The Soul should always stand ajar 1
That if the Heaven inquire
He will not be obliged to wait
Or shy of troubling Her
Depart, before the Host have slid 5
The Bolt unto the Door－
To search for the accomplished Guest,
Her Visitor, no more－
That if the Heaven inquire
He will not be obliged to wait
Or shy of troubling Her
Depart, before the Host have slid 5
The Bolt unto the Door－
To search for the accomplished Guest,
Her Visitor, no more－
(F.1017/J.1055)
[1] Soul:: a serf, slave (OED n. 13d); here a sex slave, prostitute. ajar:: half open, her door and attitude.
[2] Heaven:: one who brings happiness (business to the prostitute).
[4] not, wait, shy:: a hint on the nature of man.
[5] depart:: to start; the prostitite starts quickly before the man changes his mind.
[6] Bolt:: she will lock the door.
[7] search:: to find out the need. accomplished Guest:: the guest who is yielded, finished by her when he enters her room.
[8] Visitor, no more:: no more visitor until this one is done.
The evils of prostitution, in 1858, were thus pithily summed up by Dr. Sanger.: There are six thousand public prostitutes in New York. The majority of these are from fifteen to twenty-five years old. Three-eighths of them were born in the United States. Many of those born abroad came here poor to improve their condition. Education is at a very low standard with them. One-fifth of them are married women. ─ Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York (1864)