They often appear to be under the impression
that you have only to persuade a few people to march through any
crowded thoroughfare with a band, to gather a congregation, and, if
you please, to form out of it an Army, and from that again to secure a
vast revenue! I often wish that such people could know the struggles
of almost every individual, even amongst the very poorest, between the
moment of first contact with us and that of resolving to enlist in our
ranks. How few, even now, seem aware of the fact that so far from
paying or rewarding any one for joining in our efforts, all who do so
are from the first called upon daily not only to give to our funds,
but by sacrifice of time, labour, money, and often of health as well,
to constitute themselves efficient soldiers of their Corps, and assist
in providing it with every necessity.
Every one of the 3,000,000 meetings held annually, even in this
country, depends upon the voluntary giving up of the time and effort
of working-men and women who have in most cases to hurry from work to
home, and from home to meeting-place, after a hard day's labour.
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