in darkest england and the way out-第79章

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ing　sun　in　distant　India；　to　live　on　a　handful　of　rice；　and　die　in　the　midst　of　the　dark　heathen　for　God　and　the　Salvation　Army；　I　sometimes　marvel　how　it　is　that　they　should　be　so　eager　to　give　up　all；　even　life　itself；　in　a　cause　which　has　not　power　enough　in　it　to　induce　any　reasonable　number　of　wealthy　men　to　give　to　it　the　mere　superfluities　and　luxuries　of　their　existence。　　From　those　to　whom　much　is　given　much　is　expected；　but；　alas；　alas；　how　little　is　realised！　　It　is　still　the　widow　who　casts　her　all　into　the　Lord's　treasurythe　wealthy　deem　it　a　preposterous　suggestion　when　we　allude　to　the　Lord's　tithe；　and　count　it　boredom　when　we　ask　only　for　the　crumbs　that　fall　from　their　tables。

Those　who　have　followed　me　thus　far　will　decide　for　themselves　to　what　extent　they　ought　to　help　me　to　carry　out　this　Project；　or　whether　they　ought　to　help　me　at　all。　　I　do　not　think　that　any　sectarian　differences　or　religious　feelings　whatever　ought　to　be　imported　into　this　question。　Supposing　you　do　not　like　my　Salvationism；　surely　it　is　better　for　these　miserable；　wretched　crowds　to　have　food　to　eat；　clothes　to　wear；　and　a　home　in　which　to　lay　their　weary　bones　after　their　day's　toil　is　done；　even　though　the　change　is　accompanied　by　some　peculiar　religious　notions　and　practices；　than　it　would　be　for　them　to　be　hungry；　and　naked；　and　homeless；　and　possess　no　religion　at　all。　　It　must　be　infinitely　preferable　that　they　should　speak　the　truth；　and　be　virtuous；　industrious；　and　contented；　even　if　they　do　pray　to　God；　sing　Psalms；　and　go　about　with　red　jerseys；　fanatically；　as　you　call　it；　〃seeking　for　the　millennium〃than　that　they　should　remain　thieves　or　harlots；　with　no　belief　in　God　at　all；　a　burden　to　the　Municipality；　a　curse　to　Society；　and　a　danger　to　the　State。

That　you　do　not　like　the　Salvation　Army；　I　venture　to　say；　is　no　justification　for　withholding　your　sympathy　and　practical　co…operation　in　carrying　out　a　Scheme　which　promises　so　much　blessedness　to　your　fellow…men。　　You　may　not　like　our　government；　our　methods；　our　faith。　Your　feeling　towards　us　might　perhaps　be　duly　described　by　an　observation　that　slipped　unwittingly　from　the　tongue　of　a　somewhat　celebrated　leader　in　the　evangelistic　world　sometime　ago；　who；　when　asked　what　he　thought　of　the　Salvation　Army；　replied　that　〃He　did　not　like　it　at　all；　but　he　believed　that　God　Almighty　did。〃　Perhaps；　as　an　agency；　we　may　not　be　exactly　of　your　way　of　thinking；　but　that　is　hardly　the　question。　　Look　at　that　dark　ocean；　full　of　human　wrecks；　writhing　in　anguish　and　despair。　　How　to　rescue　those　unfortunates　is　the　question。　　The　particular　character　of　the　methods　employed；　the　peculiar　uniforms　worn　by　the　lifeboat　crew；　the　noises　made　by　the　rocket　apparatus；　and　the　mingled　shoutings　of　the　rescued　and　the　rescuers；　may　all　be　contrary　to　your　taste　and　traditions。　But　all　these　objections　and　antipathies；　I　submit；　are　as　nothing　compared　with　the　delivering　of　the　people　out　of　that　dark　sea。

If　among　my　readers　there　be　any　who　have　the　least　conception　that　this　scheme　is　put　forward　by　me　from　any　interested　motives　by　all　means　let　them　refuse　to　contribute　even　by　a　single　penny　to　what　would　be；　at　least；　one　of　the　most　shameless　of　shams。　　There　may　be　those　who　are　able　to　imagine　that　men　who　have　been　literally　martyred　in　this　cause　have　faced　their　death　for　the　sake　of　the　paltry　coppers　they　collected　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。　　Such　may　possibly　find　no　difficulty　in　persuading　themselves　that　this　is　but　another　attempt　to　raise　money　to　augment　that　mythical　fortune　which　I；　who　never　yet　drew　a　penny　beyond　mere　out…of…pocket　expenses　from　the　Salvation　Army　funds；　am　supposed　to　be　accumulating。　　From　all　such　I　ask　only　the　tribute　of　their　abuse；　assured　that　the　worst　they　say　of　me　is　too　mild　to　describe　the　infamy　of　my　conduct　if　they　are　correct　in　this　interpretation　of　my　motives。

There　appears　to　me　to　be　only　two　reasons　that　will　justify　any　man；　with　a　heart　in　his　bosom；　in　refusing　to　co…operate　with　me　in　this　Scheme：　

1。　That　he　should　have　an　honest　and　intelligent　conviction　that　it　　　　cannot　be　carried　out　with　any　reasonable　measure　of　success；　or；

2。　That　he　（the　objector）　is　prepared　with　some　other　plan　which　will　　　　as　effectually　accomplish　the　end　it　contemplates。

Let　me　consider　the　second　reason　first。　　If　it　be　that　you　have　some　plan　that　promises　more　directly　to　accomplish　the　deliverance　of　these　multitudes　than　mine；　I　implore　you　at　once　to　bring　it　out。　Let　it　see　the　light　of　day。　　Let　us　not　only　hear　your　theory；　but　see　the　evidences　which　prove　its　practical　character　and　assure　its　success。　　If　your　plan　will　bear　investigation；　I　shall　then　consider　you　to　be　relieved　from　the　obligation　to　assist　menay；　if　after　full　consideration　of　your　plan　I　find　it　better　than　mine；　I　will　give　up　mine；　turn　to；　and　help　you　with　all　my　might。　But　if　you　have　nothing　to　offer；　I　demand　your　help　in　the　name　of　those　whose　cause　I　plead。

Now；　then；　for　your　first　objection；　which　I　suppose　can　be　expressed　in　one　word〃impossible。〃　　This；　if　well　founded；　is　equally　fatal　to　my　proposals。　　But；　in　reply；　I　may　sayHow　do　you　know？　Have　you　inquired？　　I　will　assume　that　you　have　read　the　book；　and　duly　considered　it。　　Surely　you　would　not　dismiss　so　important　a　theme　without　some　thought。　　And　though　my　arguments　may　not　have　sufficient　weight　to　carry　conviction；　you　must　admit　them　to　be　of　sufficient　importance　to　warrant　investigation。　　Will　you　therefore　come　and　see　for　yourself　what　has　been　done　already；　or；　rather；　what　we　are　doing　to…day。　　Failing　this；　will　you　send　someone　capable　of　judging　on　your　behalf。　　I　do　not　care　very　much　whom　you　send。　　It　is　true　the　things　of　the　Spirit　are　spiritually　discerned；　but　the　things　of　humanity　any　man　can　judge；　whether　saint　or　sinner；　if　he　only　possess　average　intelligence　and　ordinary　bowels　of　compassion。

I　should；　however；　if　I　had　a　choice；　prefer　an　investigator　who　has　some　practical　knowledge　of　social　economics；　and　much　more　should　I　be　pleased　if　he　had　spent　some　of　his　own　time　and　a　little　of　his　own　money　in　trying　to　do　the　work　himself。　　After　such　investigation　I　am　confident　there　could　be　only　one　result。

There　is　one　more　plea　I　have　to　offer　to　those　who　might　seek　to　excuse　themselves　from　rendering　any　financial　assistance　to　the　Scheme。　　Is　it　not　worthy　at　least　of　being　tried　as　an　experiment？　Tens　of　thousands　of　pounds　are　yearly　spent　in　〃trying〃　for　minerals；　boring　for　coals；　sinking　for　water；　and　I　believe　there　are　those　who　think　it　worth　while；　at　an　expenditure　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　pounds；　to　experiment　in　order　to　test　the　possibility　of　making　a　tunnel　under　the　sea　between　this　country　and　France。　　Should　these　adventurers　fail　in　their　varied　operations；　they　have；　at　least；　the　satisfaction　of　knowing；　though　hundreds　of　thousands　of　pounds　have　been　expended；　that　they　have　not　been　wasted；　and　they　will　not　complain；　because　they　have　at　least　attempted　the　accomplishment　of　that　which　they　felt　ought　to　be　done；　and　it　must　be　better　to　attempt　a　duty；　though　we　fail；　than　never　to　attempt　it　at　all。　　In　this　book　we　do　think　we　have　presented　a　sufficient　reason　to　justify　the　expenditure　of　the　money　and　effort　involved　in　the　making　of　this　experiment。　　And　though　the　effort　should　not　terminate　in　the　grand　success　which　I　so　confidently　predict；　and　which　we　all　must　so　ardently　desire；　still　there　is　bound　to　be；　not　only　the　satisfaction　of　having　attempted　some　sort　of　deliverance　for　these　wretched　people；　but　certain　results　which　will　amply　repay　every　farthing　expended　in　the　experiment。

I　am　now　sixty…one　years　of　age。　　The　last　eighteen　months；　during　which　the　continual　partner　of　all　my　activities　for　now　nearly　forty　years　has　laid　in　the　arms　of　unspeakable　suffering；　has　added　more　than　many　many　former　ones；　to　the　exhaustion　of　my　term　of　service。　I　feel　already　something　of　the　pressure　which　led　the　dying　Emperor　of　Germany　to　say；　〃I　have　no　time　to　be　weary。〃　　If　I　am　to　see　the　accomplishment　in　any　considerable　degree　of　these　life…long　hopes；　I　must　be　en