The Conversion of Rebecca Jarrett

Her experience written by herself for God Glory not for my Glory for herself but for God alone[.] Well a great many heard a lot about me some years ago. What a bad character I had been well yes it was true but a lot has to do with the bringing up. My father died and left my mother with 7 young children with no means to keep them[.] the eldest of them begged of my mother never to marry again they would do what they could to help her[.] two of them got into Woolich dock yard[.] from there they went off on ships[.] the eldest worked in the dockyard for some time[.] my eldest sister was sent to Melbourne in Australia[.] we never heard of her again[.] I was the baby left[.] the two boys got lost in the ship 2 sisters died with cholerie so I was only left with my mother[.] she had to keep her home on for me and her self[.] she had to work hard for her living[.] she sent me to a good private school but I was left a lot to my self [.] on Sunday my mother was at home it took her all morning to clean up and get her home clean and strait look after my clothes to see they were clean and tidy for me to go to school with the next day[.] she was very proud of my hair Poor old mother[.] I had very fair hair then it took her some time to wash it and keep it clean and then if it was fine she take me to Cremorne gardens¹ if she had the money to spare if not there was Public house right facing Chelsea college[.] in that gardens was as much wrong going on as there was in Cremorne but they were the old pensioners and the women[.] it was little summer houses many a time I had to bring my poor mother home the worse for drink on Sunday night. I was only 8 or 10 years off age[.] you wonder why so young I got in the way off an impure life why I was brought up in it though clean but impure[.] That was why I left my home so early to begin my life of sin and degradation[.] at Cremorne I got my money was well known[.] at age 13 I was standing looking at the buses being filled with people at the Public House in Chelsea[.] an old man stood at my side doing the same as I was I thought till he said to me would you like a ride in a bus I said will you bring me home again he said I will[.] I went in the bus with him he took me too Hyde Park[.] got out there went into the Park it was quite dark[.] I could not see him but I found as he was moving what his meaning was[.] I got away from him and run home[.] I never stood to watch the buses again[.] that old man was 70 I feel quite sure so when I got converted that was my first aim[.] off course the life I led with my mother and her drink I took to drink[.] I got such a sudden drinker I cared for nothing to eat. I went time after time to the doctors they said I must give up the drink or it would take me off[.] I tried hard[.] I could not eat so the drink was what I lived on for some years till one day I stopped at the hotel seeing in front a large board on it was Salvation Army Jail great doing were going on Sunday[.]² I asked some one what it meant they told me it was a new religion got up like the Mormons[.] out of curiosity I went the S.A. I expect my dress drawed the attention of some of the S.A. people[.] then my hat with great blue feathers and my fair hair drawed their attention[.] they found out where I was...