in darkest england and the way out-第56章

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uld　send　for　them；　but　if　not　he　should　return。

As　he　was　unsuccessful；　he　left　Montreal　in　the　Dominion　Liner　〃Oregon；〃　on　October　30th；　but　except　receiving　a　card　from　him　ere　he　started；　the　wife　and　friends　had　heard　no　more　of　him　from　that　day　till　the　date　they　wrote　us。

They　had　written　to　the　〃Dominion〃　Company；　who　replied　that　〃he　landed　at　Liverpool　all　right；〃　so；　thinking　he　had　disappeared　upon　his　arrival；　they　put　the　matter　in　the　hands　of　the　Liverpool　Police；　who；　after　having　the　case　in　hand　for　several　weeks　made　the　usual　report　〃Cannot　be　traced。〃

RESULT。

We　at　once　commenced　looking　for　some　passenger　who　had　come　over　by　the　same　steamer；　and　after　the　lapse　of　a　little　time　we　succeeded　in　getting　hold　of　one。

In　our　first　interview　with　him　we　learned　that　Robert　R。　did　not　land　at　Liverpool；　but　when　suffering　from　depression　threw　himself　overboard　three　days　after　leaving　America；　and　was　drowned。　We　further　elicited　that　upon　his　death　the　sailors　rifled　his　clothes　and　boxes；　and　partitioned　them。

We　wrote　the　Company　reporting　this；　and　they　promised　to　make　enquiries　and　amends；　but　as　too　often　happens；　upon　making　report　of　the　same　to　the　family　they　took　the　matter　into　their　own　hands；　dealt　with　the　Company　direct；　and　in　all　probability　thereby　lost　a　good　sum　in　compensation　which　we　should　probably　have　obtained　for　them。


A　LOST　WIFE。

ENQUIRY。

F。　J。　L。　asked　us　to　seek　for　his　wife；　who　left　him　on　November　4th；　1888。　　He　feared　she　had　gone　to　live　an　immoral　life；　gave　us　two　addresses　at　which　she　might　possibly　be　heard　of；　and　a　description。　They　had　three　children。

RESULT。

Enquiries　at　the　addresses　given　elicited　no　information；　but　from　observation　in　the　neighbourhood　the　woman's　whereabouts　was　discovered。

After　some　difficulty　our　Officer　obtained　an　interview　with　the　woman；　who　was　greatly　astonished　at　our　having　discovered　her。　　She　was　dealt　with　faithfully　and　firmly：　　the　plain　truth　of　God　set　before　her；　and　was　covered　with　shame　and　remorse；　and　promised　to　return。

We　communicated　with　Mr。　L。　A　few　days　after　he　wrote　that　he　had　been　telegraphed　for；　had　forgiven　his　wife；　and　that　they　were　re…united。

Soon　afterwards　she　wrote　expressing　her　deep　gratitude　to　Mrs。　Bramwell　Booth　for　the　trouble　taken　in　her　case。


A　LOST　CHILD。

ENQUIRY。

ALICE　P。　was　stolen　away　from　home　by　Gypsies　ten　years　ago；　and　now　longs　to　find　her　parents　to　be　restored　to　them。　　She　believes　her　home　to　be　in　Yorkshire。　　The　Police　had　this　case　in　hand　for　some　time；　but　failed　entirely。

RESULT。

With　these　particulars　we　advertised　in　the　〃War　Cry。〃　　Captain　Green；　seeing　the　advertisement；　wrote；　April　3rd；　from　3；　C。　S。；　M。　H。；　that　her　Lieutenant　knew　a　family　of　the　name　advertised　for；　living　at　Gomersal；　Leeds。

We；　on　the　4th；　wrote　to　this　address　for　confirmation。

April　6th；　we　heard　from　Mr。　P…；　that　this　lass　is　his　child；　and　he　writes　full　of　gratitude　and　joy；　saying　he　will　send　money　for　her　to　go　home　We；　meanwhile；　get　from　the　Police；　who　had　long　sought　this　girl；　a　full　description　and　photo；　which　we　sent　to　Captain　Cutmore；　and　on　April　9th；　she　wrote　us　to　the　effect　that　the　girl　exactly　answered　the　description。　　We　got　from　the　parents　15/…　for　the　fare；　and　Alice　was　once　more　restored　to　her　parents。　　Praise　God。


A　LOST　DAUGHTER。

ENQUIRY。

E。　W。　Age　17。　　Application　from　this　girl's　mother　and　brother；　who　had　lost　all　trace　of　her　since　July；　1885；　when　she　left　for　Canada。　Letters　had　been　once　or　twice　received；　dated　from　Montreal；　but　they　stopped。　　A　photo。；　full　description；　and　handwriting　were　supplied。

RESULT。

We　discovered　that　some　kind　Church　people　here　had　helped　E。　W。　to　emigrate；　but　they　had　no　information　as　to　her　movements　after　landing。

Full　particulars；　with　photo。；　were　sent　to　our　Officers　in　Canada。　The　girl　was　not　found　in　Montreal。　　The　information　was　then　sent　to　Officers　in　other　towns　in　that　part　of　the　Colony。

The　enquiry　was　continued　through　some　months；　and；　finally；　through　our　Major　of　Division；　the　girl　was　reported　to　us　as　having　been　recognised　in　one　of　our　Barracks　and　identified。　　When　suddenly　called　by　her　own　name；　she　nearly　fainted　with　agitation。

She　was　in　a　condition　of　terrible　poverty　and　shame；　but　at　once　consented；　on　hearing　of　her　mother's　enquiries；　to　go　into　one　of　our　Canadian　Rescue　Homes。　　She　is　now　doing　well。　　Her　mother's　joy　may　be　imagined。


A　LOST　SERVANT。

ENQUIRY。

Mrs。　M。；　Clevedon；　one　of　Harriett　P。's　old　mistresses；　wrote　us；　in　deep　concern；　about　this　girl。　　She　said　she　was　a　good　servant；　but　was　ruined　by　the　young　man　who　courted　her；　and　had　since　had　three　children。　　Occasionally；　she　would　have　a　few　bright　and　happy　weeks；　but　would　again　lapse　into　the　〃vile　path。〃

Mrs。　M。　tells　us　that　Harriett　had　good　parents；　who　are　dead；　but　she　still　has　a　respectable　brother　in　Hampshire。　　The　last　she　heard　of　her　was　that　some　weeks　ago　she　was　staying　at　a　Girl's　Shelter　at　Bristol；　but　had　since　left；　and　nothing　more　had　been　heard　of　her。

The　enquirer　requested　us　to　find　her；　and　in　much　faith　added；　〃I　believe　you　are　the　only　people　who；　if　successful　in　tracing　her；　can　rescue　and　do　her　a　permanent　good。〃

RESULT。

We　at　once　set　enquiries　on　foot；　and　in　the　space　of　a　few　days　found　that　she　had　started　from　Bristol　on　the　road　for　Bath。　　Following　her　up　we　found　that　at　a　little　place　called　Bridlington；　on　the　way　to　Bath；　she　had　met　a　man；　of　whom　she　enquired　her　way。　　He　hearing　a　bit　of　her　story；　after　taking　her　to　a　public…house；　prevailed　upon　her　to　go　home　and　live　with　him；　as　he　had　lost　his　wife。

It　was　at　this　stage　that　we　came　upon　the　scene；　and　having　dealt　with　them　both　upon　the　matter；　got　her　to　consent　to　come　away　if　the　man　would　not　marry　her；　giving　him　two　days　to　make　up　his　mind。

The　two　days'　respite　having　expired　and；　he　being　unwilling　to　undertake　matrimony；　we　brought　her　away；　and　sent　her　to　one　of　our　Homes；　where　she　is　enjoying　peace　and　penitence。

When　we　informed　the　mistress　and　brother　of　the　success；　they　were　greatly　rejoiced　and　overwhelmed　us　with　thanks。


A　LOST　HUSBAND。

In　a　seaside　home　last　Christmas　there　was　a　sorrowing　wife；　who　mourned　over　the　basest　desertion　of　her　husband。　　Wandering　from　place　to　place　drinking；　he　had　left　her　to　struggle　alone　with　four　little　ones　dependent　upon　her　exertions。

Knowing　her　distress；　the　captain　of　the　corps　wrote　begging　us　to　advertise　for　the　man　in　the　Cry。　　We　did　this；　but　for　some　time　heard　nothing　of　the　result。

Several　weeks　later　a　Salvationist　entered　a　beer…house；　where　a　group　of　men　were　drinking；　and　began　to　distribute　War　Crys　amongst　them；　speaking　here　and　there　upon　the　eternity　which　faced　everyone。

At　the　counter　stood　a　man　with　a　pint　pot　in　hand；　who　took　one　of　the　papers　passed　to　him；　and　glancing　carelessly　down　its　columns　caught　sight　of　his　own　name；　and　was　so　startled　that　the　pot　fell　from　his　grasp　to　the　floor。　　〃Come　home；〃　the　paragraph　ran；　〃and　all　will　be　forgiven。〃

His　sin　faced　him；　the　thought　of　a　broken…hearted　wife　and　starving　children　conquered　him　completely；　and　there　and　then　he　left　the　public…house；　and　started　to　walk　homea　distance　of　many　mile　arriving　there　about　midnight　the　same　night；　after　an　absence　of　eleven　months。

The　letter　from　his　wife　telling　the　good　news　of　his　return；　spoke　also　of　his　determination　by　God's　help　to　be　a　different　man；　and　they　are　both　attendants　at　the　Salvation　Army　barracks。


A　SEDUCER　COMPELLED　TO　PAY。

Amongst　the　letters　that　came　to　the　Inquiry　Office　one　morning　was　one　from　a　girl　who　asked　us　to　help　her　to　trace　the　father　of　her　child　who　had　for　some　time　ceased　to　pay　anything　towards　its　support。　The　case　had　been　brought　into　the　Police　Court；　and　judgment　given　in　her　favour；　but　the　guilty　one　had　hidden；　and　his　father　refused　to　reveal　his　whereabouts。

We　called　upon　the　elder　man　and　laid　the　matter　before　him；　but　failed　to　prevail　upon　him　either　to　pay　his　son's　liabilities　or　to　put　us　into　communication　wi