The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-22
A Woman's Great Work.

Itneeded some courage for the Pill
grim Fathers to set sail for America ;
it needed hardly less for lady to 60
on board the Peruvian, on the 18th OF
May, 1870, with one hundred boys res
cued from crime and misery in the
lowest haunts of London, to settle
them in a colony where she was a
complete stranger, and get for them
engagements in agricultural work,
for which they had had no training
But it was not an insane venture,
plunged into without rhyme or rea-
son. The children had had a Chris
tian and moral training, training in
the spirit of service, and it was known
that their rawness in agriculture
would be no obstacle to their engage
ment by the farmers, who were keen
for assistance. Still it was agreat ven-
ture. But the work had been under
taken for the Lord. The command
to "Get thee out of thy country, and
from thy kindred, and from thy ia
theirs house, unto land which I shall
shew thee," had seemed to come from
Him; and she went forth, not know
ing whittier she went. Her faith was
amply rewarded. At Quebec she
might have disposed of all her hun
dred; she left eleven. at Montreal
the same she left twenty-three at
Belleville eight; the rest at Toronto.
In June, 1870, it was the good fortune
of the present writer to meet Miss
Macpherson at the house of the late
Hon. George Brown, afterwards Prime
Minister of Canada. She had just
placed at his farm the last two boys of
the hundred, and very happy she was
at the highly successful achievement
of her purpose. But Miss Macpher-
son is not one of those who readily
learn to "rest and be thankful" The
Council of the county of Hastings
presented her with house at Belle
vile capable of containing two hum
dred, and her friend and companion,
Miss Belbrough, undertook to furnish
and take charge of it as a home for
the reception of future emigrants.
Meanwhile her brother-in-law, MI.
Merry, brought out other seventy
boys, while Miss Macpherson fastened
home and before autumn was over
brought out another hundred. And
every year the same work has gone on,
and hundreds more emigrants have
been taken out. And very happy
have the results usually been. Only
two or three per cent. have turned
out good-for-noting; the overwhel-
ming majority are useful, and exem-
plary, and often Christian citizens.
Had they remained as they were in
London, the proportion would most
likely have been the very opposite
two or three per cent. respectable, and
the rest 0lackguards.
When we say that Miss Macpher-
son has taken to Canada 4,600 desti-
tute children and placed them in sit
uations of comfort and promise, we
tell but fraction of her work, for it
would never do to send to another
land the reclaimed waits of East Lon
don without training and preparation.
The Home of Industry to receive the
raw material; an English country
Home to work it up; and a reception
Home in Canada to take in the emil
grants on their arrival, and be centre
of operations in the Colony-have all
to be maintained in state of unflag-
ging activity and with that earnest,
but trustful and restful spirit which
says. "Except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain that build
it," The various Operations connect
ed with the Home of Industry en-
brace q widows sewing class, moth
er's meetings, factory girls classes,
evening schools for young men and
boys, Gospel meetings and Bands of
Hope, lodging house visitation, and a
Bible flower mission. The sum needed
to carry it on, under the most econo-
mical management, and with a vast
amount of volunteer labor, averages
$4,000 year. The emigration ofeach
child costs about e10. The condition
of the children in Canada often seems
almost too good to be true. The
writer can say this, not from hearsay,
but from personal observation. For
many years his wife has been connect
ed with the work; for Miss Macpher-
son has the great happiness of hav-
ing led many others to engage in it..
He has been seen in a number of cases
children rescued from the worst sur
roundings in Edinburgh, when placed
in Canada, clothed, civilized, bright
and happy, serving God benefiting
their fellow-men. The change has
often brought before his mind the
text, "Though ye have lien among
the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings