LITERARY WORK, ETC. 217 



Price Hughes was, I think, without exception, the most witty 

 man and one of the best companions I ever met. At breakfast 

 and dinner he was especially amusing and brilliant, ranging 

 from pure chaff with his old friend Dr. Lunn to genial wit 

 and admirably narrated anecdotes. He often literally kept 

 the table in a roar of laughter. But this was only one side of 

 his character. He was a Christian and a humanitarian in the 

 best sense of the words. I saw a good deal of him in private, 

 and we often walked out together, at which times we discussed 

 the more serious social problems of the day ; and he gave me 

 details of his rescue work in London which were in the highest 

 degree instructive, showing that even those who are considered 

 to be the most degraded and irreclaimable can be reached 

 through their affections. Their degradation has usually been 

 brought about by society, and has been intensified into hate 

 and despair by the utterly unsympathetic and cruel treatment 

 of our workhouses and prisons. Mr. Price Hughes gave me 

 an account of one of these cases — a woman who had reached 

 the uttermost depths of drunkenness and vice, and who was 

 besides so violent that it was dangerous to approach her. 

 Knowing her case, a lady who was one of Mr. Hughes' chief 

 helpers in his rescue work went to the prison to receive her 

 on her discharge, and begged to be allowed to go to her cell 

 and take her with her. She was assured it was not safe, that 

 she would be instantly attacked, and perhaps seriously injured. 

 But the lady insisted, and at length was allowed to try, with 

 several of the strongest female warders at hand to assist or 

 rescue her from one whom they described as an utterly irre- 

 claimable wild beast. Mrs. entered without the least 



fear, opened her arms, kissed the poor woman with every indi- 

 cation of compassion and love, and spoke to her as if she were 

 an unfortunate and ill-used daughter or sister. The woman 

 was utterly disarmed by the realty of the affection shown her, 

 and burst into tears. She was taken to the home of which the 

 lady was the head, and at the time Mr. Hughes was speaking 

 had been there several years, and was one of his most useful 

 and earnest helpers. This woman had not, for years, received 

 a single word of real sympathy or love. A similar marvellous 



