J/./A>K CAKPENTER. 113 



part of her life was spent in trying to convince people 

 of the wisdom of her plans, and to persuade them to 

 give them a trial. She attended conferences, wrote 

 books and pamphlets, corresponded first with one 

 statesman and then another, but never rested until 

 she had carried her point. There was no silencing 

 her when once she saw clearly that a certain step 

 ought to be taken. She left no stone unturned till 

 her end was accomplished. She has quite reasonably 

 been likened to the widow in the parable of the Un- 

 just Judge she compelled the law-makers to listen 

 to her. Through her importunity and her earnestness 

 she had power with them and prevailed. 



Descriptions of Acts of Parliament are not very 

 interesting reading, excepting for people trained to 

 understand such things, therefore of this part of her 

 work it will not be well to enter into detail here. It will 

 be sufficient to say that it was largely owing to Mary 

 Carpenter and her supporters that valuable and im- 

 portant measures, such as the Reformatory Schools 

 Act, were passed, according to which children convicted 

 of crime were sent to reformatories instead of to gaol. 

 The Industrial Schools Bill, which enabled magistrates 

 to place in Industrial Schools neglected boys found 

 in the streets, had a similar origin. Her interest and 

 energy in altering and improving the laws which 

 affected the condition of children extended over a 

 period of thirty years. During this time she wrote a 

 very large number of letters to statesmen and various 

 H 



