I remain, yours truly,
LINA S.
Allegheny, Pa., March 21, 1897.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton.
Dear Mother: We received your very kind and welcome letter. O, we are so glad that you sent us a letter and some tracts. Mrs. S. J.
Arner, our matron, read the letter in the dining-room to all of us and we did enjoy it so much. Indeed I feel that I had a visit from a dear friend. I hope you are well and I pray for you that G.o.d may strengthen you in your labors. You have done a great work, but G.o.d has more for you to do yet before you shall pa.s.s through the pearly gates of Heaven, for you have cheered so many broken hearts. G.o.d sent you to cheer those in prisons. I was just thinking today, O, how happy you will be in the end when Jesus shall say unto you: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you." And O, dear Mother, He will say to you: "I was in prison and ye visited me." I am still looking unto Jesus. He has been my only friend for these years in prison. He keeps me day by day and makes me feel happy in prison. He causes me to hear "songs in the night." Pray for me that G.o.d may keep me and my children.
I dreamed that I was sent to preach the gospel to some poor soul and I have dreamed it three times over the same. First time I said, "No, I cannot do it," and the Lord laid me on a bed of sickness, and then I said, "Lord, I will go." I had no rest by night or by day until I consented to go.
All of the girls join me in love to you. We hope that these few lines may find you well and happy, for you are always so happy and bright. One of the old girls said that your face has such a happy smile on it and a light shines over you while you talk to them. Write soon.
LAURA M.
This is an extract from a letter by an orphan girl, a type of many other poor girls whose fates are equally as sad:
Spokane Falls, ----, 1889.
O if I was only free, the greatest pleasure of my life would be to go with you and work for G.o.d. Your kindness has won my heart.
I have never had any one to be kind to me; I have known nothing but sorrow all my life. My past is almost a blank. Dear, kind sister, look on me with pity--a friendless, motherless girl. I am alone in the world. I was drawn into this place through cruel treatment. I have no money, and I am helpless. If G.o.d does not have mercy on me, I do not know what will become of me. If I had only a good, kind friend like you to guide me through life, I would have been a far better woman than I am. If G.o.d will save me I shall live in the future a life of honor and work for G.o.d.
Pray for me. Tell me in what way I am going to help myself. O sister, I am so troubled; sometimes I think I will end my miserable existence. But I know if I should take my own life that it would be a terrible sin; but how can I help thinking such things in a place like this? No friends, no home, and no money; sick at heart, sick in body, sick in mind.
Lancaster, Neb., Jan. 27, 1895.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton, Washington, D. C.
Our Dear Friend: We received your kind letter of the 7th inst. We were glad to hear from you and to know that you were enjoying good health. Dear Mother, if we may address you thus, we were very glad to hear our friend, Mrs. Beemer, spoken of so well, for she is a friend never to be forgotten. And Mr. Beemer is just a splendid warden, kind to everybody; and we ask you to pray that they may be retained here for another time. Dear Mother, indeed we will know how to appreciate our freedom in the future. Of course you do not know our names, but I will give them in the following words that each sends to you. Hattie and Edna send their regards to you. Nannie says to pray for her. Annie sends her best regards to you and wishes you well. Hattie R. sends love and best wishes. Annie H. is the one who was sick when you were here and sends love to you, and knows that G.o.d answered your prayers that she might be restored to health. Effie joins in sending love, and my prayer is that G.o.d may bless you and help you in all your good work. So we close for this time, asking you to pray for us poor unfortunate girls.
We remain, your loving children,
H., E., A., N., H., A. and EFFIE.
Canon City, March 27, 1899.
Dear Friend and Mother:
I know you are my friend and everybody"s friend. I heard your kind letter and cannot help writing to you. I cannot write very good, so please excuse mistakes. Your letter found all the girls well. I have often thought of you and wished that I could be a Christian like you; but I am a poor sinner and have been all my life. I never heard one word out of the Bible in my life till I got in jail. I never had any Christian parents, and therefore I am a deep sinner, but I want to do better. My conscience tells me that I must try to be a better woman. I have been a very bad girl, but I think my Savior will forgive me, if I repent in time. Sometimes I nearly go crazy just thinking what a life I have led. O if I would die now what would become of me? I want you to pray for me, mother, for I do believe you can help me by praying for me.
I have not long in here now. My time expires on the 25th day of December, 1899; pray that I will be a better girl. I want to go home to my brother if I can when I leave here. I am tired of this life. My soul is tired. O, I am so wicked! I have tried to pray the best I knew and I got scared. Something seemed to bother me, and I was afraid to go to sleep. Mother, why do I get scared? Is it because I have sinned so much? But I will try again and again.
I am willing to do right and live an honest life, and I will or die in the attempt. I have had a lot of trouble in my life and it drove me to all my downfalls, but I can see that I am sending my soul to everlasting torment, so I want to turn now and seek for the Lord. Tell me how I can, mother.
Mother, this is the best I can do; may G.o.d bless you in all your undertakings. The matron was glad to hear from you and also the girls. Pray for me.
ANNA 4309.
Waupun, Wis., March 6, 1899.
Dear Sister Wheaton:
Thank G.o.d I received your kind and Christian letter last week. We are getting along nicely with our meetings and I know and feel that G.o.d is with us every day and especially the eleven that have given their hearts to G.o.d and let His dear hand guide their every footstep.
Our dear Matron gave me your letter. I am as contented as can be.
I believe it G.o.d"s will that I should be here, and His will be done. I love our dear Heavenly Father with all my heart and soul and I love all my sisters and brothers and I love my enemies and I pray for them and ask G.o.d to bless them.
I have ten months more and I hope you can come here again before I go. Our Matron is with us in our meetings every Sat.u.r.day. I read my Bible and pray three times a day, and I have more strength to perform my daily work, and I know our dear Savior will not forsake me or leave me alone because I know Jesus loves me now, and I know He will answer my prayers.
I told you before it is my second term, but when I sit in my little room reading my Bible I thank G.o.d for it, for I know it was G.o.d"s will that I should be here a second time, for there is work for me to do here as well as when I am free, and He put me here to show me He wanted me for one of His own dear humble children and I know and feel it now.
"Happy day, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away; He taught me how to watch and pray, And live rejoicing every day."
And I want you to pray for us all that we may have more of G.o.d"s grace given to us day by day and help us to be humble and meek and willing to be led by His loving hand and pray for us that G.o.d will keep us from all temptation and sin and may we ever prove faithful. "Have mercy upon me, O G.o.d, according unto the mult.i.tude of Thy tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions."
Every word here is just as I feel in my heart.
"I may not do much with all my care, But I surely may bless a few; The loving Jesus will give to me Some work of love to do.
"I may wipe the tears from some weeping eyes, I may make the smile come again, To a face that is weary and worn with care, To a heart that is full of pain."
MRS. J. G.
Anamosa, Iowa, Aug. 11, 1901.
Elizabeth R. Wheaton, Tabor, Iowa.
Dear Mother:
We received your kind and loving letter yesterday. Was more than glad to hear from you, but sorry that you have been so sick; but I praise G.o.d for His healing divine. We did not have the smallpox in the prison. There were cases of them in town, but the warden quarantined the prison and vaccinated every prisoner. Dear mother, I am trying to get a parole. My pet.i.tion is now before the Governor with a thousand signers, besides several letters from friends. I have had three good homes offered to me if the Governor will only parole me. I desire so much to be where I can live a better life and take care of my little boy and help my parents, who are in very poor health. I do pray so much for a better place and better companions, where I can do something for my own and others. Dear Mother, will you pray for me? I always remember what I promised you when you bid me good-bye; that was, to pray for you every day. I am so glad we have a Savior who will hear our prayers though we are behind prison walls and our prayers are weak.
With love and prayers,
FROM D. F. TO MOTHER WHEATON.