in darkest england and the way out-第51节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　floor；　and　told　them　of　the　wonderful　Salvation　of　God。　　This　was　Greetah；　and　the　Englishman　would　have　given　a　great　deal　if　he　could　have　rescued　her　from　this　miserable　lot。　　But　this　was　impossible；　and　with　reluctance　he　bid　her　farewell。

It　was　an　English　home。　　By　a　glowing　fire　one　night　a　man　sat　alone；　and　in　his　imaginings　there　came　up　the　vision　of　the　girl　he　had　met　in　the　Hottentot's　Kraal；　and　wondering　whether　any　way　of　rescue　was　possible。　　Then　he　remembered　reading；　since　his　return；　the　following　paragraph　in　the　War　Cry：　

〃TO　THE　DISTRESSED。　　The　Salvation　Army　invite　parents；　relations；　and　friends　in　any　part　of　the　world　interested　in　any　woman　or　girl　who　is　known；　or　feared　to　be；　living　in　immorality；　or　is　in　danger　of　coming　under　the　control　of　immoral　persons；　to　write；　stating　full　particulars；　with　names；　dates；　and　address　of　all　concerned；　and；　if　possible；　a　photograph　of　the　person　in　who　the　interest　is　taken。

〃All　letters；　whether　from　these　persons　or　from　such　women　or　girls　themselves；　will　be　regarded　as　strictly　confidential。　　They　maybe　written　in　any　language；　and　should　be　addressed　to　Mrs。　Bramwell　Booth；　101；　Queen　Victoria　Street；　London；　E。C。〃　　〃It　will　do　no　harm　to　try；　anyhow；〃　exclaimed　he；　〃the　thing　haunts　me　as　it　is；〃　and　without　further　delay　he　penned　an　account　of　his　African　adventure；　as　full　as　possible。　　The　next　African　mail　carried　instructions　to　the　Officer　in　Command　of　our　South　African　work。

Shortly　after；　one　of　our　Salvation　Riders　was　exploring　the　bush；　and　after　some　difficulty　the　kraal　was　discovered　the　girl　was　rescued　and　saved。　　The　Hottentot　was　converted　afterwards；　and　both　are　now　Salvation　Soldiers。

Apart　from　the　independent　agencies　employed　to　prosecute　this　class　of　enquiries；　which　it　is　proposed　to　very　largely　increase；　the　Army　possesses　in　itself　peculiar　advantages　for　this　kind　of　investigation。　The　mode　of　operation　is　as　follows：　

There　is　a　Head　Centre　under　the　direction　of　a　capable　Officer　and　assistants；　to　which　particulars　of　lost　husbands；　sons；　daughters；　and　wives；　as　the　case　may　be；　are　forwarded。　　These　are　advertised；　except　when　deemed　inadvisable；　in　the　English　〃War　Cry；〃　with　its　300；000　circulation；　and　from　it　copied　into　the　twenty…three　other　〃War　Crys〃　published　in　different　parts　of　the　world。　　Specially　prepared　information　in　each　case　is　sent　to　the　local　Officers　of　the　Army　when　that　is　thought　wise；　or　Special　Enquiry　Officers　trained　to　their　work　are　immediately　set　to　work　to　follow　up　any　clue　which　has　been　given　by　enquiring　relations　or　friends。

Every　one　of　its　10；000　Officers；　nay；　almost　every　soldier　in　its　ranks；　scattered；　as　they　are；　through　every　quarter　of　the　globe；　may　be　regarded　as　an　Agent。　　A　small　charge　for　enquiries　is　made；　and；　where　persons　are　able；　all　the　costs　of　the　investigation　will　he　defrayed　by　them。


SECTION　8。REFUGES　FOR　THE　CHILDREN　OF　THE　STREETS。

For　the　waifs　and　strays　of　the　streets　of　London　much　commiseration　is　expressed；　and　far　more　pity　is　deserved　than　is　bestowed。　　We　have　no　direct　purpose　of　entering　on　a　crusade　on　their　behalf；　apart　from　our　attempt　at　changing　the　hearts　and　lives　and　improving　the　circumstances　of　their　parents。

Our　main　hope　for　these　wild；　youthful；　outcasts　lies　in　this　direction。　　If　we　can　reach　and　benefit　their　guardians；　morally　and　materially；　we　shall　take　the　most　effectual　road　to　benefit　the　children　themselves。

Still；　a　number　of　them　will　unavoidably　be　forced　upon　us；　and　we　shall　be　quite　prepared　to　accept　the　responsibility　of　dealing　with　them；　calculating　that　our　organisation　will　enable　us　to　do　so；　not　only　with　facility　and　efficiency；　but　with　trifling　cost　to　the　public

To　begin　with；　Children's　Creches　or　Children's　Day　Homes　would　be　established　in　the　centres　of　every　poor　population；　where　for　a　small　charge　babies　and　young　children　can　be　taken　care　of　in　the　day　while　the　mothers　are　at　work；　instead　of　being　left　to　the　dangers　of　the　thoroughfares　or　the　almost　greater　peril　of　being　burnt　to　death　in　their　own　miserable　homes。

By　this　plan　we　shall　not　only　be　able　to　benefit　the　poor　children；　if　in　no　other　direction　than　that　of　soap　and　water　and　a　little　wholesome　food；　but　exercise　some　humanising　influence　upon　the　mothers　themselves。

On　the　Farm　Colony；　we　should　be　able　to　deal　with　the　infants　from　the　Unions　and　other　quarters。　　Our　Cottage　mothers；　with　two　or　three　children　of　their　own；　would　readily　take　in　an　extra　one　on　the　usual　terms　of　boarding　out　children；　and　nothing　would　be　more　simple　or　easy　for　us　than　to　set　apart　some　trustworthy　experienced　dame　to　make　a　constant　inspection　as　to　whether　the　children　placed　out　were　enjoying　the　necessary　conditions　of　health　and　general　well…being。　Here　would　be　a　Baby　Farm　carried　on　with　the　most　favourable　surroundings。


SECTION　9。INDUSTRIAL　SCHOOLS。

I　also　propose；　at　the　earliest　opportunity；　to　give　the　subject　of　the　industrial　training　of　boys　a　fair　trial；　and；　if　successful；　follow　it　on　with　a　similar　one　for　girls。　　I　am　nearly　satisfied　in　my　own　mind　that　the　children　of　the　streets　taken；　say　at　eight　years　of　age；　and　kept　till；　say　twenty…one；　would；　by　judicious　management　and　the　utilisation　of　their　strength　and　capacity；　amply　supply　all　their　own　wants；　and　would；　I　think；　be　likely　to　turn　out　thoroughly　good　and　capable　members　of　the　community。

Apart　from　the　mere　benevolent　aspect　of　the　question；　the　present　system　of　teaching　is；　to　my　mind；　unnatural；　and　shamefully　wasteful　of　the　energies　of　the　children。　　Fully　one…half　the　time　that　boys　and　girls　are　compelled　to　sit　in　school　is　spent　to　little　or　no　purpose　nay；　it　is　worse　than　wasted。　　The　minds　of　the　children　are　only　capable　of　useful　application　for　so　many　consecutive　minutes；　and　hence　the　rational　method　must　be　to　apportion　the　time　of　the　children；　say；　half　the　morning's　work　to　be　given　to　their　books；　and　the　other　half　to　some　industrial　employment；　the　garden　would　be　most　natural　and　healthy　in　fair　weather；　while　the　workshop　should　be　fallen　back　upon　when　unfavourable。

By　this　method　health　would　be　promoted；　school　would　be　loved；　the　cost　of　education　would　be　cheapened；　and　the　natural　bent　of　the　child's　capacities　would　be　discovered　and　could　be　cultivated。　Instead　of　coming　out　of　school；　or　going　away　from　apprenticeship；　with　the　most　precious　part　of　life　for　ever　gone　so　far　as　learning　is　concerned；　chained　to　some　pursuit　for　which　there　is　no　predilection；　and　which　promises　nothing　higher　than　mediocrity　if　not　failurethe　work　for　which　the　mind　was　peculiarly　adapted　and　for　which；　therefore；　it　would　have　a　natural　capacity；　would　not　only　have　been　discovered；　but　the　bent　of　the　inclination　cultivated；　and　the　life's　work　chosen　accordingly。


It　is　not　for　me　to　attempt　any　reform　of　our　School　system　on　this　model。　　But　I　do　think　that　I　may　be　allowed　to　test　the　theory　by　its　practical　working　in　an　Industrial　School　in　connection　with　the　Farm　Colony。　　I　should　begin　probably　with　children　selected　for　their　goodness　and　capacity；　with　a　view　to　imparting　a　superior　education；　thus　fitting　them　for　the　position　of　Officers　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　with　the　special　object　of　raising　up　a　body　of　men　thoroughly　trained　and　educated；　among　other　things；　to　carry　out　all　the　branches　of　the　Social　work　that　are　set　forth　in　this　book；　and　it　may　be　to　instruct　other　nations　in　the　same。


SECTION　10。ASYLUMS　FOR　MORAL　LUNATICS。

There　will　remain；　after　all　has　been　said　and　done；　one　problem　that　has　yet　to　be　faced。　　You　may　minimise　the　difficulty　every　way；　and　it　is　your　duty　to　do　so；　but　no　amount　of　hopefulness　can　make　us　blink　the　fact　that　when　all　has　been　done　and　every　chance　has　been　offered；　when　you　have　forgiven　your　brother　not　only　seven　times　but　seventy　times　seven；　when　you　have　fished　him　up　from　the　mire　and　put　him　on　firm　ground　only　to　see　him　relapse　and　again　relapse　until　you　have　no　strength　left　to　pull　him　out　once　more；　there　will　still　remain　a　residuum　of　men　and　women　who　have；　whether　from　heredity　or　custom；　or　hopeless　demoralisation；　become　reprobates。　　After　a　certain　time；　some　men　of　science　hold　that　persistence　in　habits　tends　to　convert　a　man　from　a　being　with　freedom　of　action　and　will　into　a　mere　automaton。　　There　are　some　cases　within　our　knowledge　which　seem　to　confirm　the　somewhat　dreadful　verdict　by　which　a　man　appears　to　be　a　lost　soul　on　this　side　of　the　grave。

There　are　men　so　incorrigibly　lazy　that　no　inducement　that　you　can　offer　will　tempt　them　to　work；　so　eaten　up　by　vice　that　virtue　is　abhorrent　to　them；　and　so　inveterately　dishonest　that　theft　is　to　them　a　master　passion。　　When　a　human　being　has　reached　that　stage；　there　is　only　one　course　that　can　be　rationally　pursued。　　Sorrowfully；　but　remorselessly；　it　must　be　recognised　that　he　has　become　lunatic；　morally　demented；　incapable　of　self…government；　and　that　upon　him；　therefore；　must　be　passed　the　sentence　of　permanent　seclusion　from　a　world　in　which　he　is　not　fit　to　be　at　large。　　The　ultimate　destiny　of　these　poor　wretc