The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-18

EuDeTlntenQeDt,
manage everything that will advance the inte-
rests OF the school, themselves. Each school
sends It's delegates, or rather congressman, TO
the congress-, which has jurisdiction over them
ALL thus making them the United States. We
are in perfect harmony, and have had no seces-
sion yet, and never have had quarrel between
State and Federal rights, (Laughter.)
in connection with the Sunday Schools we
have what are called ragged schools" We
gather here large masses of the young, such as
boys who wander about London without shoes
or stockings, enjoying themselves with tumblng
head over heels on tie pavement, and who are
ready to run errauds or steal your pocket haud-
keGchiet. There is great multitude of ragged
children in London who have no opportunity OF
learning but on Sunday evenings. We gather
them together, and they are entertained BY short
addresses and singing. We have these schools
invariably at night. 1t is not very easy to get
teachers. / need four hundred and fifty. Per
haDs hundred teachers 20 away every year. so
that l want new hundred annually. Ths
makes great demand upon the zeal and Chris
tan energy of the Church,
Then we have what are called Bible women.
Very often a woman will do what a man can't
do. She will be received where man would
rot be received. She will be treated with re-
spec. by the vulgar, because she is weak, where
man could not appear. They will listen to her
words when those of man would be disdained
with scOrn.
Then we have another institution which is
called the midnight mission. There are multi
tudes OF poor wandering girls in our streets.
Many, cast down by their own proiessed friends,
and many by their own acts, are forced to live
in obscurity. Something must be done for
them. They were going to ruin as fast as posi-
ble They must be saved, aud these midnight
missions have sprung up for the express purpose
of TeClaiming these poor outcast, wandering
girls. will give you scene such as have
often witnessed.
large restaurant is opened in Regent street:
"a supper is prepared for IL O'Clock at night;
girls without friends, wanderers through the
world without hope-are invited in; sometimes
hundreds those
tions to come in. There they are fed, and
talked kindly to, and asked to reform. l re
member well one OF these scenes last winter
/ saw these same kind of girls come In to the
mum Der of 100 or 200; they sat down at well pro-
Vded tables; their behavior was very appro-
pirate in almost every case; number of kind
Christian gentlemen and ladies would sit down
with them at the tables, and then would enter
into kind conversation with them-not neces-
sarily referring to their peculiar circumstances
Tor they knew well enough what they were
But their conversation was fraught with kind
and sympathziDg words, until they had gained
the attention OF the girls, and finally their pro-
mise to stop in their course, or at least pro-
mise to call again. These girls range from IL to
l3 up TO 80 and 40 years. In asking them
about their lives, we find that many had
been Sunday School scholars. | remember
on another occasion, that we had one of these
meetings; hymn was given out and sung,
prayer was offered, an address was delivered
and then we asked them seriously about the
need of a reform-that they should become
the most would ery They were asked if they
would not like TO go to good homes. There
were carriages waiting to take them, then and
there, TO good places. You should have seen
how many fingered about the room; there they
were, between life and death, and could not
make up their minds which to accept. Some
times, after painful hesitation, off they went in
the currents OF sin again, but always there were
some poor ones who were glad to accept the
profIered homes and become better persons
thereafter. This is great work. Such places
should be enlarged, for many a reformation is
effected and many q restoration is made of the
DAUGHTERS of respectable families to their homes
again.
1t is very much lamented in our country that
the artisan class, as class, are alienated from
the house of God. Not above two or three in
the hundred regularly attend any place of Wor-
ship and these are those persons who are not
so very poor, such as tailors, bricklayers
masons, etc. 1t is very lamentable that there
are but two or four in hundred who 60 to
church.
This fact was a subject of much comment
among the clergymen, and meeting was pro.
posed between them and this class who did not
attend church, to tell them where they might
be mistaken in their views. Such meeting
was held, and they plainly told us that the rea.
son they did not attend worship was "that they
did not believe in our religion" / don't know
how this may compare with you in your mis-
sions to the masses as regards theoretical inf
deity.
l remember one time of getting into discus
sion on infdelity, in the neighborhOod of my
church, one Sunday afternoon. / found assem-
bled there about one hundred and fifty working
men. When / entered was recognized and
somewhat to my surprise | was received with
good deal Of cheering, and every manifestation
of enthusiasm. Well, l sat aud listened to
gentleman in the desk speaking. He told them
that ne had studied the Bible for twenty years.
and he had come to the conclusion that it was
entirely fabulous from the fact, said he, that it
presents three incomprehensibles: and one of
these incomprehensbles was the very cruel in
junction in the Bible about man having his ear
put against door, and having pierced through
1T, cruel thing, by Divine power. Then, as
second incomprehensible, he said that wise
man IN the Bible admitted that the same event
happened TO a man and beast and further
represented God as telling lies, since He put a
lying spirit into the mouths of the prophets;
and, taking all these three together, he could
not believe the book us true, but fabulous be-
cause to him incomprehensible.
After he had concluded, marched up TO the
desk to take my turn, and, after stating nv
tight to be heard on the question of in6delity /
said that the gentleman who had spoken, and
| had studied the Bible twenty years ago, quotes
a passage as he says from the Holy Book, as
incOmprehensible and fabulous. it so happens
| that the book he quotes from 10 one of very
great antiquity, and i can say that that passage
never came out OF the Bible; so that settles that
part OF the question. But is 1t cruel to put al
awl through mans ear, when his wife aud
daughters have the operation performed? Then,
as to the wise man who admitted that the same
event happened to man and beast; our friend
has omitted to state that this Is the confession
OF converted atheist; and IN reply to what he
said about lying spirits in the mouths OF the
prophets, | would say that If that be so, then
you are led by lying spirit in the mouth of
your prophet This was severe, but l meant
that he should not misead the people.