in darkest england and the way out-第44章

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dsmen　when　first　getting　afloat；　I　cannot　see　why　they　should　not　engage　in　some　form　of　industrial　work　far　more　profitable　than　yawning　and　lounging　about　the　deck；　to　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　by　so　doing　they　would　lighten　the　expense　of　their　transit。　　The　sailors；　firemen；　engineers；　and　everybody　else　connected　with　a　vessel　have　to　work；　and　there　is　no　reason　why　our　Colonists　should　not　work　also。

Of　course；　this　method　would　require　special　arrangements　in　the　fitting　up　of　the　vessel；　which；　if　it　were　our　own；　it　would　not　be　difficult　to　make。　　At　first　sight　it　may　seem　difficult　to　find　employments　on　board　ship　which　could　be　engaged　in　to　advantage；　and　it　might　not　be　found　possible　to　fix　up　every　individual　right　away；　but　I　think　there　would　be　very　few　of　the　class　and　character　of　people　we　should　take　out；　with　the　prior　instructions　they　would　have　received；　who　would　not　have　fitted　themselves　into　some　useful　labour　before　the　voyage　ended。

To　begin　with；　there　would　be　a　large　amount　of　the　ordinary　ship's　work　that　the　Colonists　could　perform；　such　as　the　preparation　of　food；　serving　it　out；　cleaning　the　decks　and　fittings　of　the　ship　generally；　together　with　the　loading　and　unloading　of　cargo。　　All　these　operations　could　be　readily　done　under　the　direction　of　permanent　hands。　Then　shoemaking；　knitting；　sewing；　tailoring；　and　other　kindred　occupations　could　be　engaged　in。　　I　should　think　sewing…machines　could　be　worked；　and；　one　way　or　another；　any　amount　of　garments　could　be　manufactured；　which　would　find　ready　and　profitable　sale　on　landing；　either　among　the　Colonists　themselves；　or　with　the　people　round　about。

Not　only　would　the　ship　thus　be　a　perfect　hive　of　industry；　it　would　also　be　a　floating　temple。　　The　Captain；　Officers；　and　every　member　of　the　crew　would　be　Salvationists；　and　all；　therefore；　alike　interested　in　the　enterprise。　　Moreover；　the　probabilities　are　that　we　should　obtain　the　service　of　the　ship's　officers　and　crew　in　the　most　inexpensive　manner；　in　harmony　with　the　usages　of　the　Army　everywhere　else；　men　serving　from　love　and　not　as　a　mere　business。　　The　effect　produced　by　our　ship　cruising　slowly　southwards　testifying　to　the　reality　of　a　Salvation　for　both　worlds；　calling　at　all　convenient　ports；　would　constitute　a　new　kind　of　mission　work；　and　drawing　out　everywhere　a　large　amount　of　warm　practical　sympathy。　　At　present　the　influence　of　those　who　go　down　to　the　sea　in　ships　is　not　always　in　favour　of　raising　the　morals　and　religion　of　the　dwellers　in　the　places　where　they　come。　　Here；　however；　would　be　one　ship　at　least　whose　appearance　foretold　no　disorder；　gave　rise　to　no　debauchery；　and　from　whose　capacious　hull　would　stream　forth　an　Army　of　men；　who；　instead　of　thronging　the　grog…shops　and　other　haunts　of　licentious　indulgence；　would　occupy　themselves　with　explaining　and　proclaiming　the　religion　of　the　Love　of　God　and　the　Brotherhood　of　Man。


CHAPTER　5。　　MORE　CRUSADES。

I　have　now　sketched　out　briefly　the　leading　features　of　the　threefold　Scheme　by　which　I　think　a　way　can　be　opened　out　of　〃Darkest　England；〃　by　which　its　forlorn　denizens　can　escape　into　the　light　and　freedom　of　a　new　life。　　But　it　is　not　enough　to　make　a　clear　broad　road　out　of　the　heart　of　this　dense　and　matted　jungle　forest；　its　inhabitants　are　in　many　cases　so　degraded；　so　hopeless；　so　utterly　desperate　that　we　shall　have　to　do　something　more　than　make　roads。　　As　we　read　in　the　parable；　it　is　often　not　enough　that　the　feast　be　prepared；　and　the　guests　be　bidden；　we　must　needs　go　into　the　highways　and　byways　and　compel　them　to　come　in。　　So　it　is　not　enough　to　provide　our　City　Colony　and　our　Farm　Colony；　and　then　rest　on　our　oars　as　if　we　had　done　our　work。　That　kind　of　thing　will　not　save　the　Lost。

It　is　necessary　to　organise　rescue　expeditions　to　free　the　miserable　wanderers　from　their　captivity；　and　bring　them　out　into　the　larger　liberty　and　the　fuller　life。　　Talk　about　Stanley　and　Emin！　　There　is　not　one　of　us　but　has　an　Emin　somewhere　or　other　in　the　heart　of　Darkest　England；　whom　he　ought　to　sally　forth　to　rescue。　　Our　Emins　have　the　Devil　for　their　Mahdi；　and　when　we　get　to　them　we　find　that　it　is　their　friends　and　neighbours　who　hold　them　back；　and　they　are；　oh；　so　irresolute！　　It　needs　each　of　us　to　be　as　indomitable　as　Stanley；　to　burst　through　all　obstacles；　to　force　our　way　right　to　the　centre　of　things；　and　then　to　labour　with　the　poor　prisoner　of　vice　and　crime　with　all　our　might。　　But　had　not　the　Expeditionary　Committee　furnished　the　financial　means　whereby　a　road　was　opened　to　the　sea；　both　Stanley　and　Emin　would　probably　have　been　in　the　heart　of　Darkest　Africa　to　this　day。　　This　Scheme　is　our　Stanley　Expedition。　　The　analogy　is　very　close。　　I　propose　to　make　a　road　clear　down　to　the　sea。　　But　alas　our　poor　Emin！　　Even　when　the　road　is　open；　he　halts　and　lingers　and　doubts。　First　he　will；　and　then　he　won't；　and　nothing　less　than　the　irresistible　pressure　of　a　friendly　and　stronger　purpose　will　constrain　him　to　take　the　road　which　has　been　opened　for　him　at　such　a　cost　of　blood　and　treasure。　　I　now；　therefore；　proceed　to　sketch　some　of　the　methods　by　which　we　shall　attempt　to　save　the　lost　and　to　rescue　those　who　are　perishing　in　the　midst　of　〃Darkest　England。〃


SECTION　1。A　SLUM　CRUSADE。OUR　SLUM　SISTERS。

When　Professor　Huxley　lived　as　a　medical　officer　in　the　East　of　London　he　acquired　a　knowledge　of　the　actual　condition　of　the　life　of　many　of　its　populace　which　led　him　long　afterwards　to　declare　that　the　surroundings　of　the　savages　of　New　Guinea　were　much　more　conducive　to　the　leading　of　a　decent　human　existence　than　those　in　which　many　of　the　East…Enders　live。　　Alas；　it　is　not　only　in　London　that　such　lairs　exist　in　which　the　savages　of　civilisation　lurk　and　breed。　　All　the　great　towns　in　both　the　Old　World　and　the　New　have　their　slums；　in　which　huddle　together；　in　festering　and　verminous　filth；　men；　women；　and　children。　　They　correspond　to　the　lepers　who　thronged　the　lazar　houses　of　the　Middle　Ages。

As　in　those　days　St。　Francis　of　Assissi　and　the　heroic　band　of　saints　who　gathered　under　his　orders　were　wont　to　go　and　lodge　with　the　lepers　at　the　city　gates；　so　the　devoted　souls　who　have　enlisted　in　the　Salvation　Army　take　up　their　quarters　in　the　heart　of　the　worst　slums。　But　whereas　the　Friars　were　men；　our　Slum　Brigade　is　composed　of　women。　I　have　a　hundred　of　them　under　my　orders；　young　women　for　the　most　part；　quartered　all　of　them　in　outposts　in　the　heart　of　the　Devil's　country。　Most　of　them　are　the　children　of　the　poor　who　have　known　hardship　from　their　youth　up。　　Some　are　ladies　born　and　bred；　who　have　not　been　afraid　to　exchange　the　comfort　of　a　West　End　drawing…room　for　service　among　the　vilest　of　the　vile；　and　a　residence　in　small　and　fetid　rooms　whose　walls　were　infested　with　vermin。　　They　live　the　life　of　the　Crucified　for　the　sake　of　the　men　and　women　for　whom　He　lived　and　died。　They　form　one　of　the　branches　of　the　activity　of　the　Army　upon　which　I　dwell　with　deepest　sympathy。　　They　are　at　the　front；　they　are　at　close　quarters　with　the　enemy。　　To　the　dwellers　in　decent　homes　who　occupy　cushioned　pews　in　fashionable　churches　there　is　something　strange　and　quaint　in　the　language　they　hear　read　from　the　Bible；　language　which　habitually　refers　to　the　Devil　as　an　actual　personality；　and　to　the　struggle　against　sin　and　uncleanness　as　if　it　were　a　hand　to　hand　death　wrestle　with　the　legions　of　Hell。　　To　our　little　sisters　who　dwell　in　an　atmosphere　heavy　with　curses；　among　people　sodden　with　drink；　in　quarters　where　sin　and　uncleanness　are　universal；　all　these　Biblical　sayings　are　as　real　as　the　quotations　of　yesterday's　price　of　Consols　are　to　a　City　man。　　They　dwell　in　the　midst　of　Hell；　and　in　their　daily　warfare　with　a　hundred　devils　it　seems　incredible　to　them　that　anyone　can　doubt　the　existence　of　either　one　or　the　other。

The　Slum　Sister　is　what　her　name　implies；　the　Sister　of　the　Slum。　They　go　forth　in　Apostolic　fashion；　two…and…two　living　in　a　couple　of　the　same　kind　of　dens　or　rooms　as　are　occupied　by　the　people　themselves；　differing　only　in　the　cleanliness　and　order；　and　the　few　articles　of　furniture　which　they　contain。　　Here　they　live　all　the