Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
A lovely girl was once drugged by her deceiver and left to bear her
shame alone. She was led to a rescue home where she was cared for.
Sometime after the birth of her child, which she dearly loved, her
father died, and left her $1,000. She was induced by her brother to
come to the city where he was living, and give him the money, which he
and his wife used recklessly. They then moved, leaving the poor girl
sitting on the steps without money enough even to buy milk for her
babe. The poor girl was almost distracted with grief. I found her a
temporary home with Christian people and a little later secured
transportation for her to a rescue home in another city where she
could be kindly provided for.
In that hour of despair, when I found her, she was almost ready to
yield to the enemy of her soul, through temptation of the same wretch
who had first effected her ruin. She could go hungry herself, she
said, but she could not see her babe suffer for want of food.
Sisters, let us try by all possible means to befriend our own sex and
help all who are thrown in our way, heavenward.
NEGLECTED BY THE CHURCHES.
I once went to a city where there are many churches and professors of
religion, and yet there in the Home for Fallen Girls, where I held
services I found the inmates neglected. I then went to the poorhouse
where over a hundred poor and crippled destitute people were so glad
to hear me sing hymns while they partook of their dinner. They seemed
to wonder who and what I was, yet, how glad they were when they
understood it was for the love of their souls Jesus had sent me to
tell them of His great love. Thank God for the privilege of going to
these places. God always finds a way when there seems to be no way.
So I must say in concluding that of all those who have my sympathy and
my help, my prayers and my tears, prisoners, and all, the poor,
abandoned, forsaken girl, who has no one to share her sorrow and her
shame claims and receives my deepest sympathy and assistance. There is
no one on whom Jesus had more compassion and yet the croakers are
often the ones to send her to worse shame by their neglect and
cruelty. Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
"She is more to be pitied than censured,
She is more to be loved than despised,
She is only a poor girl who has ventured
On life's rugged path ill-advised.
Don't scorn her with words fierce and bitter,
Don't laugh at her shame and downfall;
Just pause for a moment, consider
That a man was the cause of it all."
VISIT TO A HOSPITAL.
One Sunday, years ago, I visited a hospital in a certain city and
found it in a most terrible condition. There were many sick, both men
and women, and how glad they were to see me! The public were not
permitted inside the grounds, but the superintendent being absent I
was admitted. The patients were suffering with hunger, and were in a
most filthy condition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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