in the Bible or did I read it in some other book?"

But look

ing more closely I found and read that the persistent watchfulness of mother love over the dead sons so moved the heart of the king that he gathered their bones and buried them. And I said, "If my persistent manifestation of mother love for the sons and daughters of Iowa will but move the powers that be to give the desired law and reformatories needed, I reconsecrate myself to the work."

My soliloquy was soon interrupted by the Speaker of the House leaving some one else in the chair and coming around to do a little lobbying for a bill in which he was interested, with some parties near where I was sitting, I ventured to call his attention to the fact that the chairman was ready to report upon the subject for which I had been so faithfully lobbying during the winter, and was only waiting his recognition. He replied with emphasis, "He shall be recognized tomorrow morning."

And, true to his word, the recognition came notwithstanding there were many clamoring at the same time to be heard. The report was given in the following language:

"Your joint committee on penitentiaries at Anamosa and Fort Madi. son, and Reform school at Mitchellville, beg leave to report that they have had under consideration the numerous petitions presented to this house by the W. C. T. U., and report that there is much of merit in the matter presented in said petitions, and in the opinion of the committee the time has fully come when the civilization and christianity of the age demand that a separate prison shall be provided where females, convicted of crime, can be confined separate and apart from the prison where male convicts are incarcerated, and in connection therewith a reformatory school be should provided, to the end that as much as possible reformation females of therein confined may be attained. The committee point with pride to a prison of said character in Indiana, and believe that the State of Iowa cannot do better than at the earliest possible day provide a similar reformatory prison. Your committee regret the fact that the session is so far advanced as to preclude any steps being taken at this time that would attain this desirable object, and your committee confidently believe that at any early day the legislature of the State of Iowa will take proper steps and enact a law establishing an institution or prison of the kind

referred to, which shall harmonize with the light and advancement of the age."

Thus I had obtained all I could reasonably hope for considering all the obstacles that had to be overcome ere the work could be presented to the legislature. Having been thus blessed in my initiative work in the legislature in the doing of which I had kept my word with those to whom I had given the promise that I would make the effort, I turned again cheerfully to the work of soliciting the needed funds for the Home for unfortunates, in which I was so successful that in August, 1882, it was formally opened having secured a Mrs. Babcock as matron.

I will never forget the mingled sense of joy and fear that possessed my soul as the intelligence reached me that the Home was not only open but one unfortunate had sought its shelter, and that her name was Tilly Petit. In this I recognized the girl I had rescued from the hands of the saloon keeper whom I thought equal to any crime. Therefore my first thought was, "John Dame will burn us out."

I immediately wrote to the Home inquiring, "Is it my Tilly Petit?" and got the answer back, "You bet, it is your Tilly Petit." But my fears of John Dame were exceedingly allayed as she went on to say that he was safe in the penitentiary.

I was at that time in Tabor, in the southwestern part of the State, and much as I longed for the privilege of entering the Home and viewing the order that had been brought out of chaos, for bundles, boxes, furniture, and bedding had been for sometime coming there from unions in different parts of the State, the contents of which, I fancied, in complete homelike order, yet I could not afford to spend either time or means, save as I canvassed my way. So it was not until in October that I had the coveted privilege of entering the Home which had now been open six weeks. Still there was but one inmate.

I found in the person of the matron a woman whʊ measured up to my idea as qualified to fill her position, so full was

her heart of love and interest in the work of the redemption of these lost ones.

An instance that I will never forget increased my faith in her. When I arrived the wife of a wealthy neighbor was in conversation with the matrom in the parlor. After her departure the matron told me of how surprised the lady was on learning that she had not provided herself with a revolver as she thought it so dangerous for her to preside over such an Institution without such protection. To this the matron had replied, "I should be more afraid of the revolver than I should of anything the Lord will permit to come to us here." It was this trust in God instead of human defense that so harmonized with my idea of the spirit that should guide and govern such an Institution. Forty-eight hours had not elapsed until, oh! how the danger of the revolver was verified as the intelligence came to us that the only child of the revolver trusting neighbor accidentallly shot himself while examining the deadly weapon to assure himself that it was in good order for his defense during a trip from home that he was about to make.

During this short stay at the Home we were aroused by a midnight rap at the door. The matron not waking I arose and opening an upper door inquired, "Who is there?" and got the answer back, "Silas Berry" (the then secretary of the Y. M. C. A.), “Mrs. Blank and a girl that wants to enter the home." As I hastened to admit them, I mentally exclaimed, "I have at last a home where I have the right to open the door and to say to the poor sin-sick prostitute, come in." And as I remember now the joy of that moment I cannot conceive of being richer when I enter my mansion in heaven than I was in the possession of a home for such a purpose. Having aroused the matron we sat for a few moments in conversation in the parlor when that young man but a little past his teens said, “Let us haye a season of prayer before we go," thus leading us mothers down on our knees for a midnight prayer meeting that we shall never forget. At the close Mrs.