　patient；　and　when　she　complained；　gave　her　#4　as　compensation。　When　that　was　spent；　having　lost　her　character；　she　came　on　the　town。　We　looked　the　doctor　up；　and　he　fled。
  E。　A。；　aged　17；　was　left　an　orphan　very　early　in　life；　and　adopted　by　her　godfather；　who　himself　was　the　means　of　her　ruin　at　the　age　of　10。
  A　girl　in　her　teens　lived　with　her　mother　in　the　〃Dusthole；〃　the　lowest　part　of　Woolwich。　　This　woman　forced　her　out　upon　the　streets；　and　profited　by　her　prostitution　up　to　the　very　night　of　her　confinement。　The　mother　had　all　the　time　been　the　receiver　of　the　gains。
  E。；　neither　father　nor　mother；　was　taken　care　of　by　a　grandmother　till；　at　an　early　age；　accounted　old　enough。　　Married　a　soldier；　but　shortly　before　the　birth　of　her　first　child；　found　that　her　deceiver　had　a　wife　and　family　in　a　distant　part　of　the　country；　and　she　was　soon　left　friendless　and　alone。　　She　sought　an　asylum　in　the　Workhouse　for　a　few　weeks'　after　which　she　vainly　tried　to　get　honest　employment。　　Failing　that；　and　being　on　the　very　verge　of　starvation；　she　entered　a　lodging…house　in　Westminster　and　〃did　as　other　girls。〃　　Here　our　lieutenant　found　and　persuaded　her　to　leave　and　enter　one　of　our　Homes；　where　she　soon　gave　abundant　proof　of　her　conversion　by　a　thoroughly　changed　life。　　She　is　now　a　faithful　and　trusted　servant　in　a　clergyman's　family。
  A　girl　was　some　time　ago　discharged　from　a　city　hospital　after　an　illness。　　She　was　homeless　and　friendless；　an　orphan；　and　obliged　to　work　for　her　living。　　Walking　down　the　street　and　wondering　what　she　should　do　next；　she　met　a　girl；　who　came　up　to　her　in　a　most　friendly　fashion　and　speedily　won　her　confidence。
  〃Discharged　ill；　and　nowhere　to　go；　are　you？〃　said　her　new　friend。　〃Well；　come　home　to　my　mother's；　she　will　lodge　you；　and　we'll　go　to　work　together；　when　you　are　quite　strong。〃
  The　girl　consented　gladly；　but　found　herself　conducted　to　the　very　lowest　part　of　Woolwich　and　ushered　into　a　brothel；　there　was　no　mother　in　the　case。　　She　was　hoaxed；　and　powerless　to　resist。　Her　protestations　were　too　late　to　save　her；　and　having　had　her　character　forced　from　her　she　became　hopeless；　and　stayed　on　to　live　the　life　of　her　false　friend。
  There　is　no　need　for　me　to　go　into　the　details　of　the　way　in　which　men　and　women；　whose　whole　livelihood　depends　upon　their　success　in　disarming　the　suspicions　of　their　victims　and　luring　them　to　their　doom；　contrive　to　overcome　the　reluctance　of　the　young　girl　without　parents；　friends；　or　helpers　to　enter　their　toils。　　What　fraud　fails　to　accomplish；　a　little　force　succeeds　in　effecting；　and　a　girl　who　has　been　guilty　of　nothing　but　imprudence　finds　herself　an　outcast　for　life。　　The　very　innocence　of　a　girl　tells　against　her。　　A　woman　of　the　world；　once　entrapped；　would　have　all　her　wits　about　her　to　extricate　herself　from　the　position　in　which　she　found　herself。　　A　perfectly　virtuous　girl　is　often　so　overcome　with　shame　and　horror　that　there　seems　nothing　in　life　worth　struggling　for。　　She　accepts　her　doom　without　further　struggle；　and　treads　the　long　and　torturing　path…way　of　〃the　streets〃　to　the　grave。
  〃Judge　not；　that　ye　be　not　judged〃　is　a　saying　that　applies　most　appropriately　of　all　to　these　unfortunates。　　Many　of　them　would　have　escaped　their　evil　fate　had　they　been　less　innocent。　　They　are　where　they　are　because　they　loved　too　utterly　to　calculate　consequences；　and　trusted　too　absolutely　to　dare　to　suspect　evil。　　And　others　are　there　because　of　the　false　education　which　confounds　ignorance　with　virtue；　and　throws　our　young　people　into　the　midst　of　a　great　city；　with　all　its　excitements　and　all　its　temptations；　without　more　preparation　or　warning　than　if　they　were　going　to　live　in　the　Garden　of　Eden。
  Whatever　sin　they　have　committed；　a　terrible　penalty　is　exacted。　While　the　man　who　caused　their　ruin　passes　as　a　respectable　member　of　society；　to　whom　virtuous　matrons　gladly　marryif　he　is　rich　their　maiden　daughters；　they　are　crushed　beneath　the　millstone　of　social　excommunication。　　Here　let　me　quote　from　a　report　made　to　me　by　the　head　of　our　Rescue　Homes　as　to　the　actual　life　of　these　unfortunates。
  The　following　hundred　cases　are　taken　as　they　come　from　our　Rescue　Register。　　The　statements　are　those　of　the　girls　themselves。　　They　are　certainly　frank；　and　it　will　be　noticed　that　only　two　out　of　the　hundred　allege　that　they　took　to　the　life　out　of　poverty：
  CAUSE　OF　FALL。
  Drink　　　　。。　　　。。　　　。。　　　14　　Seduction　　　　　。。　　　。。　　　33　　Wilful　choice　。。　　　。。　　　24　　Bad　company　　　。。　　　。。　　　27　　Poverty　　。。　　　。。　　　。。　　　　2　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Total　　　100
  CONDITION　WHEN　APPLYING。
  Rags。。　　　　。。　　　　。。　　　25　　Destitution　　　　　。。　　　27　　Decently　dressed　　　　　48　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Total　　　100
  Out　of　these　girls　twenty…three　have　been　in　prison。　　The　girls　suffer　so　much　that　the　shortness　of　their　miserable　life　is　the　only　redeeming　feature。　　Whether　we　look　at　the　wretchedness　of　the　life　itself；　their　perpetual　intoxication；　the　cruel　treatment　to　which　they　are　subjected　by　their　task…masters　and　mistresses　or　bullies；　the　hopelessness；　suffering　and　despair　induced　by　their　circumstances　and　surroundings；　the　depths　of　misery；　degradation　and　poverty　to　which　they　eventually　descend；　or　their　treatment　in　sickness；　their　friendlessness　and　loneliness　in　death；　it　must　be　admitted　that　a　more　dismal　lot　seldom　falls　to　the　fate　of　a　human　being。　　I　will　take　each　of　these　in　turn。
  HEALTH。This　life　induces　insanity；　rheumatism；　consumption；　and　all　forms　of　syphilis。　　Rheumatism　and　gout　are　the　commonest　of　these　evils。　　Some　were　quite　crippled　by　bothyoung　though　they　were。　Consumption　sows　its　seeds　broadcast。　　The　life　is　a　hot…bed　for　the　development　of　any　constitutional　and　hereditary　germs　of　the　disease。　We　have　found　girls　in　Piccadilly　at　midnight　who　are　continually　prostrated　by　haemorrhage；　yet　who　have　no　other　way　of　life　open；　so　struggle　on　in　this　awful　manner　between　whiles。
  DRINK。This　is　an　inevitable　part　of　the　business。　　All　Confess　that　they　could　never　lead　their　miserable　lives　if　it　were　not　for　its　influence。
  A　girl；　who　was　educated　at　college；　and　who　had　a　home　in　which　was　every　comfort；　but　who；　when　ruined；　had　fallen　even　to　the　depth　of　Woolwich　〃Dusthole；〃　exclaimed　to　us　indignantly〃Do　you　think　I　could　ever；　ever　do　this　if　it　weren't　for　the　drink？　　I　always　have　to　be　in　drink　if　I　want　to　sin。〃　　No　girl　has　ever　come　into　our　Homes　front　street…life　but　has　been　more　or　less　a　prey　to　drink。
  CRUEL　TREATMENT。The　devotion　of　these　women　to　their　bullies　is　as　remarkable　as　the　brutality　of　their　bullies　is　abominable。　　Probably　the　primary　cause　of　the　fall　of　numberless　girls　of　the　lower　class；　is　their　great　aspiration　to　the　dignity　of　wifehood；they　are　never　〃somebody〃　until　they　are　married；　and　will　link　themselves　to　any　creature；　no　matter　how　debased；　in　the　hope　of　being　ultimately　married　by　him。　　This　consideration；　in　addition　to　their　helpless　condition　when　once　character　has　gone；　makes　them　suffer　cruelties　which　they　would　never　otherwise　endure　from　the　men　with　whom　large　numbers　of　them　live。
  One　case　in　illustration　of　this　is　that　of　a　girl　who　was　once　a　respectable　servant；　the　daughter　of　a　police　sergeant。　　She　was　ruined；　and　shame　led　her　to　leave　home。　　At　length　she　drifted　to　Woolwich；　where　she　came　across　a　man　who　persuaded　her　to　live　with　him；　and　for　a　considerable　length　of　time　she　kept　him；　although　his　conduct　to　her　was　brutal　in　the　extreme。
  The　girl　living　in　the　next　room　to　her　has　frequently　heard　him　knock　her　head　against　the　wall；　and　pound　it；　when　he　was　out　of　temper；　through　her　gains　of　prostitution　being　less　than　usual。　　He　lavished　upon　her　every　sort　of　cruelty　and　abuse；　and　at　length　she　grew　so　wretched；　and　was　reduced　to　so　dreadful　a　plight；　that　she　ceased　to　attract。　　At　this　he　became　furious；　and　pawned　all　her　clothing　but　one　thin　garment　of　rags。　　The　week　before　her　first　confinement　he　kicked　her　black　and　blue　from　neck　to　knees；　and　she　was　carried　to　the　police　station　in　a　pool　of　blood；　but；　she　was　so　loyal　to　the　wretch　that　she　refused　to　appear　against　him。
  She　was　going　to　drown　herself　in　desperation；　when　our　Rescue　Officers　spoke　to　her；　wrapped　their　own　shawl　around　her　shivering　shoulders；　took　her　home　with　them；　and　cared　for　her。　　The　bab