"COME WITH ME, SISTER—THERE IS HOPE FOR ALL"
One who has answered the cry, "For God's sake, do something"
The question, what are we doing for our sisters came up as far back as Solomon's time, but has an answer been found? No! It was only when Jesus met the woman at the well did a new life open up for our unfortunate sisters. I plead with you do not draw away your skirts for fear of contamination. Remember, the Master Himself allowed a fallen woman to wash His feet with her tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head. It was a fallen woman who was first to see the omissions and deficiencies of hospitality forgotten by others. Are not fallen women included within the scope of the Master's great commission?
Jesus said, another time, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
A woman may fall lower than a man, but this is due to her sensitive moral nature. With the conviction that she is past redemption, doors closed, no one loving her, people, yes, her own sex, ostracizing her—she becomes hopeless, desperate, reckless. Can you blame her? Again, let me recall to your mind, Jesus Himself forgave and renewed repentant ones. Even when a woman had fallen to the depths of sin and degradation He still called her "woman."
Not every girl who leads a life of sin and shame is by any means a white slave in the full sense of the word, as the white slave traffic exists, though truly a slave she is, for God is no respecter of persons and the same judgment will be hers unless she hastens home to Father's House, where room and to spare and warm welcome awaits her. Not many open doors await her in this world.
An example of this is found in the case of a young girl in Mississippi who, ruined, went from door to door to find someone who would befriend her. Some have one excuse, some another. All said: "We cannot take you in." Tired, discouraged, only one door open, and that the brothel, to which she went.
It is said in one city of half a million people, as reported through the press, they determined to expel 1,500 fallen girls from the city, without offering them a place to go. When brought before the authorities, between sobs and tears, these girls said: "Where can we go, no homes, money, nor friends?" The reply was: "I cannot tell you, but you must leave here."
Many ask: "Who are these girls who go astray?"—having an idea that it is only the ignorant class who are down in sin. It is not so, and let me undeceive everyone on this point, though many, many of the ignorant class do go astray also. Satan is claiming our best, our VERY best girls of education, refinement, advantages and religious training. In one of the most notorious and elegant resorts, known as the ———— in the red light district of Chicago, there are college girls, who have had every advantage. Only lately, as I have done personal work there, did I learn that these very girls were at times in such despair as to threaten to commit suicide.
Within a few blocks of Moody Church was a girl, an elocutionist, a musician, a sweet, stately girl of refinement, whose home has been in a house of shame for the last five or six years.
Some girls come to me when in these resorts and say: "I used to sing in Moody Church Choir." Others will tell you they went through every department of the Sunday school, some were Sunday school teachers. Members of almost every Church you will find among them. When these facts are considered one cannot help but realize the need for action. Satan has entered our churches, as well as every other place. It is only recently that our churches have opened to workers to even speak on this subject, but thank God, they are gladly beginning to do so, since they see danger staring them in the face. The time for prudishness, false modesty, indelicacy is over; too long has Satan been aided in his onward march in this way.