Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-08-07
8sIiOiUus department.
Conducted by REV. c. NJ. souTHeArE.
MISSION WoRK IN LONDON.


our world is the tendency Of good things TO
grow. Nothing grows on one like bsnev.
olence. lie who, having the means, is re-
solved not to share with his fellows, must
DC careful how he begins to give. The J ohn
Towards, the Florence Nightingales, the
Amos LawreDces, the George Peubodys. the
Adoniram Judsons and the David Living.
stones OF our world are men whose very be.
ing came to be permoated, transformed and
gorided by an idea which was to them once
but as grain OF mustard.seed.
What worldwide proportions has the
work assumed FIRST started by Carey. the
cobbler How Home Missions have grown
upon us in idea and effort until our motto.
"NoRTH AMERICA FOR CHRIsr," simply ex.
presses a calm and fixed purpose! The
Sabbath school, so very humble in its begin.
nlngs, has become, next to the pulpit, the
mightiest power in Chrstendom. The man
has lived to see the overthrow of American
slavery who led off in the FIRST serious effort
against il. When Lyman Beecher, uuaided,
and against the declaration Of his brethren
that nothing could be done, began his cru.
SADIE against intemperancc, liquor drinking
held place Of honor higher and more as.
sured than any other social usage. IL had
the sanction Of the church, occupied pet.
ted place in society, was indispensable on
every convivial occasion, not a building
could be raised without il, every employer
furnished ii to his workmen, all physicians
prescribed II TO their patients, mothers fed
it to their infant children, while every gro
Gerry, and tavern and alc.houses innumera-
BILE, poured forth an unstinted food Of death,
and poisoned the very blood Of their poster.
ity. Now the usage is under the han
OF the church and Of public opinion,
and the traffic is under the ban of the law.
Much remains to be done, but what has been
done is among the miracles Of modern times.
We might go on with this enumeration,
and show, moreover, how each agency has
not only grown in its own line, but how each
aud all have wrought with the rest to work
out still grander results. Our thoughts,
however, were suggested by an article on
"The Mission Work in London, in the Bdp-
tiSt Quarterly for July, by Rev. William
Hurin, of Plaistow, N. H., and to this we
must con6ne ourselves. The whole article
strongly illustrates our main thought, the
tendency Of good thing to grow.
1t is not quite forty years since this work
was commenced in London, having been
originated by Scotchman-David Nasmith
who organized the society, with only two
other men-laymen-in 1885. Before the
organization Of the London City Mission
there was no adequate knowledge Of the
moral state Of the people who occupied the
back streets, courts and alleys. The mission
first fully revealed it. A district was found
containing 1895 persons above the age of
twelve, only 10 Of whom ever attended public
worship; another containing 654 families, OF
whom only ten adults ever attended preach
ing in another, a court, forty.6ve yards
long and eight broad, with 479 families aud
1884 adults-enough for good-sized country
town-in many cases four families occupy
ing The same room This, however, is
roominess and decency compared with the
lodging-houses. Into these last piled who.
ever could pay the fee-of from two to twelve
cents night,-malo and female, married
and unmarried. but especially unmarried,
adults and children, thieves, pickpockets,
fallen women, beggars, street-sweepcrs, hawk
ers, travelling sailors, cabmsn. &C., &C.. and
persons reduced from respectable positions
in life. One room whose windows tho mis-
sionary had never opened, was found, Is
feet by 10, to accommodate q on its bun.
dies Of straw, shayings, rags, &C., fifty eight
human beings, besides two or three dogs
1t must be remembered that there are several
thousand of such lodging.houses.
The London City Mission, thus commenced
by only three men, drew to itself the coop.
Grafton of Dissenters generally, and many
Episcopalians, and last year it expended an
income Of about two hundred thousand dol
lars, and had in its employ four hundred and
seventeen missionaries. These made very
nearly two million visits, more than a quar-
ter Of million Of which we're TO the sick
and dying; held over sixty thousand relig.
ious meetings, mainly among those who
either do not or cannot attend the ordinary
houses of worship; and distributed more
than three and quarter millions of relig-
ious tracts and over seven thousand copies
Of the Scriptures or portions of the Scrip
lures. Most of them are assigned to limited
districts, but many are appointed to special
classes. They are all laymen; are appoint
ed only after responsible recommendation,
satisfactory examination and a successful
probation Of three months and devote their
whole time to the service of the society
The work began with the most degraded
parts OF the metropolis, but has extended its
sphere of action up into the more respocta.
Bile portions.
The results have been very satisfactory.
Multitudes have been reclaimed thousands
have been converted the moral character
Of whole classes has been improved, and the
physical, intellectual aud social benefit of
the people promoted In numerous ways.
The Thieves Missionary" alone, during his
thirty years Of service, has been visited at
his own house by nearly eight thousand Of
the outcast and criminal classes l4,7l4 men
and 1890 women), and has held among the
same classes over eleven thousand religious
meetings. About 1000 had been more or
less benefited no knew of at least so who
had become members of Christian churches
1919 had been restored TO their friends 229
had been sent TO asyums or refugees sos
had been provided with employment 1873
had emigrated and $50 couples living to-
gether unmarried had been induced TO mar.
rY.
But other results Of the Mission have
been still more encouraging, and are still
more illustrative of our leading idea, viz,
the many other organizations of n somewhat
similar aim, called by it, directly or indirect.
ly, into existence. We can only indicate
these. They are the Scripture Readers
Association formed by those members Of
the Episcopal church who could not conscien.
tiously labor in connection with Dissenters)
the Bible Women, Of the London Female
and Domestic Missions Ragged Schools,
in connection with which there were, in 1869,
over thirty.two thousand scholars, many of
which schools have connected with them now
almost every organization designed aud
adapted to assist in the elevation Of the
classes from which the pupils GOMEZ tho
n i a 4