England, in this work of moralization. Mrs. Butler, an instrument prepared by God Himself for this combat, brings to us troops of female auxiliaries whom many men will fear to meet, and with good reason. May God bless this noble work in England and on the Continent."

From Mrs. Butler to Mrs. Meuricoffre.

"Lausanne, Feb. 13th.

"My work is over in Switzerland. A hard ten days' work rather. My evenings are rather lonely, and the cold at times is bitter; at Chaux-de-Fonds it was really cruel. But it is over; and I can only see the good part of it now. At several places, committees have been formed. Switzerland has responded wonderfully. Let us thank God! As in Italy a man was found to devote his life wholly to the work, so in Switzerland a man has come forward, ready for any service; it is M. Humbert. Is it not touching to see how God prepares hearts? I have asked him to meet me in Paris, that we may try and find a man in France also who will give his life to the cause. I got your precious telegram to-day. It seemed to bring a breath of southern warmth into the cold. There is a terribly sharp wind to-day. I long to hear from you again.. I feel as if I had found you again after many days. We shall now, though parted for long, weary seasons, work in heart and in prayer at least together; hope, believe together, and together' watch for the morning.... I wrote my last letter home in one of those large Swiss railway carriages, with tables and chairs, and a nice fire in the corner. I was alone, and piled logs of wood on my fire, and was quite warm, and at ease. They fence out the cold perfectly in the houses here. It is only out of doors that one feels it. The scenes on the Jura reminded me of pictures of the winter retreats of chamois, or of bear-hunting in Norway. Those enormous pines, such as George drew, look so

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handsome with their loads of newly-fallen snow and pendants of icicles, like jewels, in the sunlight. I was asked to go to Bienne and Bâsle, but I could not stay. I regret most of all not going to Zurich. There is life there, and it will join us, I am sure. But I feel I ought not to delay longer here. Our meeting here was a most excellent one, of men and women, in a church. Mr. Buscarlet spoke after I had spoken; he had in his hand a copy of the Edinburgh Daily Review, which he had just received from Scotland, and out of which he read, translating it as he went on, part of the speech of Mr. Stansfeld at Edinburgh, and giving the statistical proofs, so ably stated by him, of the physical failure of these laws. It was listened to with great interest. After every meeting in Switzerland some practical step has been agreed upon, and I have confidence that the separate efforts will develop, ere long, into a connected, organized work. It has been agreed that the speech made by Professor Aimé Humbert, at Neuchâtel, shall be printed. and widely circulated. This is being put in hand at I was glad to hear a citizen of Berne say, with grave conviction, that he believed the greatest obstacle they would have to contend against in Germany would be from the German habit of judging, which denies to woman her place as man's equal, makes her the mere housewife and child-bearer, and gives her no voice at all even in these matters, which concern women most terribly and closely. This, he said, would be a dead weight; but they must fight against it, protest against it; for it was upon this equality, and the equality of the moral standard for both sexes, that the whole reform we seek must rest for its success. I was glad to hear this sentiment from a German-speaking Swiss, and to hear the same conviction, in other words, strongly expressed by others. Another Swiss gentleman said it seemed to him that it would be around this ques

once.

tion that the great battle of the 'droit de l'individu,” the principle of personal responsibility and freedom, would be fought in Europe-that right which the party of privilege, the absolutists, on the one hand, and the socialists on the other, destroy or deny. I had a most pleasant evening at the Buscarlets'. I love Madame Bridel. She has written to her son-in-law, M. E. de Préssensé."

From Mr. Buscarlet to Mrs. Meuricoffre.

66

Lausanne, Feb. 13th, 1875. "Your sister has come and gone, and left many wishful that she could have held another meeting here. Several of our doctors sympathize with her, but none of them could be present, and several of the members of the judicature and municipality were not able to attend. Still she was satisfied with her meeting, and we shall soon form a committee de surveillance in the first place, as the legalized crime has not been established yet in this Canton. Nevertheless it has been spoken of; and what will not men do to get money? At Chaux-de-Fonds that is the motive of many for getting and keeping up these infamous houses. Everyone, both at Geneva and here, was impressed by the nobility and compassionate spirit of your sister, and I could not help thinking of a phrase uttered in one of our religious Conferences here lately, apropos of Deborah : ' Quand les hommes cessent d'être des hommes, il faut que les femmes deviennent des hommes' ('When men cease to be men, it is needful that women should become men). We have utterly failed in our duties in this respect, and by our silence, laissez-faire, or actual cruelty in legislating as we have done, have given women a right to rise up and protest that the law of the strongest' shall no longer be considered the best. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan, and Christians should ever be up in arms and ready to march against all such diabolical machinations

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as those which ensnare and bind these poor fallen ones. People seem to ignore their anguish, or else to forget that the greater their degradation the more need to see that the laws are made so as to facilitate their rescue, and not rivet their chains. The law should be a terror to evil-doers, and not do away with the terror of evil-doing. They have had a great meeting in Edinburgh, and Mr. Stansfeld, M.P., has shown the utter impotency of these laws, and proved by Government statistics the increase of the evil since they were passed. I wish I had been in Naples when your sister was there, but I fear I might have burnt my fingers in seeking to expose the hollow selfishness and ignorance of some persons concerning the generous and truly human feeling, and that which is both just and merciful in the treatment of this question. ... Surely compassion is the most characteristic feature of all Christ's work, the Divine outcome of charity in presence of the sinner suffering for his sin. Mrs. Butler was so pleased to receive your telegram; she was evidently tired, and no wonder. We held the meeting in the large Chapelle de Martheray. May God bless you all, and enable you to love and serve Him who has so loved you.

"Ever yours truly,

"AMABRIC F. BUSCARLET."

CHAPTER IV.

"The holy law of Jesus Christ governs our civilization, but it does not yet penetrate it. It is asserted that slavery has disappeared from European civilization. This is an error. It exists still; but it weighs now only on woman; and it is called Prostitution."-VICTOR HUGO.

A second visit paid by Mrs. Butler to Paris will be described in her own letters.

To Mrs. Meuricoffre.

"Hotel Wagram,

"Paris, Sunday.

O-MORROW I shall begin work again; we are to have a Conference on Tuesday evening, and another on Thursday. It has been a week of terribly severe weather, and my journey over the Jura, and especially from Pontarlier down to Dijon, was very trying. It was so bitterly cold that several of the passengers became quite faint and ill. The snow was so deep in some places that the train had to stop several times till the way was cleared, and plunged heavily through drifts. I never felt cold equal to it. It was pain to breathe the air; and even in the carriage, with foot-warmers, and my large rug wrapped round me from head to foot, I could scarcely keep my senses. The cold made me fall asleep for very faintness, and you can imagine the state of the thermometer when I tell you that when my hand dropped out of my muff once while I was asleep, I awoke with a sharp pain across it, as if a knife were cutting into the bone. It was near midnight when I arrived at Dijon. My lips were