One girl, who seemed particularly sad, had twins lying beside her.  Hoping to cheer her up, I remarked that they were beautiful babies, whereon she hid her face beneath the bedclothes.

‘Don’t talk about them,’ said the Officer, drawing me away, ’that child nearly cried her eyes out when she was told that there were two.  You see, it is hard enough for these poor mothers to keep one, but when it comes to two—!’

I asked whether the majority of these unfortunate young women really tried to support their children.  The answer was that most of them try very hard indeed, and will use all their money for this purpose, even stinting themselves of absolute necessaries.  Few of them go wrong again after their first slip, as they have learned their lesson.  Moreover, during their stay in hospital and afterwards, the Salvation Army does its best to impress on them certain moral teachings, and thus to make its work preventive as well as remedial.

Places in service are found for a great number of these girls, generally where only one servant is kept, so that they may not be taunted by the others if these should find out their secret.  This as a rule, however, is confided to the mistress.  The average wage they receive is about L18 a year.  As it costs them L13, or 5_s_. a week, to support an infant (not allowing for its clothes), the struggle is very hard unless the Army can discover the father, and make him contribute towards the support of his child, either voluntarily or through a bastardy order.

I was informed that many of these fathers are supposed to be gentlemen, but when it comes to this matter of payment, they show that they have little title to that description.  Of course, in the case of men of humbler degree, money is even harder to recover.  I may add, that my own long experience as a magistrate goes to confirm this statement.  It is extraordinary to what meanness, subterfuge, and even perjury, a man will sometimes resort, in order to avoid paying so little as 1_s_. 6_d_. a week towards the keep of his own child.  Often the line of defence is a cruel attempt to blacken the character of the mother, even when the accuser well knows that there is not the slightest ground for the charge, and that he alone is responsible for the woman’s fall.[5] Also, if the case is proved, and the order made, many such men will run away and hide themselves in another part of the country to escape the fulfilment of their just obligations.

In connexion with this Maternity Hospital, the Salvation Army has a Training School for midwives and nurses, all of whom must pass the Central Midwives Board examination before they are allowed to practise.  Some of the students, after qualifying, continue to work for the Army in its Hospital Department, and others in the Slum Department, while some go abroad in the service of other Societies.  The scale of fees for this four months’ course in midwifery varies according to circumstances.  The Army asks the full charge of eighteen guineas from those students who belong to, or propose to serve other Societies.  Those who intend to go abroad to work with medical missionaries, have to pay fifteen guineas, and those who are members of the Salvation Army, or who intend to serve the Army in this Department, pay nothing, unless, at the conclusion of their course, they decide to leave the Army’s service.