The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-09-15 00:00:00

A STRANOX PROMIRITLIN
To ar Xlitor.

I)ear Sir, —Will you kindly allow me to ;peek a
word through your valuable paper on a subject
which, through the fear of man, has been kept in the
background far tOO long, but which now, in the
interest .4 hUniahi IV, ni.4d In. brought in. the front
It is in n.f..nmor to vieiting at the Workhouse. I
heti,. foetid on going tip to the Workhouse on 'piper
visiting days, ton two or three occaeions. for the
pun„„„, of awing aim. of pie poor old men in the
nick wards, I have boun refits., admittance ; for what
remain I am at a lont to understand. One thing I
know—the old m 'II have on every occaeion been glad
to owe me, and to have a little amversatit on on ;wild m;,l
matter., for that in the sole object of my visits. I
hare been admitted *peers! Omni, and have on several
occanionta read th/ Word of Giel, and offend prayer
with anti for them, for which they all have rime... I
their thankfulme., ninny hoping I should nein come
egain. Many a poor, wonniout man ham thanked in"
for showing him the gospel light when ahem to pt.
through the valley el the shadow if death.
Of amnia the authowitios will my that all
religious 111 Si ter. are left tni the chaplain,
hut the men tell me the chaplain gees them but about
into° a week. If et, I ehmild not like my epiritnal
welfare to be entruMed to MI imiihivi,hiial WhO only
fed me once A week with the Bread of Life. I should
call that ;pirated starvation, with due respect to the
chaplain. Perhapa his duties will not allow him to
attend oftener, but that is nemesis% why someone ,'lee
should not go to them. If I were the chaplain, I
should be glad if someone else wan willing to aesiet
me in my responsible duties. There are both
and gentlemen in the town who would ba only toe
glad t.o go to the Workhouse to visit and hid meet.
Inge if they were allowed, but this evil ham existed too
long. By the tern, red I moon thin religious
monopoly in our lonil, in various prisone and hoe vi-
tals, and in kindrel institutions—by having rum
threat upon theni whom the people do not ask for,
neither it.. they want; whereas the NVesleyon, Indepen.
dent, Baptist, Primitive, Brethren, Church, Evon•
gelical, and lady visitors would always be welcomed
hy many of the inmates, and the Catholic prieet
could vidit any member of his own church.
I NM the chaplain and told him some time IWO that
I eas not admitted into the Union, and he informed
me there were in many vinitors they were obliged to
cut them down. This did not mean ordinary visitor.,
but ladies were referred to whoie object Waal to coin.
fort and do good to the inmates. I can aesert in all
my visits I have never seen but twit babes at the
trnion for viaitation on visiting days, and the only
gentleman I have ever seen is the authorised lo,e r.
Of course the old men must be shared, no matter
what oindition their souls are in. NOW, if there in
any question in the minds of the authorities ad to
my fitness in imparting spiritual instruction, I am
willing to lie examined in the Word of God, and if I
110 not point out the way to Christ and to heaven as
Plain an the Bible admit*, then let tne be refused
admittance, anti I will say no more on the subject
G. 'Cl..taex, Missionary.