THE Midnight Mission grew out of a conversation between the Rev. S. H. Hillyard, chaplain of St. Barnabas Mission, and Mr. Gustavus Stern, now amissionary, who had just arrived from. England, where he had observed the operations of a mission among fallen women, established some ten years previous by Mr. Blackmore, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Mr. Hillyard had already given the subject some thought, and his mind being now more than ever awakened to its importance, he brought the matter before the St. Barnabas Missionary Association, at one of its regular meetings, rehearsed the account of the London movement, and read extracts from the biography of Lieutenant Blackmore. Two gentlemen of the Association volunteered their assistance in establishing a similar movement in New York, and the little band was soon strengthened by many additional members. A sermon by Dr. Peters, yielding a collection to the society, and a public meeting in the Sunday-school room of Trinity Chapel, in which Bishop Potter, Drs. Dix, Tuttle, Montgomery, and others gave the movement their cordial support, Jed the managers to hire rooms and at once open an Institution. Rooms were taken for three months at the corner of Twelfth street and Broadway. The plan of the society is to send out in the evening its members two and two upon the streets, with printed cards of invitation, which are given to young women supposed to belong to the suspicious class, and to such as seem inclined to hear some words of exhortation are added, and an appropriate tract given. In this way many are drawn into the mission building, where they are kindly received by Christian ladies, offered refreshments, drawn out in conversation until ten or eleven o'clock, when a hymn is given out and sung, which is followed by an earnest exhortation and a prayer. At their first reception seventeen were drawn in, at the second ten, though the night was stormy, and at the third twenty-six. On the first of May, 1867, the society removed to a fine, three-story brick house, No. 23 Amity street, which was rented at $2,500 per annum. This building was capable of well accommodating eighteen or twenty lodgers besides the officers, and was generally filled, while scores sought admission in vain for want of room. In May, 1870, the Institution was again removed to a larger house, capable of accommodating thirty inmates. The trustees have recently purchased the large house, No. 260 Greene street, at a cost of $22,000. It is to be extensively improved and adapted to the use of forty-five or fifty inmates. All were taken at first who expressed a desire to reform, but preference is now given to the younger class. Work is furnished the inmates, and half the earnings of each given for her own use.

During the four years, 592 have been received into the Institution. Of the 202 sheltered during the last year, 28 were sent to other institutions, 47 placed in good situations, 15 were returned to friends, and 49 returned to a life of sin. About fifty encouraging letters were received during 1869, from those who had been placed in situations. The managers have sometimes been deceived by these artful creatures, whose ways are so "movable" that they succeed in deceiving the very elect. But with all the discouragements naturally attending an enterprise of this kind, the society has held steadily on its way and gives promise of great usefulness.