The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-12
The Little Mother.

Mrs. Booth is magnificent woman,
a little above medium size, but there
is that in her carriage which stamps
her an unusual woman. Strength of
character, sincerity of purpose tender
symDathies, purity of soul; seem to
shine out from her radiant face. She
has voice not strong, but singularly
pure and sweet and which carried to
the great throng which stood outside
the tent The big assembly tent was
crowded to Its fullest capacity, yet
none failed to hear the Little Mother
of the Prisons" The people came to
listen, and as Mrs Booth came on
the stage, the perspiring throng was
hushed and reverent silence prevail
ed. No one was ever given such
hearing at the local chautauqua. Mrs.
Booths story told by any other wom-
an would have sounded commonplace
but she. the woman who knew and felt
what she spoke; she ''The Little Moth
er of Prisons who had penetrated
iron bars and prison walls to save lost
souls and who through fifteen years of
ceaceless activity had snatched many
brand from the burning fires of So
cial infamy, gave to the theme a pa
thos which caused strong men to shed
silent tears, and tender mothers to
utter silent prayers.
The public life Mrs. Booth leads, the
scenes of the underworld she visits,
the stories of shame she hears, is
enough to scar the soul of woman,
but in the Little Mother, it has
brought out and magnified that would
immortalize saint.
"The story of the great under
world" she said, lis not understood
by the free and the happy. 1t was
not the stone walls. iron bars, loaded
guns and striped clothes that made
the deepest impression in my heart,
when I first entered San Quentin
prison. 1t was the detected despair
of those whom l faced. There sat,
my first visit to prison, knowing
not what to do or say. Then Ut must
have been inspiration) | thought. If
can for one hour carry these poor
fellows outside of prison and into
forge tfulness-where they can forget
rules, locks, bars and locKstep, per-
haps I can ease their miserable lot
I told them the things that moved
my soul They wrote me a letter
thanking me for the way l talked to
them, and they said they were glad
I didn't tell them of the Prodigal Son
We are sick and tired of it.
Il had found the only way to reach
these men. 1t never helps the wound
to be dressed with any other than
loving and tender hands.
Its getting caught that makes the
convict-there are men outside who
have violated laws with impurity, yet
| the world knows not what the con.
Wet suffers
II have never asked for the priv
ilege Of visiting prison, yet great
| deal OF my time is taken up filing
engagements upon requests of prison
authorities. My VOLUNTEER Prison
League numbers 5000 members. Eight
thousand men have gone straight from
prison to the Hope Halls. OF these
seventy-five per cent have made good
twenty per cent lave drifted and the
other five per cent have go. hack into
| prison. OF those who drift or &C
back. IL you knew what know, you
would have more patience.
AT Hope Hall, we bid them look
! no and hope 1t is the threshold Of
a new life. 1t is the new heart that
gives them hope the new heart which
makes our efforts well worth while.
| Mrs. Booths touching stories from
real life. ended too soon. The PEG