Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-04-01
SLUNS OF NEW YORK.
MRS DARLINGTON BOOTH DELIVERS AN INTER
ESTING LECTURE
At the First Presbyterian Church-Ihs Poverty and
Wrschsdnsss Of the Lower Glasses Vivldly
Described and the Methods and Work
Of the Salvation Army.

Mrs. BalllngtOn BOOtn, OF the odl'a
ton Army, was greeted with another
large audience at the First Presby-
terrain Church last evening, when she
arose to deliver her second lecture
upon the work of the Salvation Army
Every seat in the auditorium was taken,
and many stood in the aisles, and in the
vestibule. As on the previous evening,
she held the undivided attention Of her
hearers, and it can be safely said that
those who attended were well repaid in
the knowledge which they gained Of
the deplorable and wretched condition
of humanity In the slums of our great
cities, while all left with broader I'M
Outstanding, and more charitable feel
ing toward the cause which Mrs. Booth
so earnestly espoused.
Mrs. Booth began by saying that she
was gratified TO note the large attend
ance, and then briefly reviewed the ORR
gin Of the Salvation Army movement,
the criticisms of its methods and the
difficulties encountered. She then took
up the theme upon which she desired TO
speak more particularly-the work Of
the Army in the slums OF New York.
Sometimes, she said, they went down
into the hauntS of iniQuity and found
souls which they knew, when polished
up, would shine as bright as any jewel
in the heavenly diadem of souls. They
were willing 10 run the risk, and In
thousands OF cases were successful; and
even if they were not successful here,
they had faith enough to think that the
effect would be felt hereafter.
The work is by no means an easy or
pleasant one. People who talk so easily
and so lightly of the sorrows OF man
kind do not realize the misery to be
found only in the wretched slums. The
launching Of life-boat upon the sea OF
iniquity to save shipwrecked souls,
means risk; il means effort; it means
nerves stretched and hearts and souls in
sympathy with the work; it means the
risk OF our own lives to save the lives OF
others. In the Army there are 10000
officers willing to give up their lives to
lead these poor, friendiess people to
better things. There are 100000 sol
diers doing this work, doing all in their
power TO rescue souls they believe 10 be
in danger.
1t is not all sunshine, this Army
work, it is not always that the papers
applaud our efforts. One difficulty is
this: when we have launched our life
boat, and are doing all in our power TO
save souls In danger, a crowd stands
upon the cliffs, and gaZes upon US, ridi-
off
We generally find that these critics are
those who have never taken of their
coats TO do the work themselves. But
our aim is not to fight the critics. but
to go ahead with our work and let them
stand aside. But there is difficulty
greater than that, a difficulty which
causes the soldiers many a tear and
paug. Many to whom we go and offer
consolation and hope, will turn upon US.
They say they don't want to be rescued;
they prefer sin and vice; they are accus-
toned TO it, and they like it. We en-
deavor to take these rebuffs patiently,
for we believe there is force upon
earth which cannot fail TO be successful,
and that is love. Some people try TO
open the door to the human heart by
force: the proper way is to insert the
key of Love, and IL opens.
The ordinary work of the Army
reaches only the street lounger and the
saloon frequenter. But there are lower
depths Of degradation to which we must
descend. The people in the Slums can
not be reached by our halls and our SER
vices. They are people to whom we
must go, and deal with them hand to
hand and heart to heart. Our soldiers
have been compelled to cut themselves
loose from their associations, and live
among these miserable people, lives as
isolated as II they were in exile. was
one of the first to engage in slum work
in London, and | was told there were
no such conditions in New York. 1t
was about three years ago when
the first two officers were sent
down into the SlumS. They secured
a room in the worst house in the most
diSgraced neighborhood, and it took a
whole week TO scrub the filth away.
Mrs. Booth then described the tattered
costumes adopted, and said there was
but one difference between the soldiers
and the people OF the slums-the former
were clean. The condition and habits
of the people were then described, their
disregard of cleanliness, their daily
drunken orgies, and their general
wretchednesS and poverty.
One of the Saddest things about the
slums is that Hope is an entire stranger
there. They are beyond hope. But we
believe that we can raise these people
to higher level, and the first thing we
do is to convince them that there is hope.
How do we do it? Not by going
about and handing them tracts. We
might convert them that way in short
time. but they would all be backsliders.
We don't let tuem pretend they are
saved. That has too long been the
curse of misiudged charity. We furn-
ish them with food when they are hun
cry, nurse their sick, care for their dy-
ing, and by so doing inspire them with
with confidence, aud show them
that all this comes from the Spring of
Love. We teach them that they can
live pure lives in the Sums as well as
we do. This work is being done
by twenty self-sacriicing young ladies
Last.yesr they visited 1000 saloons too
81 .o1l-od xrirb man Having imnras-