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sadder and more pitiable object ever came to our gates begging protection than the little child whose picture (taken when she arrived) appears here. Al- though young, she had seen sin in all its most hideous forms, and she is only one of thousands here to-day greatly in need of help.
THE SLAVE MARKET NEWS.
JAN.,
1934.
What a remarkable change in the second picture And all because of the matchless grace of God! When Miss Gillespy was here this child professed to accept Jesus as her Saviour, and she also stood up in the closing meeting to Consecrate herself to the Lord for His service.
CHANGING ANIMALS INTO CHILDREN.*
People in Western lands who have visited Japan, or who have seen pictures of nicely-dressed, happy and smiling. faced little Japanese girls in Tourist Guide Books, or business advertisements, would not be quick to conclude that Japan was a veritable hell of woe and suffering for little ones, particularly girls. The amount of camouflage and deception in this direction is amazing. We do not for a moment suggest that there are no happy and contented young- sters in Japan; there are. At the same time, to carry about with one the impres- sion that the children of Japan are any- thing like what the picture seeks to convey is a colossal mistake.
It would not be at all difficult to give extracts from articles which bave appeared from time to time in the Press here, written by Japanese journalists, to show that a great Lusiness is being done all the time, and much money is being made by unscrupulous rascals-both men and women-who adopt little unwanted children and then train them for a life on the streets. The number of little girls engaged in questionable pro- fessions nightly here on the public thoroughfares is positively unbelievable. Can anyone imagine what happens to the little mites when they are not able to earn money? The truth is that they suffer the most abominable cruelties at the hands of their wretched masters.
Only a few weeks ago-according to a report from Minnie Kirkaldy-the outside gate of our Sendai Compound opened, and in ran a little girl. She was in such a desperate hurry to get inside, and looked so terribly scared, that she gave the impressior at once that someone was pursuing her. When asked why she had come in such taste and what it was
she wanted, she gasped out, "I have been sold for 50 Yen, but as I cannot bear any more cruelties, I have run away. 1 came here because I was told you would take me in if I came. Please help me." Such was the heart-searching appeal this poor scared, thin, and half-starved little animal made to the worker. And how terribly dirty she was, and how wild the look in her eyes, She had evidently been in the hands of a human mistress who had filled her with fear and awful dread.
When she was stripped for the bath, it could be seen that her body had been badly beaten there were many bruises and marks all over it. One bruise being a particularly bad one and much swollen. When the worker asked why there were 80 many bruises, she said " My hands were tied behind my back, and I was flogged with a stick, because I could not make enough money for my mistress by singing and dancing on the streets." The doctor afterwards examined her and found her lungs in a very weak condition, and ber poor emaciated body greatly in need of special care. He ordered her to have a long rest so that she might soon be restored to normal.
It appears that when she was only seven her mother sold her into the hands of a
LISTEN.
The woman who almost
killed this poor child is putting up a great fight to get her back into slavery.
The Osaka Police have now ordered us to give her up. Pray please.
*The Friend of Japan, Nov.-Dec., 1933.
very ornel woman, who carried on a busi- ness of fitting little ones for a life on the street. From that time it had been hell for her, until she ran to us
It has been a task to keep the child from that wretch of a woman. Even the police in Sendai have endeavoured to bully us into handing her back to the woman, which we point-blank refused to do. When we went to interview the police, one of the officers ordered us out of the room. The Lord worked for us never- theless, and this particular policeman had to come along to us later and make his apology for his rudeness.
A conversation with the little girl later on, disclosed the fact that there are large numbers of little ones on the streets of Sendai, being used to line the pockets of cruel and heartless scoundrels. It is positively appalling to say the least.
Since this little child has come into our Osaka Home (where she was taken to be out of the way of her pursuers) she has changed very remarkably, and now professes to love the Lord Jesus.
During some special meetings Miss Gillespy, of the Japan Evangelistic Band, conducted here quite recently, this girl stood up at the close of one of the meet- ings to shew that she had given her all to Jesus for His service in the days to come among her own people. This is certainly a great triumph of the Spirit of God in this young life so recently set free from sin, cruelty and misery. Will our friends pray mightily for the thousands of little girls here, whose life daily is a dark, sad, and suffering exis- tence ? And who most surely long for the hour of their deliverance to come. It is up to all who enjoy Christian liberty to share it with those who are in bitterest bondage. Shall we do it now?
Printed and Published for the Proprietor. Alfred Lancaster Smith, Arcot Orchards, Sidmouth. Printed by F. N. Parsons, South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset.