St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-09
PRAYED FOR CLOTHES.
A New York Street Wait Had Their
3 Preservation in Mind,


New York World.
No class of the population of New
York come nearer to the poor than the
members of the Stun Brigade, as it is
called, Of the Salvation Army. The
Stun Sisters enter the homes of the un =
fortunates and minister, either spirit
ually or materially, to sick and poor
alike.
1t is wonderful ork which they
perform for the cause of Christianity.
1mbued with an enthus iasm compared
to which the members of the other sects
seem but half-hearted, the Stun Sisters
do not hesitate to wash and dress the
babies, cook the meal for the mother
or attend to the family washing and
ironing. The necessity of the work
only governs its performance.
In the barracks In which the noble
Stun Sisters live are beds and cots for
homeless women and children. Many
pathetic stories could be written about
the chance occupants of these temporary
resting places, but to none probably
attaches more human interest than the
case of little waif to whom the atten-
ton of Mrs. Ballington Booth was re-
Gently called.
The child was boy scarcely more
than four or five years old. His parents
had evidently been sent to the island or
had drifted away somewhere. When
found crouched in corner of a hallway
one chilly night in March he was but
half-clad, and was numbed with exposure
to the cold.
Taken into the barracks, the waif was
washed and dressed IN clean clothes,
warmed and fed. He was delighted
with the attention that he received, and
particularly with his garments-so much
so that when one of the Sisters at
tempted to undress him for bed he cried,
under the belief that he was about to be
permanently deprived of his new ap-
parel.
This was very apparent when the
Sister attempted to teach him the words
down 10 sleep.'
81 Kneeling down beside him at the bed
side, the Sister said: ''Say these words
after me, Now l lay me down to
Sleep"
Peeping between his fingers, the little
fellow liSped, Nov | lay me down to
Sleep"
Il pray the Lord my soul to keep"
continued the Sister.
II pray the Lord my clothes to keep"
whispered the boy.
NO, nOG 'clOluoS 10 Keep. soul 10
keep" corrected the Sister. - a
q Soul to keep" said the boy.
Now say it from the beginning"
urged the worker in the slums. Nov
l lay ME down to sleep, pray the Lord
my soul to keep"
But the poor little fellow was too
intent upon his treasure. Now L lay
me down to sleep. pray the Lord my
clothes to keep" he said, making the
same mistake as before.
mo, no; that is not right" spoke the
painstaking Sister. You should pray
God to care for your soul, not your
clothes. T'll take care of them.'
And won't you pawn Them" replied
the lad, to the establishment of the Sister,
land buy rum with them? That's what
they always did at home when l had
new Clothes"
Tears filled the eyes of the Stun
Sister. but she brushed them aside as
she kissed the child. His few words OF
precocious knowledge had revealed to
her the story of his brief life, and she
needed no more to tell herof the misery
of his home. Although he fina lily mas
tered his little. prayer, it was with
the words: 81 pray the l. ord my clothes
to keep" on his lips tn at he fell to
sleep.