Several times we asked the women, “What do you wish us to do for you?” and were surprised at the answer. Desperately poor as many were, there was never an appeal for money; rather they said, “Pray for us;” or, “If you would build us homes, so that we could go to them, and not sin any more, what more could we ask?” and, “If you will help us to have the examinations stopped.” Above all, we were astonished at the appeals made to us concerning the latter outrage. We told none of them our whole object in coming among them, yet with great care they described and expressed their abhorrence of the examinations, as well as the wickedness and illegality of them; and in two or three instances they mentioned that they had heard of ladies interested in their behalf, and suggested the possibility that we might do something for them. In one instance several of the women, after telling us of their humiliation, clasped their hands together, and lifting their eyes to heaven, prayed to God that He would “help us to help them.” They invariably exonerated the Queen from all blame in this matter, saying, “She is a woman herself; she would not do this. She cares for her daughters in India.”
Says Mrs. Josephine Butler: “It is impossible not to think of the fathers and mothers of the young Englishmen, mere boys, who go out to India as soldiers, and who are trained in this disgusting manner by the military authorities; not only in the indulgence of their vices, but in cowardly and brutal cruelties towards the weaker sex. It seemed a grand object indeed on the part of Lord Roberts and his subordinates to aim at sending back their discharged soldiers to England free from physical disease, regardless of their manliness, their moral character, their respect for women, and decent habits of life! Would not the loss of these be bought too dearly by the mere exemption from physical disease, even if this could be made possible?”
After months of toil, we were now far up towards the north-western frontier of India. We requested our cabman to drive us to the quarters of the Government women of the Cantonment. We left the cab just outside the narrow street. As we walked past the native shops and turned into a little sort of lane, a woman shouted in great concern from her doorway to us, “Why do you come here? Don’t come here; all are prostitutes who live here.” With a smile of re-assurance we replied, “We know it, and you are just the women we are seeking; we have a message for you.”
With surprise, she then welcomed us most warmly and invited us in, saying she would go and call all the women and bring them to hear the message. In a few minutes chairs had been borrowed for us to sit upon, and nine native women were clustered on the floor at our feet.
We both exclaimed regarding the remarkable personal appearance of the woman who had addressed us first. She closely resembled, in fine bearing and apparent intellectuality, a much-beloved mutual friend in Chicago, a woman of more than local fame in scientific pursuits; it touched us deeply. With utmost simplicity and confidence this woman came and seated herself by Mrs. Andrew’s side, leaning her arm across her lap, and many a time during the interview that followed, her earnest, wistful eyes met ours, while Mrs. Andrew gently stroked her shoulder, her heart almost breaking with pity as the woman told her sad story.
A plaintive native song was sung by our interpreter, and tears flowed freely. After that the simple Gospel message was given. They told us then some of the painful details of the conditions under which they were living, saying that they must either meet these conditions or be expelled from the Cantonment, and added, “If we are expelled, where shall we go? we must leave all our friends, and no one will give us work. It means great hardship; we would starve.” Speaking of the hateful examinations, they said the Queen had forbidden these things, but the officers yet compelled them to go on.
The woman at Mrs. Andrew’s side told us the following: “Some time ago a lady in Calcutta saw a woman weeping as she was going to the Lock Hospital with other women. The lady asked her why she wept. She told why she was obliged to go, and how she hated the examinations.
“The lady could not understand this, but took the woman home with her, and closely questioned into the matter. Then the lady said to her, ‘This ought not to be,’ and promised that she would do all she could for them. Then the lady went home to England and talked to the Queen. She spoke with wonderful power in behalf of the poor women of India. She said to the Queen that she (the Queen) was a woman, and these in India were women, and their shame was the Queen’s shame, and for them to be outraged was as though she (the Queen) was outraged, that it was a shame for women to be treated so when a woman was Queen. Then the Queen ordered it to be stopped. But the officers still carry it on.” This she added sorrowfully, all the other women joining in the assertion. Then a sudden thought came into the woman’s face, and she asked: “Are you like that lady of Calcutta, going to try to do something to help us?” We told them we would work and pray for them that help might come and homes be provided for them. They blessed and thanked us over and over. We told them, “We are your sisters;” they replied, “We are your slaves.”
Then the woman whom we have especially described lifted her hand and with impressive solemnity uttered a vow that she would no longer lead a life of shame.
The next morning we went back to the same place and stopped before the open door. The old mother was sitting on the floor by a little charcoal fire preparing the breakfast. The two daughters of the house were putting their simple little abode in order for the day. The penitent one came forward and smiled so faint a welcome, and seemed so embarrassed at our coming, that we at first thought she was offended; but they exclaimed almost instantly, “We were awake at midnight last night talking of you, and we said it must have been the true God who had sent you to tell us of your religion.” We replied that they had been sorely on our hearts, so that we could not sleep, and that we too were awake at midnight, talking of them and praying for them. They then poured out blessings upon us, with hands clasped in prayer.