I have mentioned that those women who wish to spend more than five days are asked to produce some kind of a recommendation. Many of these are very rudimentary. In one case a woman who had been turned out of her room, to make way for a more profitable tenant, asked to be allowed to stay for another week. She was in work and proudly produced a letter from her employer, which ran as follows: “Mary Brown has worked for us for a year, and we ain’t missed nothing yet.” The employee exhibited this testimonial with glowing rapture, for it would seem, in this quarter of London at any rate, dishonesty is the unforgivable crime. This particular inmate stayed on the whole of the season, for no objection is made to the inmates getting paid employment, and in no case is a charge made.

“It helps them to get boots and a few clothes,” said the sister; “if not for themselves for the children. And they want to collect all they can in the winter, or they may have nowhere to go when we close down.”

All sorts and conditions of women go to Crispin Street. I have already spoken of the “rover” type, but this does not exhaust the unexpected.