Page:The Feminist Movement - Snowden - 1912.djvu/121

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THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
113

the mob. More than once the building in which she spoke was attacked. Every insult that the mind of vicious man could conceive was hurled at her. Even those she sought to save from the most complete degradation often misunderstood her. But the working-men were mainly on her side—were not their daughters the victims of those terrible laws?—and in 1886 the Acts were repealed. The passing through the House of Commons this year, by an enormous majority, of an Act of Parliament to make it more difficult for the White Slave trader to carry on his infamous work of entrapping young girls for immoral purposes, and inflicting heavy penalties, including the lash, upon every one convicted of a first offence of this sort, is evidence of a rapid advance in public opinion against this class of crime, which may be due to the strenuous and devoted work of Mrs Josephine Butler and her associates.

The example of these three great women has been followed by many others, though in a smaller, quieter way. To Mrs Fry's initiative is owing the large number of consecrated women who devote themselves to the service of prisoners, either as police court missionaries and probation officers, or through such organisations as the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. To Miss Nightingale is owing the opening of a new profession for educated