The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-20

There many the tale that the
girl with the Salvation Army bon
net could tell-tales of misery
and suffering and agony and forlorn
hope-and when the little Pot Boil
ing Kettles" with their little tinkly
Christmas bells make their appear
ance each year on the street corners
at the Yuletide season, my mind re-
verts to the wondrous courage. the
indomitable will and the unfailing
Christian fortitude which lies back of
these girls who wear the Salvation
Army bonnet.
Let me tell you some OF the stories
that have heard from the girls with
the Salvation Army bonnet--for you
know my heart and hand have ever
been ready to help the Salvation Army
ever since the first days of my
knowledge of this great organiza-
tons work-and particularly ever
since the day j met the commander.
Evangeline Booth--whose life and
character are the most beautiful, the
most helpful and the most pous OF
any that 1 know-self- sacrificing, no
Bile, true.
When you drop your nickel or dime
or quarter or dollar or five dollars
into the Pot Boiling Kettles" along
the streets this Christmas maybe
you'll remember a story or two that
have in mind in regard to the work
that comes through this channel OF
the Salvation Army as well as though
the many others because, these little
Pot Boiling Kettles" are the means
of providing for the poor on Christ
mas Day substantial dinner-giv-
ing a touch of the Christmas spirit
., he fnrlnTn.
the world weary-bringing to them
the glad tidings of Peace on earth,
good will toward men"
The girl with the Salvation Army
bonnet was telling me about Christ
mas tide incident--and she placed the
little scene very graphically within
the walls of squalor and want ana
poverty.
miserable, unhappy-as the girl with
the Salvation Army bonnet watched
beside her with curious steadfast
look in her eyes.
It was one of those times when
words fail to express the special re-
lationship which exists between two
human beings.
II committed murder" the woman
spoke in a monotone There is no
mystery in a woman. a mother, COM
hitting a terrible sin like murder IL
is not always want of mental balance,
insanity or hereditary influences.
Those things are Of the courts.
II murdered my friend through
jealousy. l thought my husband was
more attentive to her than to me"
The girl with the Salvation Army
bonnet looked at the poor wretehed
creature in the poverty stricken hut
where suffering stalked red-handed,
and presently~the poor, withered ola
hands grasped the hands of the girl
with the Salvation Army bonnet and
she began to sob.
Her sentence had been Death" 1t
was afterwards committed to penal
servitude for life" When she was Is
the government asked if the Salvation
Army would keep her until she died.
Il never meant to do it, the ola
voice. continued. you understand
beautiful children when it happened.
OF course, l have never heard any
thing of them all these years. They
were ashamed of me- She wept des-
olately; dreadful, slow tears in her
loneliness.
1t is recorded in the weeks that fol-
lowed that the Salvation Army
brought some peace to her. The girl
with the Salvation Army bonnet cared
for her, loved her into serenity, nursed
her when she was i'll, and when she
went on the long journey her tired
old face was transformed into a sem
blance of youth and happiness.
Who else would have bothered, who
else would have spoken TO the re-
pulsive, withered, poverty stricken
but just one of those sweet-faced'
gentle hearted girls with the Saliva
ton Army bonnet?
Oh, what wonderful work they
are doingi
iaas now another story comes to
Im ae been born under
luos.5 ar sfs was profoundly con-
scseas = ~ act when he stopped
to fecolIecf that it took him just II
years TO recover from the effects OF
his last 5ptse
jim w4s d pretty good sort of fell
Low The hcys liked him and the boss
Frequently remarked that he surely