MAGDALEN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 45, 5 March 1886, Page 23

MAGDALEN.

(Wellington Evening Press.) Of ill the institutions established by benevolence and pietj for the relief of suffering and the reformation of character, there are none which should appeal to the good feelings of the community more strongly than those which aim at the reclamation of fallen women. Opinions may differ, and do differ widely, as to the best means of dealing with the social evil, or even as to whether it is judicious to dal with it at all. But all are agreed as to the humanity and wisdom of affording opportunities of reformation to those women who are willing to abandon their dreadful calling. How to do it is the difficulty. It is a well-known fact that many women of ill fame are not naturally vicious, but are quite capable of leading a decent life, and even of recovering their own self-respect. It may be asked, perhaps, if that be so, why do they not quit their bad companions and apply themselves to honest work, be it ever so laborious or humble? The answer is obvious. They are hemmed in by their surroundings. They do not know how to earn even a day's bread apart from their miserable trade. They are shunned by decent people. The brand of shame is on them. No one will employ a woman of the town ; and, besides, their mode of life has unfitted them for almost every sort of decent employment. Loathe it as they may, they cannot escape from their degraded position. " But it only wants a strong moral effort," we hear someone say. A strong moral effort! Is that to be expected from a poor, ignorant, debauched outcast, steeped in an atmosphere of the lowest self-indulgence? No, the cases must be few indeed where prostitutes are able of their own strength of will and good judgment to break away from the bouds of vice, and resume habits of respectability. They need assistance, and much of it ; and especially they need it to be accorded to them at the moment when they are in the mind to take advantage of it. Many different means have been devised for rendering this assistance ; but not, as a rule, with much success. It is essentially women's work to rescue women ; but there are obvious reasons why the vast majority of women in ordinary society are altogether debarred from engaging in it. Organisation and special training are necessary to secure a permanent influence and prevent a relapse. These conditions seem to be best fulfilled by such an institution as the Magdalen Asylum at Cbristchurch, on behalf of which an appeal appears in another column this evening. It is a Catholic institution , founded by private charity ; but is wholly undenominational and public in its objects, and is for the whole Colony. It is simply an establishment where fallen women who are willing to reform may be sent in the certainty of being kindly treated and put in the way of earning an honest livelihood. It is to be under the management of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, English ladies devoted to religion, who have made this branch of benevolence their study ; and the arrangements are to be of such a nature as to afford tbe very beat prospect of success. The Asylum is designed, in short, to furnish a home for fallen women, where they will have all their bodily needs supplied, and will also enjoy the companionship, the friendship, the sympathy, the counsel, and the guidance of the best of their sex. So more effective means of reformation could well be conceived. Imagine the contrast between the foul brothel, noisy, comfortless, degraded, where the women are but slaves, subject to all forts of illtreatment, with do occupation but debauchery, no resource butdriuk, no variety but fighting or punishment, no friends, and no acquaintances but the lowest of tbe low ; and the Asylum, quiel and peaceful, clean, beautiful, and comfortable, with its order and regularity, Its wholesome meals, its pretty gardens, its pleasant domestic duties, gentleness, and loving kindness, its refined and refining company, its goodness and attractiveness combined. What a haven of refuge for the poor, bruiped woman, sick of sin, and violence and degradation ! Surely this is a high and holy work, well worthy of the support of all right-thinking people. It is a practical taethod of doing what thousands of benevolent people wish to do, but know not how, — of helpiDg the most helpless, saving those who are lost, and appreciably diminishing the greatest blot that disfigures our civihsatiou. We warmly commend Father Giuaty's appeal to the public.