On another occasion a girl was brought to me in great distress. She told me she had started from England on the previous day to visit a French friend of her mother’s. She had the address written on a piece of paper, which she was instructed to give to the cabman, as she did not speak French.
She travelled by the night boat to Calais. When she arrived at the Gare du Nord, she could not find the paper, and, staying to look among her parcels, the English travellers all left. She got out of the train and did not know what to do; she spoke to a porter who did not understand her, and eventually left the station. This was about 7 a.m. She walked about the streets until late in the afternoon, when she was heard near the Madeleine trying to explain to a policeman. The Englishman who heard her brought her to me, and I sent her back the next day to England, as I failed to discover her friend’s name in any directory.
On another occasion I received a telegram from a lady in Ireland asking me to meet her daughter that evening at the Gare St. Lazare, who was going to a situation as governess, which she had obtained through an advertisement. I met the girl, and took her to the address she gave. It was a small wine shop, and altogether unsuited to her, and would, I fear, have been a very dangerous position.
I persuaded her to go to the excellent G.F.S. Lodge, where she was most kindly received, and eventually a good position was found for her.
The above are illustrations of many like cases which were brought before me.
More serious cases are illustrated by the following telegram:
“Please remove Miss X⸺ from 14 rue ⸺ at once; very urgent, letter follows.”⸺
These requests often involved considerable time and trouble, and the laying aside for the time of all other work.
One morning I received a request from the manager of one of the leading hotels to call as soon as possible. I went down and was told that an English girl had been left there by a “gentleman,” and was in great distress.