ut it is
our duty to give them liberty and to punish their owners, who cannot
legally own them, but do practically own them under the Stars and
Stripes.

The following cases illustrate the traffic and the work of
missionaries. These three girls were in the Methodist Home for Chinese
Girls, located since the earthquake at Berkeley. One says:

"I am twelve years old; born in Canton; father a laborer; mother a
nurse; parents very poor. Mother fell sick and in her need of money sold
me to a woman three years ago in Hong Kong. The woman promised my mother
to make me her own daughter. My mother cried when she left me; I have
heard that she is now dead. The big ship City of Pekin took me soon out
of sight. There was trouble in landing me. The woman had no trouble in
landing, because she had been in California before. She told me what I
was to say. She told me I must swear I was her own daughter. The judge
asked me, 'Is this your own mother?' and I said, 'Yes.' This was a lie,
but I did not know it was wrong to do as I was told, and I was afraid of
my mistress. The Judge said, 'Did this woman give you birth?' and I
said, 'Yes.' The judge said, 'did anybody tell you to say all this?' and
I said 'No,' because my mistress had instructed me. She taught me on
shipboard what to say if I was taken to court. She beat me with thick
sticks of firewood. She beat me with the fire tongs. One day she took a
hot flatiron, removed my clothes and held it on my naked back until I
howled with pain. (The scab was on her back when she came to the
Mission.) My forehead is all scars caused by her throwing heavy pieces
of wood at my head. One cut a large gash and the blood ran out. She
stopped the bleeding and hid me away. I thought I better get away before
she killed me. When she was having her hair washed and dressed I ran
away. I had heard of the Mission, and inquired the way and came to it. A
white man brought me here. I am very happy now."

Another little slave, eleven years old, who was about to be sold from
domestic slavery into a brothel, was saved by a Chinaman. She says: "A
Chinaman living next door, knowing how I was treated and that I was
going to be put in a brothel, when I saw him in the passageway, asked me
if I wished to come to the Mission, and I said 'Yes.' My mistress had
gone out into the next room, leaving her daughter and another slave girl
in the room. I said I would go at once and he brought me. I am very glad
to live here a