While I was eating some lunch in this house I noticed a young woman in
Salvation Army dress coming up the steps with a child of particularly
charming appearance. At my request she was brought into the room,
where I extracted from her a story which seems to be worth repeating
as an illustration of the spirit which animates so many members of the
Army.
The young woman herself had once been an invalid who was taken into
the Home and nursed till she recovered, after which she was sent to a
situation in a large town. Here she came in contact with a poor family
in which the mother is a drunkard and the father a respectable,
hardworking man, and took a great fancy to one of the children, the
little girl I have mentioned. This child, who is about five years of
age, it is her habit to supply with clothes and more or less to feed.
Unfortunately, however, when the mother is on the drink she pawns the
clothes which my Salvation Army friend is obliged to redeem, since if
she does not, little Bessie is left almost naked. Indeed, before
Bessie was brought away upon this particular visit her protectress had
to pay 14_s_.
Pages:
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199