Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-16
PRACTICAL REFORMERS.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. !


citizens of Pfttsburg. 1t belongs to an &C.
clesiastical calendar which is not much con-
suited in this neighborhood. Nevertheless
it is notable and widespread and signifl-
cant institution. 1t is q week of self-denial,
| undertaken by some of che poorest people
| in the world, for the furtherance of reli-
| gion. 1t is the work of the Salvation Army.
was reminded of it by copy of the War
! Cru which was sold me the other day by a
| Salvation "qassie' in the Buffalo depot.
There was something on nearly every page
about the "Self Denial Week." One little
note remember, suggested that some Sal
walton soldiers might have treasures which
they could sell, and SO get money which
| would represent genuine self.sacrifice. Last
| year. 1t was said, two devout young women
sold their back hair. That was the year
when the Salvation Army raised in that one
| week more than $125 900. Think of that COM
| ing out of the pockets of these poor people!
The secret of 1t is that everybody gives a
| little. And these Titles, added together,
| make q sum which needs to be punctuated
not only with a dollar mark at one side, but
| by an exclamation mark at the other.
Really, it would sometimes seem disad-
vantage to a church to have many wealthy
people in it, not only because 1t gives color
to the mistake of the workingman who
| thinks that religion nowadays is subsidized
| by capital, but because it keeps the people
| of small means from giving. The people of
small means, when they do give, always sub
| merge the benefactions of the rich The
| Roman Catholics the Methodists, and the
| Salvation Army show what q great noun
tain can be built up out of pennies.
Caring for Body as Well as Soul.
1T is not easy to exaggerate the interest
or the Importance of the work of the Saliva
tion Army. Saint William Booth has
already a greater following than Saint
Francis of Assist. And there are no signs
of diminution. have just been reading the
report Of the first years work of the Ozark
est England" scheme 1t is a tale of wonder.
The Salvation Army people believe in
saving men and women body and soul. Too
much of our religion has gone on the COM
Portable, but quite mistaken notion, that
men and women are disembodied spirits,
that they are all soul. The Salvation Army
knows better than that And it has learned,
further, that the soul depends very con-
siderably upon the body. The great fact of
environment in its bearings upon human
character is realized and counted upon in
their good, sensible and effective work. If
plant is to grow it must be set in a fair
soil and given fair chance. And that is
just as true of soul.
ingly, are feeding people and giving them
clean and cheap lodgings, and putting them
in the way of finding work. They are not
satisfied with prayers alone. The new order
ought to call itself-if it had not already a
better name-the Society of st. James, who
said, "If brother or sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food, and one of you say
to them, depart in peace, be We warmed and
filled; notwithstanding We give them not
those things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit"
Environment Can Be Conquered.
AND yet the soul is not forgotten. 1t is
not accounted that environment will do
everything. The fact is recognized that the
most important thing about man Is his
SOUL An unceasing endeavor is made to
get that set in the right direction. 1t is be-
lieved, and the belief is emphasized by
daily illustrations, that the man with the
right kind of soul can conquer even very
bad environment.
That is the mistake of a good many of our
reformers: they think the environment will
do everything. Make the body comfortable
and the tenant of the body will be virtuous
and happy. Mr. Ingersoll said that when
he was here the other night. Crime, he
said, is only mistake. There is such
thing as sin. What we call sin is the result
they will all be saints.
This was a somewhat surprising statement
in lecture which began with a description
Of the environment tofShakespeare. of Shakes
peare, it is said, owed nothing to environ
ment. He was born in a hovel; his father
and his mother were both poor and Hitter
ate. The verdict of environment was that
William Shakespeare should live his life as
an obscure peasant in the streets of STRAIT
ford. But Shakespeare had that within him
which cared not for environment. He con-
quered environment. Nor was there any
thing so very remarkable about that. The
history of greatness is a reiteration of tri-
umphs over physical surroundings. Therei is
no end to the list of notables and eminences
who began poor and had to fight their way
through score of barricades into the fort
ress of snccess and fame. After all, it is not
so much that man has about him and out.
side of him, as what he has within him, that
determines destiny.
Sentiment Applauded.
IT is not found, believe, that virtue is
any more at home in palaces than in tene-
ments. A man eats crust, Mr.. Ingersoll
said, and blesses God: but he sits down in the
midst of luxury and congratulates himself.
Everybody applauded that sentiment with
vigor, as if the man who congratulated him
remembers God. The applause, however, was
probably as unthinking as most applause is.
The sentence was spoken in round voice
with swinging gesture and we all clapped
our hands. All well-bred audiences like to
encourage the speaker. The sentiment is
not complimentary to human nature, and is
most disastrous to the belief in environ
ment, but it is true. Too often the poor
man has a wider outlook than the rich, and
is busy with thoughts while the rich man is
busy only with things. Lazarus looks up,
while Dives looks down. Environment thus
produces, sometimes, just the opposite ef-
feet from that for which we look. The en-
vironment of wealth too often, as the lee
turer suggested, tends to make people sell
fish, irreligious, animal, narrow-hearted,
with no aspirations higher than a tiled roof
Something more is needed than environ
ment. The soul of man must be given an
impetus in right direction. No man is
saved, General Booth says, by putting on
him a new pair OF breeches, or by getting
him steady work, or even by giving him
university education.
When Thinking Is Dangerous.
YET man must have a chance to think.
And IL he is in the midst of perpetual, des- |
perate battle for bread he has no opportun-
ity to think, unless he thinks wild thoughts, |
which we who live in comfortable houses |
would prefer that he should not think. 1t is |
are compelled to think so much about their |
bodies that they have no time to think |
about anything else. |
been at work in London spending the money |
oh, IN, the resDOnSa tn the anpea1 0f |