influence is greater, should be the most anxious to devise means for their protection. Two causes have, however, operated among virtuous women to prevent the just expression of indignation, and the exercise of humane and enlightened benevolence. First, false delicacy has induced a morbid antipathy to any inquiry into the means by which this evil is perpetuated; and this odious trade in female degradation is carried on. Women, otherwise charitable and humane, have determined, in many cases, to shut their eyes and ears to the cruel enormities by which thousands of their own sex are, in this land of Christian privileges, consigned to sufferings and humiliations, compared with which, those of the oppressed slave are light and trivial. And in minds where repugnance at investigating the evil in question is overcome, the second error exists, viz., hopelessness of effecting any change for the better. Society has so long suffered the enormity complained of, that men have asserted it to be a necessary evil. Thus disgust at revolting and painful details in the one case, and despair at overcoming a long established iniquity in the other, are the chief causes why virtuous women have exerted themselves so little in purifying this branch of national morals.

It has also been said, that it is a work out of woman's province ;-that as men are the law-makers, and as it is the licentiousness of man that creates this social enormity, it is, therefore, the especial duty of men to reform it. It may be their duty; for it is surely the duty of every individual, irrespective of sex, to rectify an abuse, and remedy a wrong, wherever it exists, to the best of their ability; but we can only judge of what will be, by what has

been; and we do not find that any effort, likely to be effectual as a preventive of profligacy of this kind, has ever emanated from those who possess political power and public rule in society. Indeed, the hackneyed and disgusting argument, as false and cruel as it is trite and common, that such an abominable traffic, and its miserable victims, are necessary evils, is an opinion fostered and promulgated by men. No virtuous woman, worthy of the name, could, by any process of thought, bring herself to believe, that the modesty and virtue of the more favourably placed among women required as a safeguard, that there should be a class of hireling victims to licentiousness. The mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of Englishmen, cannot admit the validity of an argument, which involves an inference so utterly degrading to the character of their countrymen.

:

All right-minded women, who, from a sense of Christian duty, have brought themselves to think upon this painful subject, must admit that an evil being of long standing, does not consequently make it a matter a necessity, and give it an immensity of ill and all parties who have reflected on moral principles and brought them to the pure test of scriptural authority, know that there is no such thing as a necessary evil; that the indulgence of a sin which ruins the morals of the one sex, making them in most cases, bad sons, husbands, fathers, and citizens, and which utterly debases and destroys the other sex, can never be defended on the degrading plea of necessity. The doctrine of expediency (which grows out of this cant about necessity), admitted in matters morally wrong in themselves, is

always fraught with the utmost danger to the best interests of the community. A distinguished living female writer has very nobly said, in reference to such arguments, "Let the doctrines of expediency return to the Father of Lies who invented them, and gave them power to turn every way for evil. The Christian knows no appeal from the decisions of God plainly uttered on his conscience."*

There is some force in the remark, that, men being the law makers, it is their province to remedy the evil complained of by legislative enactments. But all experience corroborates the fact that public opinion must precede and direct legislative enactments. The legislature does not lead but follows on the wake of public opinion, particularly in all cases of individual abuse and domestic social policy. the recesses of society, many evils rank with the foulest putrescence of iniquity may exist which the legislature does not take cognizance of, until the inquiries of the thoughtful, and the indignation of the virtuous, directs its attention, and calls loudly for its interference.

In

From these considerations the obvious conclusion is, that it is the especial work of benevolent Christian women to purify the morals of society; and to create such an organization of well-directed effort as shall strike at the root of the evil complained of, and by rousing public opinion, and giving full expression to it, call for the interference of the legislature.

In justice to the benevolent portions of society, it must be admitted that great ignorance prevailed in

* Mrs. Child's "Appeal for the Americans called Africans."

reference to the nefarious traffic before referred to, by which libertinism is provided with its victims, and our streets filled with miserable and degraded women. It was generally assumed to be a crime depending on individual vice, and entered upon from choice; in which case no legislative interference could reach it, personal purity, equally with personal religion, not being within the compass of Acts of Parliament to enforce. Some circumstances, however, have within the last three years drawn the attention of benevolent persons to the subject, and it has been found that a regularly organized trade subsisted, and that it was not the deliberate act of individual freewill, that led numbers of wretched females to the depths of licentious degradation, but that the unwary were trepanned, and the innocent deceived into becoming inmates of dens of infamy where their ruin was certain, and that for such victims there was no redress, and for the monsters who destroyed them there was no punishment.

Some most painful facts demonstrate this remark, and as these facts were the means of calling the attention of benevolent individuals to the subject, and subsequently led to the formation of the "Associate Institution for Improving and Enforcing the Laws for the Protection of Women," (whose aim, as its name imports, is to arouse public opinion, and thus operate upon the legislature in the hope of destroying the disgusting traffic alluded to,) it will be well to give a brief statement of the facts alluded to, as well as a short history of the proceedings of the "Associate Institution.'

(To be continued.)

THE FEMALE MISSION RECORD.

OPERATIONS OF THE LONDON FEMALE MISSION.

THE PENITENT'S LETTER.

The following Letter has been recently received from a former inmate of the Probationary House, sent out to service from that Establishment:

"MY DEAR MATRON,

H-Rectory, M

-.

"I cannot any longer withhold my hand from writing to you, to thank you for all your kindness to me; and this I should have done before, had not shame kept me back. I know how base I have behaved towards you, and cannot expect you to deign to read this letter;* yet I cannot bear the thought of your going to the grave without knowing that she whom you took so much interest in, and extended so much forbearance to, thanks you sincerely, and may Almighty God reward you. I have not been one of those to cheer you hitherto, but may I be one of those who will be amongst the little flock with you at Christ's right-hand in glory! Go on, my dear matron, with your good work, and be not cast down, knowing that though I and many others have not cheered you; yet I am fully persuaded that there are many who will be your crowns of rejoicing on the last day. My dear matron, I do not attempt to clear myself on any point whatever; only one thing I wish to say, that is, that, if, during the time of waiting on you,t you had not a sufficient proof of my honesty, industry, and attention, all I can ever say will never convince you of it;

* The conduct here referred to was leaving her first place against the wish of the Matron, but she left for no improper conduct. She is now in a clergyman's family, and is much respected by her employers. + While in the Asylum she was the parlour-maid.

VOL. VIII.

K