New-York tribune., 1898-01-21
AMONG THE SALVATIONISTS.
MRS EMMA BOOTH TUCKER pN ARMY
AND HOME LIFE.
EVERY YEAR AS MANY AS EIGHTEEN HUNDRED
CRIMINALS ARE HELPED TO RECOVER


CRIMINALS ARE HELPED TO RECOVER
sELF-REsPECT.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: give herewith a brief description Of the
work OF the Salvation Army In America and other
lands. Facts are interesting than figures
and incidents more telling than descriptions. there
fore give the following stories
Just little chap. thrown out upon the worlds
rough tide only seven years old He would have
told you. had you asked hin. that he had no
parents. In any case. II was pretty certain that
he knew them. Surrounded by evil com
panions no one to give him a word OF warning or
advice or infinitely pitiable OF love. what
wonder that the child fell among thieves becom-
ing an expert in the arr OF taking that which
not his own even before he reached his teens?
Over thirty years he had spent behind the
prison bars In different terms Of Imprisonment,
until. caous and hopeless he left the ,ail one
morning wishing that he could make an end OF
all by suicide. 1t was a terrible face to look
upon, prematurely old and Scared with crime
Truly. moral and physical wreck. The sort OF
man for whom there is no human hope. Few
tramps the wayside got into conversation with
him and begged him. before he kicked the bucket.
10 try the Army ARMY exclaimed the hardened
criminal; II guess It would want good many
armies TO do anything with me-" But the Army he
did try. Perhaps the extreme cold OF the night.
OF getting an honest one. had something to do with
It. However this may be- he turned up at one of
our Army shelters, disreputable-looklng enough.
but welcome all the same.
That very night he fingered at shelter meet
Ing. where men rough and ragged as h" were
telling out of hearts OF newborn love what God
had done for them. And finally he rushed out TO
the penltent FORM bursting into tears. perhaps the
first he had shed for years. Seven years or moro
have passed since then. bu. all the ex-criminars
days since then spent in doing what he can for
others. All weathers he is at the prison gates.
guiding the prisoners home.
Eighteen hundred criminals pass through the
prison homes OF the Salvation Army every year.
We hail the efforts Of all others this dark, black
field. We rejoice in their victories. But we
hasten on in doing part to help the thousands
who arc yet untouched,
A representative from paper wanted A word
or two about my children Ny heart is ever
travelling out from the five sweet pets who are
Graded within our own walls to thousands and tens
of thousands without Accurately speaking. We
have four. besides baby boy in heaven But
one little tot who at six weeks old adopted for
Jesus sake. adds 70 our ltle flock
A description Of them? Well. my partial heart
might lend me partial language. but Of one thing
| can assure you-no love is wanting. and happier
home than ours it would perhaps be difficult to
find in dear wide America
But OF the waits and strays Of the streets my
heart would speak and my pen would write forever.
Ever since. as a child myself. 1 made for them
place in our own home nursery. they have seemed
to mo be the portion OF all mankind which most
naturally and powerfully should appeal TO those
who follow Christ. especially to us women who
may be mothers in Israel to the lost lambs. Not
only gathered into our homes throughout the world
are the orphans and the homeless to be found; but
perhaps better still Is the work accomplished for
the children OF the slums by what the Army Is
doing In the hearts and homes Of multitudes OF
the parents The drunkard. the shiftless and the
criminal are changed. and thus the whole environ
meat OF the children Is revolutionized.
1t was large table that the Army spread In the
United States this Christmas for the poorest and
the most ill-fed. More ROOM More room
was the cry. and the tables were heightened and
broadened accordingly until over eighty-fve thou
sand sat down bdden by Jesus through the invita-.
ton OF Army lads AMI lasses. and took not only OF
the bread that perisheth, but heard something OF
the words Of life. Every night. In America alone.
the Army shelters four thousand OF the homeless
poor at smallest charges within their reach sriv-
ing to combine with human kindness and consid-
Grafton the light OF truth and the guiding hand
to heaven. From the city to the land we hope
carry large numbers Of them 10 little
homes Of their own. and to the broad, generous
acres thirsting for their toll
You ask me, have there been no clouds, no dis
appointments, no lamented circumstances. and