The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-06-12
A Life That Told.

Thirty years ago, the region about London
| docks contained as large heather popula
ton as any district in Africa. Back of the
huge warehouses were "innumerable courts
and alleys, filled with fog and dirt, and every
horror of sight, sound and smell. 1t was a
rendezvous for the lowest types of humanity.
The wealthy and influential class in this set
Element were the rumsellers and the keepers
of gambling bells. Children were born and
grew to middle age in these precincts, who
never heard the name of Christ, except in an
oath. Thirty thousand souls were included
| in one parish here, but the clergy never ven
! tured out of the church to teach.
A young man named Charles Lowder, be-
longing to an old English family, happened
to pass through this district just after leaving
Oxford His classmates were going into poll
tics, or 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 min
gled agony, suffering, laughter and blasphemy
coming from these depths that rang in his
ears, go where he would" He resolved to
give up all other work in the world to work
to help these people. He took house in
one of the lowest slums and he lived in it,
ut is only one of themselves that they will
hear, not patronizing visitors" He preach
ed every day in the streets, and for months
was pCltCu Will OLlCh Ddlb, oAOb dS, anu
driven back with curses. He had unfortu-
nately, no eloquence with which to reach
them he was a slow, stammering speaker,
but he was bold, patient and in earnest
Year after year he lived among them. Even
the worst ruff1an learned to respect the tall,
thin curate whom he saw stopping the worst
street fights. facing mobs or nursing the VIC
tins of Asiatic cholera.
Mr.. Lowder lived in London docks for
twenty-three years. Night schools were
opened, industrial schools and refugees for
drunkards, discharged prisoners and fallen
women. A large church was built and sew
eral mission chapels.
His chief assistants in this work were the
men and women whom he had rescued from
the paths that abut on hell" A visitor to the
church said, 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 for months rest. He was brought
back to the docks, where he had worked so
long. Across the bridge, where he had once
been chased by furious mob, bent on his
murder, his body was reverently carried,
while the police were obliged to keep back
the crowds of sobbing people, who pressed
forward to catch the last glimpse of "Father
Lowder," as they called him. mo such flu
neral" says London paper, chad ever been
seen in England. The whole population of
East London turned out, stopping work for
that day. The special trains, running to Chisel-
hurst, 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 CO7nDd7liOn