The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-04-13
A "HaIlelujah Lassle.'

A "HaIlelujah Lassle.'
"No, don't parade the streets in a
procession for five dollars week."
said the girl in calico; Though some
folks say that is all we have to do after
Looming the Salvation Army. I don't
ever march in the ranks except on eX-
ira occasions, when we muster in full
force, Slum brigade and all. I belong
to the Slum Brigade, you know, and
my work lies IN part of town where,
just as like as not, the sight of girl in
the Salvation Army uniform would
draw crowd that policeman would
have to disperse. am on the street q
good deal, going from house to house,
but dressed as I am now, nobody
would take me for Salvationist, and
so am no more noticed than any 9th.
er plain, quiet body would be. |
daren't even wear the army bonnet,
because want the folks around where
Tive to think am just one of them
selves. It's rough sort OF neighbor-
hood, and in the evenings there's a
lot of drinking and swearing, and
sometimes fighting, going on in the
tenement-house where l have my
room, but amt afraid of roughs and
rowdies; if l was, shouldn't be fit
for the work / have undertaken.
haven't any education to speak of, and
should hate the worst in the world to
have t) stand up on platform and
make an address, but I can 60 into a
poor woman's room, if she is ailing,
and do her w0rk for her-see how big
and strong mysarms are-and then !
can sit down and talk to her in friend
ly sort of way about country where
there won't be no more sickness or
suffering, where children won't go
wrong, and babies won't die just as
soon as they begin to take no.
tice.
'sFolks say that the best thing q
tenement house baby can do for itself
is to die, but it would be hard to make
its mother believe that, no matter
whether she was sober woman who
looks after her children, or Il drunkard
who spent half her time on the Island.
And i am thankful that 1 know what
TO do for croupy baby, or thrushy
baby, or one whose teeth are going
hard with it. / was the eldest of the
family at home, and accustomed to
taking care of the children when my
mother was out at her work, and since
/ have belonged to the Slum brigade
I've come across lot of mothers who
will Just hand over their babies 10 me
when they get sick, and watch me
while I try 10 make the poor little
thing com Portable. When baby is all
right again, and before the mother gets
over thinking there isn't nobody like
me, then is the time to ask her to go
down on her knees with ME, and
thank God.
"'I don't want no preaching.' said a
sick woman 10 Inc when ] went to see
her one morning. Il amt much of a
hand to PREACH said l, but I can
make q cup of tea with anybody ); and
with that I crossed over to the stove,
started the tire, and made her one.
Then put on some oat meal Tor her
three little children's breakfast (her
husband had to go off early to his
work, and couldn't attend to things,
and while it was cookingI tidied 'em
up so nicely that they didn't know
themselves. Not one word did l say
to that woman about her soul, but now
she comes to our meetings regular,
and our captain says she was convert
ed, not by my theology, but by my
scrubology. 1 am better at cleaning
up than ut eXpounding Scripture
that's Il fact. 1 amt good even at re-
peating texts from Scripture. dis.
graced myself once in meeting
where we were all called Oh for texts,
by rising up and saying out loud,
Cleanliness is next to godiness.
Some folks back Of NE began TO snick-
es and the girl next to me whispered
that wasn't in the Bible. Then | felt
so ashamed didn't know which way
to look, and it was not any comfort to
have great fellow on the side OF me
say, Never mind, young lady; if it
isn't in the Bible, thought to be-
mind telling me what pay is? Not
a bit. have my roOm-rent paid, and
am supplied with food and coal, and
once in while receive bundle of
cast-off clothes. If 1 was to come
out in new clothes, the folks in my
tenement-house would think ] was
growing proud. So you see / didn't
20 into the work to make money, or
even to make a show. AS 1 have
said, amt no good at preaching, and
| suppose my prayers amt much to
listen to, and 1 haven't any voice for
singing. except in chorus, where all
that's wanted is noise, but l have
health and strength and good will,
and am ready to use them in the
good cause"
Clara Marshall, in Silver Cross.