01Mar1880, Ellice Hopkins and Friendless Girls

LONDON, March 1st-7th, 1880.
—Went to a small meeting at the Stuart Wortleys of married ladies, to hear that wonderful woman Miss Ellice Hopkins speak of a most dreadful state of things hitherto ignored by the land—little girls from 10 to 13 years old entrapped into bad houses and sent upon the streets: sometimes brought up to it all by their own mothers. She is trying to bring about getting these poor little creatures under the protection of the Industrial Schools Act, which gets hold of destitute and begging children, and those who harbour with thieves, but takes no notice of these far-more-to-be-pitied children. The horror of the whole thing made me quite shaky.