in darkest england and the way out-第28章

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These　Cheap　Food　Depots　I　have　no　doubt　have　been　and　are　or　great　service　to　numbers　of　hungry　starving　men；　women；　and　children；　at　the　prices　just　named；　which　must　be　within　the　reach　of　all；　except　the　absolutely　penniless；　but　it　is　the　Shelter　that　I　regard　as　the　most　useful　feature　in　this　part　of　our　undertaking；　for　if　anything　is　to　be　done　to　get　hold　of　those　who　use　the　Depot；　some　more　favourable　opportunity　must　be　afforded　than　is　offered　by　the　mere　coming　into　the　food　store　to　get；　perhaps；　only　a　basin　of　soup。　　This　part　of　the　Scheme　I　propose　to　extend　very　considerably。

Suppose　that　you　are　a　casual　in　the　streets　of　London；　homeless；　friendless；　weary　with　looking　for　work　all　day　and　finding　none。　Night　comes　on。　　Where　are　you　to　go？　　You　have　perhaps　only　a　few　coppers；　or　it　may　be；　a　few　shillings；　left　of　the　rapidly　dwindling　store　of　your　little　capital。　　You　shrink　from　sleeping　in　the　open　air；　you　equally　shrink　from　going　to　the　fourpenny　Dosshouse　where；　in　the　midst　of　strange　and　ribald　company；　you　may　be　robbed　of　the　remnant　of　the　money　still　in　your　possession。　　While　at　a　loss　as　to　what　to　do；　someone　who　sees　you　suggests　that　you　should　go　to　our　Shelter。　　You　cannot；　of　course；　go　to　the　Casual　Ward　of　the　Workhouse　as　long　as　you　have　any　money　in　your　possession。　　You　come　along　to　one　of　our　Shelters。　　On　entering　you　pay　fourpence；　and　are　free　of　the　establishment　for　the　night。　　You　can　come　in　early　or　late。　The　company　begins　to　assemble　about　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　In　the　women's　Shelter　you　find　that　many　come　much　earlier　and　sit　sewing；　reading　or　chatting　in　the　sparely　furnished　but　well　warmed　room　from　the　early　hours　of　the　afternoon　until　bedtime。

You　come　in；　and　you　get　a　large　pot　of　coffee；　tea；　or　cocoa；　and　a　hunk　of　bread。　　You　can　go　into　the　wash…house；　where　you　can　have　a　wash　with　plenty　of　warm　water；　and　soap　and　towels　free。　Then　after　having　washed　and　eaten　you　can　make　yourself　comfortable。　You　can　write　letters　to　your　friends；　if　you　have　any　friends　to　write　to；　or　you　can　read；　or　you　can　sit　quietly　and　do　nothing。　At　eight　o'clock　the　Shelter　is　tolerably　full；　and　then　begins　what　we　consider　to　be　the　indispensable　feature　of　the　whole　concern。　Two　or　three　hundred　men　in　the　men's　Shelter；　or　as　many　women　in　the　women's　Shelter；　are　collected　together；　most　of　them　strange　to　each　other；　in　a　large　room。　　They　are　all　wretchedly　poorwhat　are　you　to　do　with　them？　　This　is　what　we　do　with　them。

We　hold　a　rousing　Salvation　meeting。　　The　Officer　in　charge　of　the　Depot；　assisted　by　detachments　from　the　Training　Homes；　conducts　a　jovial　free…and…easy　social　evening。　　The　girls　have　their　banjos　and　their　tambourines；　and　for　a　couple　of　hours　you　have　as　lively　a　meeting　as　you　will　find　in　London。　　There　is　prayer；　short　and　to　the　point；　there　are　addresses；　some　delivered　by　the　leaders　of　the　meeting；　but　the　most　of　them　the　testimonies　of　those　who　have　been　saved　at　previous　meetings；　and　who；　rising　in　their　seats；　tell　their　companions　their　experiences。　　Strange　experiences　they　often　are　of　those　who　have　been　down　in　the　very　bottomless　depths　of　sin　and　vice　and　misery；　but　who　have　found　at　last　firm　footing　on　which　to　stand；　and　who　are；　as　they　say　in　all　sincerity；　〃as　happy　as　the　day　is　long。〃　　There　is　a　joviality　and　a　genuine　good　feeling　at　some　of　these　meetings　which　is　refreshing　to　the　soul。　　There　are　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men；　casuals；　gaol　birds；　Out…of…Works；　who　have　come　there　for　the　first　time；　and　who　find　men　who　last　week　or　last　month　were　even　as　they　themselves　are　nowstill　poor　but　rejoicing　in　a　sense　of　brotherhood　and　a　consciousness　of　their　being　no　longer　outcasts　and　forlorn　in　this　wide　world。　　There　are　men　who　have　at　last　seen　revive　before　them　a　hope　of　escaping　from　that　dreadful　vortex；　into　which　their　sins　and　misfortunes　had　drawn　them；　and　being　restored　to　those　comforts　that　they　had　feared　so　long　were　gone　for　ever；　nay；　of　rising　to　live　a　true　and　Godly　life。　　These　tell　their　mates　how　this　has　come　about；　and　urge　all　who　hear　them　to　try　for　themselves　and　see　whether　it　is　not　a　good　and　happy　thing　to　be　soundly　saved。　　In　the　intervals　of　testimonyand　these　testimonies；　as　every　one　will　bear　me　witness　who　has　ever　attended　any　of　our　meetings；　are　not　long；　sanctimonious　lackadaisical　speeches；　but　simple　confessions　of　individual　experiencethere　are　bursts　of　hearty　melody。　　The　conductor　of　the　meeting　will　start　up　a　verse　or　two　of　a　hymn　illustrative　of　the　experiences　mentioned　by　the　last　speaker；　or　one　of　the　girls　from　the　Training　Home　will　sing　a　solo；　accompanying　herself　on　her　instrument；　while　all　join　in　a　rattling　and　rollicking　chorus。

There　is　no　compulsion　upon　anyone　of　our　dossers　to　take　part　in　this　meeting；　they　do　not　need　to　come　in　until　it　is　over；　but　as　a　simple　matter　of　fact　they　do　come　in。　　Any　night　between　eight　and　ten　o'clock　you　will　find　these　people　sitting　there；　listening　to　the　exhortations　and　taking　part　in　the　singing；　many　of　them；　no　doubt；　unsympathetic　enough；　but　nevertheless　preferring　to　be　present　with　the　music　and　the　warmth；　mildly　stirred；　if　only　by　curiosity；　as　the　various　testimonies　are　delivered。

Sometimes　these　testimonies　are　enough　to　rouse　the　most　cynical　of　observers。　　We　had　at　one　of　our　shelters　the　captain　of　an　ocean　steamer；　who　had　sunk　to　the　depths　of　destitution　through　strong　drink。　　He　came　in　there　one　night　utterly　desperate　and　was　taken　in　hand　by　our　peopleand　with　us　taking　in　hand　is　no　mere　phrase；　for　at　the　close　of　our　meetings　our　officers　go　from　seat　to　seat；　and　if　they　see　anyone　who　shows　signs　of　being　affected　by　the　speeches　or　the　singing；　at　once　sit　down　beside　him　and　begin　to　labour　with　him　for　the　salvation　of　his　soul。　　By　this　means　they　are　able　to　get　hold　of　the　men　and　to　know　exactly　where　the　difficulty　lies；　what　the　trouble　is；　and　if　they　do　nothing　else；　at　least　succeed　in　convincing　them　that　there　is　someone　who　cares　for　their　soul　and　would　do　what　he　could　to　lend　them　a　helping　hand。

The　captain　of　whom　I　was　speaking　was　got　hold　of　in　this　way。　He　was　deeply　impressed；　and　was　induced　to　abandon　once　and　for　all　his　habits　of　intemperance。　　From　that　meeting　he　went　an　altered　man。　He　regained　his　position　in　the　merchant　service；　and　twelve　months　afterwards　astonished　us　all　by　appearing　in　the　uniform　of　a　captain　of　a　large　ocean　steamer；　to　testify　to　those　who　were　there　how　low　he　had　been；　how　utterly　he　had　lost　all　hold　on　Society　and　all　hope　of　the　future；　when；　fortunately　led　to　the　Shelter；　he　found　friends；　counsel；　and　salvation；　and　from　that　time　had　never　rested　until　he　had　regained　the　position　which　he　had　forfeited　by　his　intemperance。

The　meeting　over；　the　singing　girls　go　back　to　the　Training　Home；　and　the　men　prepare　for　bed。　　Our　sleeping　arrangements　are　somewhat　primitive；　we　do　not　provide　feather　beds；　and　when　you　go　into　our　dormitories；　you　will　be　surprised　to　find　the　floor　covered　by　what　look　like　an　endless　array　of　packing　cases。　　These　are　our　beds；　and　each　of　them　forms　a　cubicle。　　There　is　a　mattress　laid　on　the　floor；　and　over　the　mattress　a　leather　apron；　which　is　all　the　bedclothes　that　we　find　it　possible　to　provide。　　The　men　undress；　each　by　the　side　of　his　packing　box；　and　go　to　sleep　under　their　leather　covering。　　The　dormitory　is　warmed　with　hot　water　pipes　to　a　temperature　of　60　degrees；　and　there　has　never　been　any　complaint　of　lack　of　warmth　on　the　part　of　those　who　use　the　Shelter。　　The　leather　can　be　kept　perfectly　clean；　and　the　mattresses；　covered　with　American　cloth；　are　carefully　inspected　every　day；　so　that　no　stray　specimen　of　vermin　may　be　left　in　the　place。　　The　men　turn　in　about　ten　o'clock　and　sleep　until　six。　　We　have　never　any　disturbances　of　any　kind　in　the　Shelters。　　We　have　provided　accommodation　now　for　several　thousand　of　the　most　helplessly　broken…down　men　in　London；　criminals　many　of　them；　mendicants；　tramps；　those　who　are　among　the　filth　and　offscouring　of　all　things；　but　such　is　the　influence　that　is　established　by　the　meetin