in darkest england and the way out-第57章

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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　with　him。　　The　answers　to　an　advertisement　in　the　War　Cry；　however；　had　brought　the　required　in　formation　as　to　his　son's　whereabouts；　and　the　same　morning　that　our　Inquiry　Officer　communicated　with　the　police；　and　served　a　summons　for　the　overdue　money；　the　young　man　had　also　received　a　letter　from　his　father　advising　him　to　leave　the　country　at　once。　　He　had　given　notice　to　his　employers；　and　the　#16　salary　he　received；　with　some　help　his　father　had　sent　him　towards　the　journey；　he　was　compelled　to　hand　over　to　the　mother　of　his　child。


FOUND　IN　THE　BUSH。

A　year　or　two　ago　a　respectable…looking　Dutch　girl　might　have　been　seem　making　her　way　quickly　and　stealthily　across　a　stretch　of　long　rank　grass　towards　the　shelter　of　some　woods　on　the　banks　of　a　distant　river。　　Behind　her　lay　the　South　African　town　from　which　she　had　come；　betrayed；　disgraced；　ejected　from　her　home　with　words　of　bitter　scorn；　having　no　longer　a　friend　in　the　wide　world　who　would　hold　out　to　her　a　hand　of　help。　　What　could　there　be　better　for　her　than　to　plunge　into　that　river　yonder；　and　end　this　lifeno　matter　what　should　come　after　the　plunge？　　But　Greetah　feared　the　〃future；〃　and　turned　aside　to　spend　the　night　in　darkness；　wretched　and　alone。

Seven　years　had　passed。　　An　English　traveller　making　his　way　through　Southern　Africa　halted　for　the　Sabbath　at　a　little　village　on　his　route。　　A　ramble　through　the　woods　brought　him　unexpectedly　in　front　of　a　kraal；　at　the　door　of　which　squatted　all　old　Hottentot；　with　a　fair　white…faced　Child　playing　on　the　ground　near　by。　　Glad　to　accept　the　proffered　shelter　of　the　hut　from　the　burning　sun；　the　traveller　entered；　and　was　greatly　astonished　to　find　within　a　young　white　girl；　evidently　the　mother　of　the　frolicsome　child。　　Full　of　pity　for　the　strange　pair；　and　especially　for　the　girl；　who　wore　an　air　of　refinement　little　to　be　expected　in　this　out…of…the…world　spot；　he　sat　down　on　the　earthen　floor；　and　told　them　of　the　wonderful　Salvation　of　God。　　This　was　Greetah；　and　the　Englishman　would　have　given　a　great　deal　if　he　could　have　rescued　her　from　this　miserable　lot。　　But　this　was　impossible；　and　with　reluctance　he　bid　her　farewell。

It　was　an　English　home。　　By　a　glowing　fire　one　night　a　man　sat　alone；　and　in　his　imaginings　there　came　up　the　vision　of　the　girl　he　had　met　in　the　Hottentot's　Kraal；　and　wondering　whether　any　way　of　rescue　was　possible。　　Then　he　remembered　reading；　since　his　return；　the　following　paragraph　in　the　War　Cry：　

〃TO　THE　DISTRESSED。　　The　Salvation　Army　invite　parents；　relations；　and　friends　in　any　part　of　the　world　interested　in　any　woman　or　girl　who　is　known；　or　feared　to　be；　living　in　immorality；　or　is　in　danger　of　coming　under　the　control　of　immoral　persons；　to　write；　stating　full　particulars；　with　names；　dates；　and　address　of　all　concerned；　and；　if　possible；　a　photograph　of　the　person　in　who　the　interest　is　taken。

〃All　letters；　whether　from　these　persons　or　from　such　women　or　girls　themselves；　will　be　regarded　as　strictly　confidential。　　They　maybe　written　in　any　language；　and　should　be　addressed　to　Mrs。　Bramwell　Booth；　101；　Queen　Victoria　Street；　London；　E。C。〃　　〃It　will　do　no　harm　to　try；　anyhow；〃　exclaimed　he；　〃the　thing　haunts　me　as　it　is；〃　and　without　further　delay　he　penned　an　account　of　his　African　adventure；　as　full　as　possible。　　The　next　African　mail　carried　instructions　to　the　Officer　in　Command　of　our　South　African　work。

Shortly　after；　one　of　our　Salvation　Riders　was　exploring　the　bush；　and　after　some　difficulty　the　kraal　was　discovered　the　girl　was　rescued　and　saved。　　The　Hottentot　was　converted　afterwards；　and　both　are　now　Salvation　Soldiers。

Apart　from　the　independent　agencies　employed　to　prosecute　this　class　of　enquiries；　which　it　is　proposed　to　very　largely　increase；　the　Army　possesses　in　itself　peculiar　advantages　for　this　kind　of　investigation。　The　mode　of　operation　is　as　follows：　

There　is　a　Head　Centre　under　the　direction　of　a　capable　Officer　and　assistants；　to　which　particulars　of　lost　husbands；　sons；　daughters；　and　wives；　as　the　case　may　be；　are　forwarded。　　These　are　advertised；　except　when　deemed　inadvisable；　in　the　English　〃War　Cry；〃　with　its　300；000　circulation；　and　from　it　copied　into　the　twenty…three　other　〃War　Crys〃　published　in　different　parts　of　the　world。　　Specially　prepared　information　in　each　case　is　sent　to　the　local　Officers　of　the　Army　when　that　is　thought　wise；　or　Special　Enquiry　Officers　trained　to　their　work　are　immediately　set　to　work　to　follow　up　any　clue　which　has　been　given　by　enquiring　relations　or　friends。

Every　one　of　its　10；000　Officers；　nay；　almost　every　soldier　in　its　ranks；　scattered；　as　they　are；　through　every　quarter　of　the　globe；　may　be　regarded　as　an　Agent。　　A　small　charge　for　enquiries　is　made；　and；　where　persons　are　able；　all　the　costs　of　the　investigation　will　he　defrayed　by　them。


SECTION　8。REFUGES　FOR　THE　CHILDREN　OF　THE　STREETS。

For　the　waifs　and　strays　of　the　streets　of　London　much　commiseration　is　expressed；　and　far　more　pity　is　deserved　than　is　bestowed。　　We　have　no　direct　purpose　of　entering　on　a　crusade　on　their　behalf；　apart　from　our　attempt　at　changing　the　hearts　and　lives　and　improving　the　circumstances　of　their　parents。

Our　main　hope　for　these　wild；　youthful；　outcasts　lies　in　this　direction。　　If　we　can　reach　and　benefit　their　guardians；　morally　and　materially；　we　shall　take　the　most　effectual　road　to　benefit　the　children　themselves。

Still；　a　number　of　them　will　unavoidably　be　forced　upon　us；　and　we　shall　be　quite　prepared　to　accept　the　responsibility　of　dealing　with　them；　calculating　that　our　organisation　will　enable　us　to　do　so；　not　only　with　facility　and　efficiency；　but　with　trifling　cost　to　the　public

To　begin　with；　Children's　Creches　or　Children's　Day　Homes　would　be　established　in　the　centres　of　every　poor　population；　where　for　a　small　charge　babies　and　young　children　can　be　taken　care　of　in　the　day　while　the　mothers　are　at　work；　instead　of　being　left　to　the　dangers　of　the　thoroughfares　or　the　almost　greater　peril　of　being　burnt　to　death　in　their　own　miserable　homes。

By　this　plan　we　shall　not　only　be　able　to　benefit　the　poor　children；　if　in　no　other　direction　than　that　of　soap　and　water　and　a　little　wholesome　food；　but　exercise　some　humanising　influence　upon　the　mothers　themselves。

On　the　Farm　Colony；　we　should　be　able　to　deal　with　the　infants　from　the　Unions　and　other　quarters。　　Our　Cottage　mothers；　with　two　or　three　children　of　their　own；　would　readily　take　in　an　extra　one　on　the　usual　terms　of　boarding　out　children；　and　nothing　would　be　more　simple　or　easy　for　us　than　to　set　apart　some　trustworthy　experienced　dame　to　make　a　constant　inspection　as　to　whether　the　children　placed　out　were　enjoying　the　necessary　conditions　of　health　and　general　well…being。　Here　would　be　a　Baby　Farm　carried　on　with　the　most　favourable　surroundings。


SECTION　9。INDUSTRIAL　SCHOOLS。

I　also　propose；　at　the　earliest　opportunity；　to　give　the　subject　of　the　industrial　training　of　boys　a　fair　trial；　and；　if　successful；　follow　it　on　with　a　similar　one　for　girls。　　I　am　nearly　satisfied　in　my　own　mind　that　the　children　of　the　streets　taken；　say　at　eight　years　of　age；　and　kept　till；　say　twenty…one；　would；　by　judicious　management　and　the　utilisation　of　their　strength　and　capacity；　amply　supply　all　their　own　wants；　and　would；　I　think；　be　likely　to　turn　out　thoroughly　good　and　capable　members　of　the　community。

Apart　from　the　mere　benevolent　aspect　of　the　question；　the　present　system　of　teaching　is；　to　my　mind；　unnatural；　and　shamefully　wasteful　of　the　energies　of　the　children。　　Fully　one…half　the　time　that　boys　and　girls　are　compelled　to　sit　in　school　is　spent　to　little　or　no　purpose　nay；　it　is　worse　than　wasted。　　The　minds　of　the　children　are　only　capable　of　useful　application　for　so　many　consecutive　minutes；　and　hence　the　rational　method　must　be　to　apportion　the　time　of　the　children；　say；　half　the　morning's　work　to　be　given　to　their　books；　and　the　other　half　to　some　industrial　employment；　the　garden　would　be　most　natural　and　healthy　in