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The Hopelessly Fallen128 1902 I generally like what Kate Austin says and always admire the spirited way she says it; but I feel moved to write a word of disagreement with her and others concerning this attitude towards “fallen women.”129 I do not know just what class of persons are included in that category; but from K.A.’s general blunt, straightforward, non-equivocating nature, and her strong determination to apply her faith under all circumstances, I suppose she means all, beginning with the young girl who has once deviated from the rigid line of conventional morality, and been found out, to the inmates of the vilest brothel. Now I can but think that had she lived in a city, where she must inevitably sooner or later, have seen prostitutes at their trade, that she would be compelled to admit either that their native morality was of such a low type that they never could fall, or that they had certainly fallen. A week ago, at the corner of two busy streets not far from where I write, a woman in a most shocking state of intoxication, her face bleeding from a ‹sticuff ‹ght with other inmates of the house, with no clothing but a long draggled torn chemise, rushed into the street, and commenced shouting abuse at everything and everybody; a policeman arrested her; he was as decent about it as the case allowed, did no clubbing , used no bad language; the crowd that always collects at such a scene gathered rapidly; at the patrol box, the woman jeered and mocked the policeman, and ‹nally taking in her ‹ngers the mass of corrupt matter , blood, etc., streaming from her nostrils smeared it on the policeman ’s back. “——— you,” he growled “stop that!” She laughed with the satisfaction of one who has done something “smart,” and winked at the crowd. When the patrol wagon came she got in lightly and gaily as her 299 128. Source: Lucifer, 3d ser., 6.21 (June 5, 1902): 161. 129. Author of “Who are the Fallen?” Lucifer 6.17 (May 8, 1902): 130. See introduction to this section. drunken reel permitted, and calling to he crowd: “Ta—ta: see you again,” was driven away. Now what is the use of pretending to yourself that such a creature has not fallen? And she is the very ordinary type of the prostitute. In her in‹nite degradation, she has one compensation: she does not care. She is light-hearted about it. In her sober state, she eats her dinner, and if in company with one of her kind discusses “the points” of her latest male acquisition. I have heard one say to another: “She can’t have that old man—that old man’s mine.” If she is alone, she manages by every species of vulgar ribaldry to draw attention to herself. If she gets herself put out, perhaps arrested, so much the better. She has no sense of shame at being frowned or stared at; she feels complimented by it; she has advertised herself. If she ‹nds a young man easy with his money and soft-hearted she devises melting stories, which an hour later in company with some old bald-headed customer she laughs at; or she drugs him and steals his watch. If Carrie Nation comes to pray, they all kneel down and shed tears and are pious beyond conception; when she has gone they imitate her and get especially drunk to celebrate the event. You can no more talk reform to such women than to the paving stones. You cannot talk anything to them. They understand nothing but how to get a drink and how to “make something.” To do something outrageous, shocking, attentiondrawing —that is their trade. The foulness of their language is simply the index of their thoughts, if what goes through their brain can be called thoughts! It matters not how they came to be so, if you are going to do anything with them at all you must begin by understanding that they are so; that they are fallen to an almost unfathomable gulf of degradation. It is useless to ›y out with “the respectable married prostitute is just as bad.” Whether she is or not, is not to the point; it cures nothing; it does not alter this case. And my own personal belief, from much witnessing and much re›ecting, is that for women who have become con‹rmed prostitutes there is no help. They...

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