I now visited Sonoma, Mendocino, and other counties in that locality. A kindly reception awaited me everywhere, and no wonder--I pet.i.tioned the Lord to go before me. He answers such a pet.i.tion out of Isa. 45:2: "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of bra.s.s, and cut in sunder the bars of iron."
One day whilst I was making calls amongst the unfortunate, I was met at a certain door by a neat, intelligent-looking young woman, attired as though for a journey. A glance through the open doorway revealed the presence of three others; they, however, were in house dress peculiar to their mode of existence. One of these spoke, "O Dollie, invite the lady in. It"s going to be lonesome without you." She, none too graciously, extended the invitation. If I had any pride left, I stifled it for the sake of these poor lost souls, sitting around in their tawdry finery, smoking cigarettes. My heart went out in tender pity for them as I attempted to introduce our loving Savior.
"Hold on," said Dollie, at the same time looking at a beautiful gold watch on her breast, "I think I will have time before the train comes [the depot was but a block away] to tell you my story....
"When I was fourteen years old, I had the misfortune to lose my dear mother, who died in childbirth. Father was a very hard-working man, a mechanic. He broke up housekeeping for two reasons: First, because mother had been very indulgent, so that I didn"t know the first thing about domestic duties, so wouldn"t have been able to even get him a decent breakfast. Next, because everything spoke to him of mother, whom he fairly idolized. I used to see him evenings when he came home from work to the place where we boarded. Seldom in the mornings. Guess I was too lazy to get up in time for anything but a hasty breakfast, then hurry off to school.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "EVERYBODY HELPED GREASE THE HILL I WAS SLIDING DOWN. I SOON REACHED THE BOTTOM"]
"We used to have Friday evening dances in our neighborhood, which I attended with my cla.s.smates. My but I loved to dance! It got so that Friday evening wasn"t enough, so many a time found me with some of them at a hall down-town enjoying the public dance. The school-dance was always private. It didn"t take long for some one to turn my silly head and make me believe he was dead in love with me. What did a little fifteen-year-old fool like me know, with no mother to teach her, and no woman to take a real interest? That wretch could fill me with, and make me believe, the biggest lies you ever imagined, and I drank it all in as though it were gospel truth. To this day I sometimes wonder if all men are liars.
"I"m not going to mince matters. I fell; and pretty soon _everybody was helping to grease the hill I was sliding down. In consequence, I soon reached the bottom._"
"Some one told father; but I denied everything, yet I was so afraid he would make the statements be proven, that in my fright I ran away, and I have never seen him since. He"s dead now. Poor father! I expert that, with his other sorrows, this trouble finished him.
"Two years later found me in just such a place as you have discovered me today. One afternoon, a sweet-faced Salvation Army la.s.sie called.
She talked as only you people can talk. I was but seventeen, still tender-hearted (wish I was yet); so it was not difficult to yield to her earnest persuasions to kneel beside her while she prayed. There was another girl in the room at the time, but she had a caller, so got up and went out. I learnt my first prayer from that Salvation Army girl.
It was "Our Father." I used to see it framed on a wall in a house where my mother visited, but never did I understand it till that day. Then she asked me to talk to G.o.d in my own way. I felt sorry for what I"d done, and the life I was leading, and said so; so when she explained how G.o.d would forgive me, I believed her and told her I"d quit if she"d take me away, and she did. I left with her about dusk. She took me to her lodgings and for several days I shared her bed and board, until she got me a situation to do light housework at fifteen dollars a month.
Light indeed! It was the heaviest, washing included; but I did as she suggested--prayed to G.o.d to help me as I worked, and he did. They were Jewish people and so did their own cooking; otherwise I couldn"t have kept my job.
"Never shall I forget the joy of receiving my first month"s wages. As I looked at that little sum in my calloused hand, I said, "Dollie, it"s the first honest money you ever earned; doesn"t it make you feel good?"
"Before long my Salvation Army friend was called away to another field of labor. I promised to write to her, and to this day I am sorry that through my own carelessness I lost track of her. But I always did hate to write letters, so it"s all my own fault.
"A girl told me of a nice place out near Golden Gate Park; only two in family, and twenty-five dollars a month. I called on the lady and she hired me. My but she had a dainty flat! One peculiarity I couldn"t help noticing. She was always afraid some one was deceiving or going to deceive her, and would often make the remark, "No one ever gets the second chance with me, no indeed." And I used to say to myself, "_I wonder what she would do if she found out who Dollie was?_" She was a Christian. No, I"ll take that back. She called herself one, and was the secretary of the ladies" aid of her church. Sometimes we had teas for them, and then she would take them all over the house and brag on my work and me. I knew how to cook pretty well by this time. She taught me. There was nothing I did not do to try and please her.
"One day I heard the hall door bang. Some one was coming up-stairs in a great hurry. Next she threw open the kitchen door, and I shall never forget the ugly face of her as she said, while I ran in my bedroom with fright and shut the door, "Dollie! I want you to pack right up and leave this house, you ---- ----! How dare you impose yourself on me?"
Oh! I ran and groveled at her feet; I begged; I cried; I besought her not to turn me away. I told her that I had repented and that G.o.d had forgiven my sins and that _if she was a Christian she"d help me_. That only seemed to make her madder than ever. "Pack up your things and get out. Here"s your money. I won"t put up with deceit from any one."
"I went into my room, and in my rage and despair tore my clothes off the hooks, emptied the bureau drawers, jammed everything any which way into my trunk, and in my anger went out, called the nearest express man, ordered my baggage to my old address, where the Salvation Army la.s.sie first found me, told all the girls down the row what the Christians were like, and then plunged deeper than ever into a life of sin. _My heart, once so tender, is hardened forever._ Save your tears for some one who is worthy. You can never touch me. I wish to G.o.d you could. I must go; but you"re welcome to remain and talk to the others, if you think it will do any good. Good-by, lady. Good-by, girls. I"ll be back in less than a week"--and she was gone; but oh! could I, could these girls, ever get over this recital and its impression.
As soon as I could find my voice, I begged, implored them, not to let that story further influence them on the downward course. I pictured the judgment-day with that woman who turned Dollie away being interrogated by the King of kings, and the terrible doom awaiting all who did not repent and forsake sin; but, apparently making no impression, I soon left, unable to proceed further with the work that day because of the great burden with which this poor girl"s story had weighted me.
I lay on my bed shortly afterwards, meditating upon the probable results had this mistress been loyal to her Lord, whom she professed to love and follow. I tried to picture her as saying:
"Dollie, a distressing story has reached me. It concerns your former life, but I know you must have repented, or you would not be doing hard, honest work for your living. Surely there are many you know and would like to help lead better lives. It is in my heart to a.s.sist them, Dollie. Let us together look some of them up. I realize that few, comparatively speaking, attempt this line of work. They think it is too humiliating, degrading, demoralizing, but it is what our Savior did whilst on earth, and I have vowed to follow him."
What think you, dear reader, would have been the outcome? How many trophies for the Savior"s crown would have been hers? How many outcasts would have been turned from the error of their ways, and, having found their Redeemer, would have instructed their former companions in sin?
It may never be revealed how many souls were lost through this professed Christian"s shameful unfaithfulness.
Christ, when teaching occasion to avoid offense, uttered these words: "It is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." Luke 17:1, 2
Have you, my reader, helped "grease the hill" that "one of these little ones" was sliding down, so that she soon reached the bottom? or are you helping and cheering them on the upward way until they reach the goal?
May G.o.d help and bless.
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
LOST SHEEP--THE EX-PRISONER"S HOME--HOSPITAL SCENES.
Who does not love that beautiful, most pathetic song ent.i.tled "The Ninety and Nine"? but how many have literally helped to emulate the Great Shepherd"s example? Methinks I hear now, as I often have heard, great throngs singing:
It may not be on the mountain height Or over the stormy sea, It may not be at the battle front, My Lord will have need of me, But if by a still, small voice he calls To paths that I do not know.
I"ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine, "I"ll go where you want me to go"
Our Lord takes every one of us at our word, whether we are singing it, praying it, or testifying to it. He does, indeed. _He takes us at our word._ How many of us make excuses? Because of this, how many souls are going to be lost? Oh! the pity of it, the everlasting pity of it!...
In my possession are several photos. Most of them have been handed to me by the weeping mothers of lost, stray lambs; some have come through the mail; all contain the one cry: "Dear Mother Roberts, ... Won"t you please try to find my poor little girl? She may be in prison, or in the slums, or perhaps sick and dying in some hospital." And then follows a minute description of every feature, height, weight, peculiarities of character, etc. Many times the parents admit their own weak traits and failures. Poor, poor mothers! poor fathers! Not very often do we find them for you, sometimes where we would rather not; but you said that, no matter what their condition, I should tell them that you still loved them and that you would gladly welcome them home. We"ve found them sometimes when too far gone ever to come back to their earthly home, and but just barely in time to be rescued from eternal ruin.
Not always is the wanderer a girl, either. Sometimes a broken-hearted parent is looking for a lost boy, and solicits our help. I"ve met a few of them in the penitentiary, who have all but sworn me to secrecy.
"I"ll be out soon," they"ve said. "No need to grieve the old folks at home by letting them know I"ve been in trouble."
"But, my boy," I"ve replied, "how are you going to account for your long absence and explain where you have been?"
"I"ll fix it some way. Say I"ve been traveling or off in the mines.
Anyhow, I"ll fix it so they shan"t find out."
"But don"t you know, dear boy, you are going to live in constant dread if you do that? The Bible says, "Be sure your sins will find you out,"
and also that "nothing that maketh a lie shall enter the kingdom of heaven," I can not write a lie to your parents, and they"ve written to me, asking me to try to find you. Besides, you"ll need money to take you home. It is not so easy as you think to step out of here and obtain immediate employment. Even if you do, some one will be constantly crossing your path and demanding you to pay him "hush money" to keep his mouth shut."
Then I have recommended them to the care of Mr. Charles Montgomery, president of the board of prison commissioners, who, through great self-denial, toil, and energy, succeeded in establishing, little more than two years ago, a beautiful home and mission for discharged prisoners. It is located in San Francisco. To it they may go and be well provided for until employment is procured for them. Truly this is a most blessed work for the Master. This home is the outcome of a plan long cherished by Brother Montgomery, who for nearly fifty years has labored for the reformation and welfare of convicts and ex-convicts. It is now situated at 110 Silver Street, near Third Street, and is well worth a visit from those who have the interest of these men at heart.
It was opened June 9, 1909, and it has been doing an immense amount of good, helping many a discharged prisoner to be once more a desirable citizen and a man of honor. I would also add that it is a work of faith.
Will you come with me to one of our county hospitals this afternoon?
Soon we are kindly greeted by the matron, and almost the next words she utters after welcoming us are: "I"m especially glad to see you today, Mother Roberts, because in Ward X a girl who is dying has been asking if I knew where you were. You"re none too soon. She can"t last much longer, poor thing!" and she leads us to the bedside of the dying girl.
I recognize her as Ruby ----, with whom I have more than once earnestly pleaded to forsake the wretched life she was living, warning her of the ultimate results of such a course. How changed she is as she lies there scarcely breathing! She opens her dying eyes at the sound of our footsteps. "Ruby dear, do you know me?" A barely perceptible nod. "I"m so glad Jesus sent us to you today, dear child. Won"t you take him for your Savior right now?" In as few words as possible she is told of the dying thief on the cross. As she can not speak, we ask her to pray with her mind, whilst we kneel with her hand in ours, calling on Jesus for mercy, for pardon in this the "eleventh hour." The tears which she is too weak to wipe away are wetting her pillow, but we observe a look of peace stealing over her countenance. Soon we leave, believing that some day we shall meet her among that great throng of the blood-washed.
Following a mothers" meeting one day in a Northern town a care-worn-looking woman invited me home with her. Here she related another heartrending story of a lost girl, an only child, for whom she had toiled day and night at the wash-tub, so as to send her to school dressed as finely as the other girls. "I have had to work very hard as long as I can remember," the poor mother said, "and when I married, I made up my mind that if I ever had a daughter I would not teach her domestic duties, for fear she also would have to be a drudge all of her life." So she raised a lady (?). The girl grew to be very independent and disrespectful to her breadwinner, her mother, who was a deserted wife. At the age of sixteen Elsie, without even a note of farewell, left her comfortable little home and heart-broken mother, never to return. She had intimated her going, but the mother had attached no importance to these remarks, but she recalled them after her daughter"s departure. Furthermore, Elsie carried away nearly every dollar of her mother"s meager, hard-earned savings.
After a long look at a photograph I perceived that, because of a peculiar mark on the cheek, not removed by the retoucher, perhaps overlooked, I could readily recognize Elsie. Therefore, when visiting the slums, jails, and hospitals I kept a lookout for her as well as for others, and also notified some coworkers.
One day whilst visiting the old city and county hospital (where Mary"s baby was born), I pa.s.sed a cot where lay an apparently old woman; she looked to be fifty and appeared to be in the last stages of some dreadful form of tuberculosis. _That identical mark was on her cheek_, but surely this could not be twenty-three-year-old Elsie. Surely not.
So I pa.s.sed on to the next cot. The impression to return to the former one was so strong that it was acted upon. Stepping over to her, I softly said, "Don"t be frightened, dear, but is your name Elsie?" The next moment I was quickly calling the nurse, for I feared the shock had killed the woman. The nurse came and administered some restorative and then advised me not to excite the patient further, for she was dying; but the girl had sufficiently recovered to be able to ask questions.
"Who told you?" she whispered.
[Ill.u.s.tration: POOR ELSIE]
"It won"t hurt you if I tell you?" I asked.
"No; please."