The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-28
A Life Worth Living.

Thirty years ago the region about
London docks contained as large a
heather population as any district in
Africa. Back of the huge warehouses
were innnmerable courts and alleys,
filled with fog and dirt, and every hor-
ror Of sight, sound and smell. 1t was
q rendezvous for the lowest types of
humanity. The wealthy and infuen-
tial class in this settlement were rum
. sellers and keepers of gambling hells.
Children were born and grew to mid
die age init hese precincts who never
had heard the name of Christ, except
in an oath. Thirty thousand souls
were included in one parish here, but
,theclergymen never ventured out OF
.sthe church to teach.
A young man names Charles Low
der, belonging to an old English fami-
a .ly, happened to pass through the dis
q, trict Just after leaving Oxford. His
classmates were going into politics, OF
the army, or to the bar, full of ambi-
ton and hope to make name in the
world but Lowder heard, as he said,
"a cry of mingled agony, suffering,
q, laughter, and blasphemy coming from
these depths that rang in his ears, go
where he would" He resolved to give
up all other work to help these people.
:. He took house in one of the lowest
slums, and lived in it. ''It is only one
!. of themselves that they will hear, not
patronizing visitors" He preached
every day in the streets, and for
months was pelted with brick.bats,
shot at, and driven back with curses.
He had, unfortunately, no eloquence
with which to reach them he was a
slow, stammering speaker, but was
bold, patient, and in earnest. Year
after year he lived among them.
Even the worst ruffian learned to re-
spect the tall, Thin curate, whom he
saw stopping the worst street-fghts,
facing mobs, or nursing the victims Of
Asiatio cholera.
+. Mr.. .Lowder lived in London docks
for twenty-three years. Night-schools
were opened, industrial-schools, ref
uges for drunkards, discharged prison.
ers, and fallen women. A large church
. was built, and several mission chapels
r, His. chief assistants in this work were
the men and women whom he had
rescued from "the paths that abut on
he'll" A visitor to the church said
1.-THE congregation differs from Others
in that they are all in such deadly ear
nest"
;, Mr.. Lowder broke down under his
work, and rapidly grew into an old
.!careworn man. He died in village
in the Tyrol, whittier he had gone fol
months rest. He was brought back
to. the docks, where he had worked sc
long. Across the bridge where he had
once been chased by furious moi
bent on his murder, his body was rev
yerently carried, while the police were
obliged to keep back the crowds of Sob
bing people who pressed forward tc
catch the last glimpse of "Father Low
DER as they called him. mo such
funeral" says London paper, "has
eyer been seen in England. The
. whole population of east London turn
ed out, stopping work for that day
The special trains run. to Chiselhurst
were filled, and thousands followed on
foot-miserable men and women
whom he had lifted up from barbarism
to life and hope"
There are many careers open to
young men on entering the world, but
there are none nobler or that lead more
directly to Heaven than that of this
modern crusader.
Youths Companion.