OF THE LIFE OF A FLOWER GIRL.
Some of these girls are, as I have stated, of an
immoral character, and some of them are sent
out by their parents to make out a livelihood
by prostitution. One of this class, whom I
saw, had come out of prison a short time pre-
viously. She was not nineteen, and had been
sentenced about a twelvemonth before to three
months' imprisonment with hard labour, "for
heaving her shoe," as she said, "at the Lord
Mayor, to get a comfortable lodging, for she
was tired of being about the streets." After
this she was locked up for breaking the lamps
in the street. She alleged that her motive for
this was a belief that by committing some such
act she might be able to get into an asylum for
females. She was sent out into the streets by
her father and mother, at the age of nine, to
sell flowers. Her father used to supply her
with the money to buy the flowers, and she
used to take the proceeds of the day's work
home to her parents. She used to be out
frequently till past midnight, and seldom or
never got home before nine. She associated
only with flower-girls of loose character. The
result may be imagined. She could not state
positively that her parents were aware of the
manner in which she got the money she took
home to them. She supposes that they must have
imagined what her practices were. He used to
give her no supper if she "didn't bring home
a good bit of money." Her father and mother
did little or no work all this while. They lived
on what she brought home. At thirteen years
old she was sent to prison (she stated) "for
selling combs in the street" (it was winter, and
there were no flowers to be had). She was in-
carcerated fourteen days, and when liberated
she returned to her former practices. The very
night that she came home from gaol her father
sent her out into the streets again. She con-
tinued in this state, her father and mother
living upon her, until about twelve months be-
fore I received this account from her, when her
father turned her out of his house, because she
didn't bring home money enough. She then
went into Kent, hop-picking, and there fell in
with a beggar, who accosted her while she was
sitting under a tree. He said, "You have got
a very bad pair of shoes on; come with me,
and you shall have some better ones." She
consented, and walked with him into the village
close by, where they stood out in the middle of
the streets, and the man began addressing the
people, "My kind good Christians, me and
my poor wife here is ashamed to appear before
you in the state we are in." She remained
with this person all the winter, and travelled
with him through the country, begging. He
was a beggar by trade. In the spring she
returned to the flower-selling, but scarcely got
any money either by that or other means. At
last she grew desperate, and wanted to get
back to prison. She broke the lamps out-
side the Mansion-house, and was sentenced
to fourteen days' imprisonment. She had
been out of prison nearly three weeks when
I saw her, and was in training to go into an
asylum. She was sick and tired, she said, of
her life.
