,,catherine ,,booth ,a ,,sketch         
,reprinted from ,the ,warriors' ,library
  ,,by ,,colonel ,,mildred ,,duff       
,,with ,a ,,preface ,,by ,,general      
,,bramwell ,,booth     ,,preface        
,colonel ,duff has1 at my request1      
written the following very interesting  
and touching account of my dear ,mother2
 and she has done so in the hope that   
those who read it will be helped to     
follow in the footsteps of that         
wonderful servant of ,god4  ,but how can
 they do so8 ,was not ,mrs4 ,booth1 you 
ask1 an exceptional woman8 ,had she not 
great gifts and very remarkable powers1 
and was she not trained in a very       
special way to do the work to which ,god
 called her8 ,how1 then1 can ordinary   
people follow in her steps8 ,let me tell
 you4  ,mrs4 ,booth walked with ,god4   
,when she was only a timid girl1 helping
 her mother in the household1 she       
continually sought after ,him2 and when1
 in later years1 she became known by    
multitudes1 and was written of in the   

newspapers1 and greatly beloved by the  
good in many lands1 there was no        
difference in her life in that matter4  
,she was not content with being ,mrs4   
,general ,booth of ,the ,salvation      
,army1 and with being looked upon as a  
great and good woman1 giving her life to
 bless others4 ,no6  she listened daily 
for ,god's voice in her own heart1      
sought after ,his will1 and leaned      
continually for strength and grace upon 
her ,saviour4  ,you can be like her in  
that4  ,mrs4 ,booth was a soul-winner4  
,a little while before her spirit passed
 into the presence of ,god1 and when she
 knew that death was quite near to her1 
she said3 ',tell the ,soldiers that the 
great consolation for a ,salvationist on
 his dying bed is to feel that he has   
been a soul-winner4' ,wherever she      
went--in the houses of strangers as well
 as of friends1 in the ,meetings1 great 
and small1 when she was welcomed and    
when she was not1 whether alone or with 
others--she laboured to lead souls to   

,christ4 ,i have known her at one time  
spend as much trouble to win one as at  
another time to win fifty4 ,you can     
follow her example in that4  ,mrs4      
,booth always declared herself and took 
sides with right4  ,whatever was        
happening around her1 people always knew
 which side she was on4 ,she spoke out  
for the right1 the good1 and the true1  
even when doing so involved very        
disagreeable experiences and the bearing
 of much unkindness4  ,she hated the    
spirit which can look on at what is     
wicked and false or cruel1 and say1     
',oh1 that is not my affair6' ,you can  
follow her example in this also4  ,mrs4 
,booth laboured all her life to improve 
her gifts4 ,she thought2 she prayed2 she
 worked2 she read--above all1 she read  
her ,bible4  ,it was her companion as a 
child1 as a young follower of ,christ1  
and then as a ,leader in ,the ,army4    
,those miserable words which some of us 
hear so often about some bad or         
unfinished work--',oh1 that will        

do'--were seldom heard from her lips4   
,she was always striving1 striving1     
striving to do better1 and yet better1  
and again better still4 ,all this also  
you can do4  ,mrs4 ,booth was full of   
sympathy4 ,no one who was in need or in 
sorrow1 or who was suffering1 could meet
 her without finding out that1  she was 
in sympathy with them4  ,her heart was  
tender with the love of ,christ1 and so 
she was deeply touched by the sin and   
sorrow around her just as ,he was4 ,even
 the miseries of the dumb animals moved 
her to efforts on their behalf4 ,this   
sympathy made ,mrs4 ,booth quick to see 
and appreciate the toil and self-denial 
of others1 and ever grateful for any    
kindness shown to her or to ,the ,army  
or to those in need of any kind4 ,the   
very humblest and youngest of those who 
read this little book can be like her in
 all this4  ,mrs4 ,booth endured to the 
end4 ,she never turned back4 ,she was   
faithful4 ,her life and work would have 
been spoilt if she had given up the     

fight4 ,she was often sorely tempted4   
,she was slandered and misrepresented by
 enemies1 betrayed by false friends1 and
 often deeply wounded by those who      
professed to love her1 though they      
deserted the ,flag4 ,but she held fast4 
,you can be like her in that4  ,you may 
make many mistakes1 suffer many defeats1
 but you can still keep going on1 and it
 is to those who go on to the very end1 
whether in weakness or in strength1 that
 ,jesus will give the crown of life4    
,mrs4 ,booth trusted with all her heart 
in the love and sacrifice of her        
,saviour4 ,these were her hope and her  
strength4 ,when at the height of her    
influence and popularity she delighted  
in that wonderful song which we still so
 often sing3--    ,i love ,thee because 
,thou hast first loved me1   ,and       
purchased my pardon when nailed to the  
tree2  and when1 amid much suffering1   
she lay dying1 we often sang together   
with her3--    ,victory for me6         
,through the ,blood of ,christ my       

,saviour2   ,victory for me6   ,through 
the precious ,blood4  ,this was her     
victory4 ,you can follow her in the     
faith that won it4 ,will you8           
,,bramwell ,,booth4  ,international     
,headquarters4     ,,contents           
,,preface     ,i4 ,,childhood   ,,ii4   
,,conversion ,,and ,,soul ,,struggles   
,,iii4 ,a ,,three-,,years ,,engagement  
,,iv4 ,a ,,life ,,of ,,sacrifice    ,v4 
,,the ,,speaker   ,,vi4 ,,the ,,mother  
,,vii4 ,,the ,,worker ,,viii4 ,,goodness
   ,,ix4 ,,love    ,x4 ,,the ,,warrior  
,,xi4 ,,last ,,days  ,,xii4 ,,dates ,,in
 ,,mrs4 ,,booth',s ,,life               
,,catherine ,,booth3 ,a ,,sketch     ,i 
,,childhood   ',parents who love ,god   
best will not allow their children to   
learn anything which could not be       
pressed into ,his service4'--,,mrs4     
,,booth4   ,the ,mother of ,the         
,salvation ,army was born at ,ashbourne1
 in ,derbyshire1 on ,january #ag1 #ahbi1
 and ,god gave to her the very best gift
 ,he can give to any child--a good and  

holy mother4  ,katie ,mumford1 as she   
was then called1 had no sister to play  
with1 and of her four brothers only one 
lived to be a man4 ,but her dear mother 
more than made up for every lack1 and   
from her lips the little girl learned   
those blessed lessons which1 in her     
turn1 she has taught to us4  ,one lesson
 which ,mrs4 ,mumford early taught her  
daughter was that our bodies will not   
live for ever4 ,she took ,katie to see  
the body of her infant brother who had  
just died2 and1 though she was not more 
than two years old at the time1 ,katie  
never forgot that first lesson4         
,spiritual things were even then real to
 her1 just because they were so real to 
her mother4 ,heaven was home to her1 and
 ,jesus her best ,friend1 ever near to  
help and guide her4  ,truthfulness was a
 second of those early lessons which    
remained with our ,army ,mother all her 
life4 ,she was but four years old when  
,mrs4 ,mumford found her one evening    
sobbing bitterly in her little cot long 

after she should have been asleep4 ,she 
had told a falsehood1 and conscience    
would not let her rest4 ,when she had   
sobbed out her confession1 her mother   
talked and prayed with her1 and at last 
left her1 happy in the assurance that   
she was forgiven by her ,heavenly       
,father4  ,after this you will not be   
surprised to hear that another lesson   
early taught to ,katie by her mother was
 to love her ,bible4 ,she could read    
nicely when she was but five years old1 
and she loved to stand by her mother's  
side1 and read the ,bible stories aloud1
 with just a little help over the very  
long words4 ,and this love for ,god's   
,word grew deeper every year1 so that by
 the time she was twelve years old she  
had read it through eight times4 ,in    
later years people often wondered how it
 was that ,mrs4 ,booth knew her ,bible  
so well1 and could so quickly answer    
their difficulties and objections in    
,bible words4 ,much of the secret lay in
 this early training1 and in the hours  

she spent in ,bible study later on1 when
 she had reached the age of some of our 
younger ,corps ,cadets4  ,i wish we     
could have seen her in those days4 ,she 
had very dark hair1 which curled        
naturally2 black1 flashing eyes1 and    
such a warm heart1 and strong1 impetuous
 nature that she could do nothing by    
halves4 ,whatever it was1 work or play1 
her whole soul had to be in it4  ,since 
she was not at all strong1 and had few  
girl friends1 ,katie did not play rough 
or noisy games1 but her love for her    
dolls made her quite a little mother to 
them4 ,she treated them almost like real
 children1 and would sew and toil1 and  
never rest till she felt she had in     
every way done her duty to them4 ,she   
loved animals1 too1 especially dogs and 
horses1 and could not bear to see any   
one ill-treat them4 ,oh1 how she        
suffered one day1 watching some poor    
sheep driven down the road6 ,she watched
 the man beat them--she could not stop  
him2 and at last she tore home1 and     

flung herself down almost choking and   
speechless with indignation and         
distress4  ,her mother did not check    
,katie for feeling so keenly4 ,she      
encouraged her2 for she knew that a     
hard1 indifferent child1 who can see    
suffering and not care or be distressed 
over it1 would make a hard woman2 and   
she wanted her ,katie to be full of love
 and tenderness for all1 and especially 
for those needing help4  ,when          
,catherine was twelve years old she     
became very interested in the drink     
question4 ,she wrote letters about it1  
and sent them to different newspapers1  
for there was no ',war ,cry' nor ',young
 ,soldier' in those days2 and she also  
became the secretary of what was then   
called a ,juvenile ,temperance ,society1
 and did all she could to get boys and  
girls to promise never to touch the     
drink4  ,katie was also1 like many of   
you1 much interested in the heathen4    
,she would go round to all her friends  
collecting money to pay for preachers to

 be sent to them2 and in order to get   
more money she would deny herself sugar 
and other small luxuries4 ,no one told  
,katie to do this2 but you see our ,army
 ,mother herself taught us1 by her      
example when only a child1 to keep our  
great ,self-,denial ,week4  ,of course1 
most of ,katie's time was taken up with 
her lessons1 and1 as she loved to learn 
and study1 they were no hardship to her4
 ,for two years she went to a           
boarding-school1 and here her companions
 soon found out how straight and        
truthful she was4 ',you'll never get her
 to tell a lie1' the girls said1 'nor   
even to exaggerate1 so it's no use      
trying4' ,every one knew also that      
,katie felt for the backward girls and  
those who were slow and dull4 ,she      
wanted them to succeed1 and would help  
them between school hours4 ,that was her
 joy1 you see--to help and care for     
others2 whether at school or at home she
 was the same4  ,but you must not think 
that ,catherine was perfect4 ,oh1 no1   

indeed6 ,sometimes her schoolmates would
 tease her because she was so quiet1 and
 liked to read better than to play2 and 
at such times1 instead of being patient1
 she would flare up into a passion1 and 
say harsh1 angry words4 ,when the storm 
was over she would be1 however1 ,oh6 so 
sorry1 and would beg her schoolfellows  
to forgive her4  ,when ,katie had been  
at school two years1 ,god sent her a    
very great trial4 ,instead of being able
 to go on learning and keeping up with  
the other girls1 she had to return home1
 and for three long years to lie nearly 
all the time on her back1 often         
suffering very much4 ,she had a serious 
spinal complaint1 and her friends       
sometimes doubted whether she would ever
 walk again4  ,you wonder what she did  
in those three years8 ,i will tell you4 
,when the pain would permit it1 she     
would knit and sew4 ,she could not1 of  
course1 hold heavy needlework2 but      
little things1 like babies' socks and   
hoods1 pin-cushions1 and so forth1 she  

would make most beautifully1 and then   
they would be sold to help on the work  
of ,god4  ,besides her sewing1 ,katie   
read a great deal4 ,first1 as ,i have   
already told you1 she read her ,bible1  
and learnt to know ,god's thoughts about
 the world and sin1 and ,his wishes for 
,his people4 ,for seven months at one   
time ,catherine had to lie on her face  
on a special sort of couch made on      
purpose for her2 but she invented a     
contrivance by which1 even then1 she    
could read her ,bible1 though still     
remaining in the position that the      
doctors wished4 ,then1 too1 she would   
read good books--explanations of the    
,bible1 about ,holiness1 soul-saving1   
lives of those who have lived and worked
 for ,god1 and so on4 ,when she had read
 a chapter she would shut the book1 and 
write down as much as she could remember
 of it4 ,this helped her to think       
clearly and to remember what she read1  
and also to put her thoughts into words4
  ,but she never wasted her time reading

 stories and novels4 ,later on in her   
life she said she was so thankful for   
this1 for she thought that novels and   
silly story books made people           
discontented with their own homes and   
duties1 and put wrong1 hurtful ideas    
into their minds4 ,let us recollect and 
follow our ,army ,mother's example here1
 and not waste time on stories which are
 not true4  ,we1 if we had known ,katie 
,mumford in those three years of pain   
and weariness1 should have pitied her   
very much4 ,we might have been tempted  
to feel that ,god was hard in not       
letting her be strong like other girls2 
but we now see that all the time ,he was
 fitting her for the wonderful future   
before her2 and when she became ,mrs4   
,booth1 the great preacher1 she herself 
understood this4  ',being so much alone 
in my youth1' she said1 'and so thrown  
on my own thoughts and on those         
expressed in books1 has been very       
helpful to me4 ,had ,i been given to    
gossip1 and had there been people for me

 to gossip with1 ,i should certainly    
never have accomplished what ,i did4'   
,so1 you see1 ,god was all the time     
giving her the very best training ,he   
could1 and teaching her1 as she lay     
there alone on her bed1 what she never  
could have learned in the ordinary way4 
,and ,he will train you1 too1 in the    
very best way for your future1 if you   
will but determine to trust and serve   
,him as did ,catherine ,mumford4        
,,ii  ,,conversion ,,and ,,soul         
,,struggles    ',no soul was ever yet   
saved who was too idle to seek4'--,,mrs4
 ,,booth4  ,perhaps you1 the ,corps     
,cadet1 for whom ,i am especially       
writing this little book1 have been     
tempted to break your vows by becoming  
engaged to some one who does not want to
 be an ,officer4 ,and you think1        
perhaps1 that no one understands your   
feelings4  ,you will be surprised1 then1
 to know that our ,army ,mother had just
 such a battle to fight when she was a  
girl4  ,she had a cousin1 a little older

 than herself1 who was tall and very    
clever4 ,he came with his parents to    
stay in her home1 and ,katie had not    
seen him since they were young children4
 ,he quickly grew very fond of his      
cousin1 and ,catherine found how nice it
 was to have some one to give her       
presents and to love her as he did4 ,at 
last he begged her to promise that by   
and by she would be engaged to him4 ,now
 ,katie was very perplexed4 ,on the one 
hand she loved her cousin1 and did not  
want to grieve him1 and yet in her heart
 she knew he was not truly given up to  
,god1 and would not help her in her     
soul4  ',go to the ,meeting with you1   
,katie8' he used to say4 ',of course1   
,i'll go anywhere to please you4' ,but  
then1 while she was trying to get a     
blessing1 he would be scratching little 
pictures on the back of the seat to make
 her laugh4 ,perhaps you can guess the  
struggle it was for ,katie to decide    
what her answer should be4 ',if you will
 only say yes1 and be engaged to him1 ,i

 am sure you will be able to help him1  
and very likely get him properly saved1'
 the ,devil would whisper4 ',break it   
off now1 ,katie2 do not go another step2
 you know ,god cannot smile on it4'     
,that was how her conscience spoke4  ,at
 last1 one day as she was truly praying 
and seeking for light1 she read the     
verse in #b ,corinthians vi4 #ad3 ',be  
ye not unequally yoked together with    
unbelievers4' ,it came to her as the    
voice of ,god4  ',i will do it1 ,lord1' 
she said1 after a long struggle2 and she
 sat down1 and wrote her cousin a       
letter1 telling him just why she could  
never be engaged to him1 and breaking it
 all off for ever4 ,then she turned back
 to her home duties1 and did not re-open
 the question4  ,and did our ,army      
,mother in after years regret that she  
had acted like this8 ,no1 indeed2 she   
has told us that she saw plainly later  
on that1 if just then she had chosen to 
follow her own feelings and wishes1     
instead of obeying ,god's command1 all  

her life would have been altered1 and   
she would never have done the glorious  
work ,he had planned for her4 ,it was a 
hard battle at the time1 and cost her   
many tears2 but it was worth it1 ten    
thousand times over1 as we can all see  
to-day4  ,very soon after this victory  
,catherine became really converted4     
',what6' you say4 ',was she not         
converted before this8'  ,no4 ,all her  
life she had1 like many children trained
 to-day in ,salvationist homes1 felt    
,god's ,holy ,spirit striving with her4 
,sometimes1 when quite a little girl1   
her mother would find her crying because
 she felt how she had sinned against    
,god4  ,but when she was about fifteen  
she longed to know that she was really  
saved4  ',don't be silly1' said the     
,devil in her heart4 ',you have been as 
good as saved all your life4 ,you have  
always wanted to do right4 ,how can you 
expect such a sudden change as if you   
were a great big drunkard8 ,it's        
absurd4'  ',but my heart is as bad as   

the heart of a big sinner1' cried poor  
,katie in an agony of fear4 ',i have    
been as bad inside1 if not in my outward
 actions and words4'  ,and then she took
 hold of ,god in faith4 ',lord1 ,i must 
be converted4 ,i cannot rest till ,thou 
hast changed my whole nature2 do for me 
what ,thou dost do1 for the thieves and 
drunkards4'  ,but for six weeks it      
seemed as if ,god did not hear her cry4 
,she grew more and more unhappy4 ,all   
her past sins rose before her3 those    
bursts of temper when she was at school1
 those wrong thoughts and feelings4     
,yes1 the ,bible was true when it said3 
',the heart is deceitful above all      
things and desperately wicked4'  ,katie 
argued1 too1 like this3 ',i cannot      
recollect any time or place where ,i    
claimed ,salvation and the forgiveness  
of my sins2 if ,god has saved me1 ,he   
would surely have made me certain of it4
 ,anyway1 ,i must and will know it4 ,i  
must have the assurance that ,i am      
,god's child4'  ,unable to rest1 she    

would pace her room till two o'clock in 
the morning1 and would lie down at last1
 with her ,bible and hymn-book under her
 pillow1 praying that ,god would        
,himself tell her that her sins were    
forgiven4 ,at last1 one morning1 as she 
woke1 she opened her hymn-book1 and read
 these words3--                ,my ,god1
 ,i am ,thine1               ,what a    
comfort divine1     ,what a blessing to 
know that my ,jesus is mine4  ,now she  
had read and sung these lines scores of 
times before1 but they came this morning
 with a new power to her soul4  ',i am  
,thine6' ',my ,jesus is mine6' she      
exclaimed4 ',lord1 it is true6--,i do   
believe it6 ,my sins are forgiven4 ,i   
belong to ,thee6' and her whole soul was
 filled with light and joy4 ,she now    
possessed what she had been seeking all 
these weeks--the assurance of           
,salvation6 ,and then what do you think 
she did8 ,she threw on a wrapper1 and1  
without waiting to dress1 hurried across
 to her mother's room1 and tapped at the

 door4  ',come in1' said her mother's   
voice2 and ,katie1 her face shining with
 joy1 burst into the room4 ',mamma1     
mamma1 ,i am a child of ,god6 ,my sins  
are forgiven--,jesus is my ,saviour6'   
she cried1 flinging herself into her    
mother's arms4 ,and this was the same   
,katie1 who had been so shy and backward
 that she had never before dared to     
speak about her spiritual anxieties1    
even to her mother6 ,ah6 what a change  
real conversion1 or change of heart1 had
 made4  ,for the next six months ,katie 
was so happy that she felt as if she    
were walking on air4 ',i used to        
tremble1' she tells us1 'and even long  
to die1 lest ,i should back-slide or    
lose the sense of ,god's favour4'  ,but 
as time went on she learned1 as we all  
have to do1 to walk by faith1 not by    
sight1 and to serve and follow the      
,saviour whether she had happy feelings 
or not4  ,but you must not suppose1     
because ,katie had the assurance of     
,salvation1 that therefore she had no   

more fighting4 ,no--indeed1 her fighting
 days had only just begun4  ,one of her 
great difficulties1 which many ,corps   
,cadets will understand1 was that she   
felt so nervous about doing anything in 
public4 ,no one1 of course1 asked her to
 speak--such a thing was never dreamed  
of2 but the lady who took the ,bible    
,class which she attended regularly     
would now and then ask her to pray4     
',miss ,mumford will pray1' the lady    
would say1 when they were all kneeling  
together4  ,but ,katie was too shy to   
begin1 and sometimes they would wait for
 several minutes before she had courage 
to say a few words4 ',don't ask me to   
pray again1' she said one day to her    
leader2 'the excitement and agitation   
make me quite ill4'  ',i can't help     
that1' was the very wise answer2 'you   
must break through your timidity2 for   
otherwise you will be of no use to      
,god4'  ,and did ,katie persevere8 ,yes1
 indeed1 she did4 ,here is an entry made
 some time later in the diary that she  

kept1 which shows you how very much her 
experience was like yours3--  ',i have  
not been blessed so much for weeks as ,i
 was to-night4 ,i prayed aloud4  ,the   
cross was great1 but so was the reward4 
,my heart beat violently1 but ,i felt   
some liberty4'  ,though ,catherine's    
spine difficulty was better1 she was    
still very delicate1 and at the age of  
eighteen every one felt sure she was    
going into a decline4 ,but1 sick or     
well1 her soul grew stronger1 and her   
desire to please and serve ,god better  
increased every day4  ',i do love       
,thee1' she wrote in the same little    
diary1 'but ,i want to love ,thee more4'
  ,it was not till many years later that
 ,catherine received the blessing of a  
clean heart2 but even now she had begun 
to desire and long for it4 ,she also    
writes at this time3 ',i see that this  
,full ,salvation is very necessary if ,i
 am to glorify ,god below1 and find my  
way to ,heaven4 ,i want a clean heart4  
,lord1 take me and seal me4'  ,some     

people1 even after they are converted1  
are too proud to own themselves wrong1  
or to confess when they have sinned4    
,catherine was not of that sort4 ,in one
 of her letters to her mother she ends  
with these words3--  ',pray for me1 dear
 mother1 and believe me1 with all my    
faults and besetments1 your loving      
child4'  ,her hunger after a holy life  
was real and practical4 ,she knew she   
must learn to live by method--that is1  
doing right1 whether she liked it or    
not--and not by feelings1 if she was to 
be of use in the world4  ,so at the end 
of the year she wrote some new          
resolutions2 and as they may be of help 
to you1 ,i will copy them for you just  
as she put them down3--  ',i have been  
writing a few daily rules for the coming
 year1 which ,i hope will prove a       
blessing to me1 by the grace of ,god4 ,i
 have got a paper of printed rules also1
 which ,i intend to read once a week4   
,may the ,lord help me to keep to them6 
,but1 above all1 ,i am determined to    

search the ,scriptures more attentively1
 for in them ,i have eternal life4 ,i   
have read my ,bible through twice during
 the past sixteen months1 but ,i must   
read it with more prayer for light and  
understanding4 ,oh1 may it be my meat   
and drink6 ,may ,i meditate on it day   
and night6 ,and then ,i shall bring     
forth fruit in season2 my leaf also     
shall not wither1 and whatsoever ,i do  
shall prosper4'  ,she had also her own  
private ways of denying herself1 not for
 the sake of earning money or praise by 
it1 but simply because she felt it was  
right4 ,one of these rules was to do    
without dinner1 and butter at breakfast1
 once in the week1 because she felt it  
helped her in her soul4  ,i cannot end  
this chapter without telling you of the 
one great sorrow which darkened all her 
early years4 ,some of you1 ,i know1 will
 enter into her feelings so well4  ,her 
father1 at one time saved and earnest   
about the souls of others1 had grown    
cold and backslidden1 and now never even

 went near a ,meeting4 ,you can fancy   
what agony this was to both ,mrs4       
,mumford and her daughter4 ,they prayed 
and wept in vain--he only seemed to get 
more indifferent4 ,catherine would      
sometimes write her feelings and her    
sorrow in her diary1 and there we       
read3--  ',i sometimes get into an agony
 of feeling while praying for my dear   
father4 ,oh1 my ,lord1 answer prayer1   
and bring him back to ,thyself6 ,never  
let that tongue which once delighted in 
praising ,thee1 and in showing others   
,thy willingness to save1 be engaged in 
uttering the lamentations of the lost6  
,oh1 awful thought6 ,lord1 have mercy6  
,save1 ,oh6 save him in any way ,thou   
seest best1 though it be ever so        
painful4 ,if by removing me ,thou canst 
do this1 cut short ,thy work1 and take  
me ,home4 ,let me be bold to speak in   
,thy name4 ,oh1 give me true courage and
 liberty1 and when ,i write to him1     
bless what ,i say to the good of his    
soul6'  ,for many years this prayer of  

,catherine's was not answered2 but she  
held on1 as you must do for those you   
love1 in faith and prayer2 and at last  
she had the unspeakable joy of seeing   
her dear father come back to ,god       
through one of her own ,meetings which  
he had attended4 ,his last years were   
full of peace1 and were spent in serving
 ,god and rejoicing in ,his ,salvation4 
,,iii  ,a ,,three-,,years ,,engagement  
',what a need there is for effort and   
energy2 or real religion and common     
sense6'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4  ,one ,sunday1 
when ,catherine and her mother went to  
the ,meeting as usual1 they found a     
',special' there1 taking the services4  
,he was quite different from the other  
,specials1 and ,catherine could not help
 noticing him with extra interest4 ,he  
spoke to the people's hearts1 and was   
not so much occupied in preaching a good
 sermon as in getting some one          
converted4 ,but he did preach a very    
good sermon for all that1 and chose this
 verse as his text--',this is indeed the

 ,christ1 the ,saviour of the world4'   
,a few days later ,catherine and her    
mother were spending the evening with a 
friend1 when the very same preacher came
 in1 and was introduced to them as the  
,rev4 ,william ,booth4  ,catherine knew 
they had one subject in common--love for
 souls2 but before the evening ended she
 discovered that the young minister was 
quite as earnest as she was herself in  
fighting the ,drink curse and all that  
was connected with it4  ,a few ,sundays 
later ,mr4 ,booth preached again in the 
same building1 this time as the         
minister1 or1 as we should say1         
',officer in charge1' and no longer as a
 ,special4 ,and now you will guess that 
the two often met1 and that1 because    
they had so many interests in common1   
they soon learned to know each other    
well1 till respect grew into friendship1
 and friendship into love4  ,catherine  
was at this time twenty-two years old1  
and ,mr4 ,booth was three months        
younger2 but1 though you would have said

 they were old enough to know their own 
minds1 they did nothing hastily1 and    
would enter into no engagement till they
 were quite sure of ,god's ,will in the 
matter4  ,had ,catherine ever before    
thought of the day when she would get   
married8 you1 perhaps1 ask4 ,oh1 yes1   
indeed1 and when but a girl of          
sixteen--directly1 in fact1 after she   
was saved--she settled in her own heart 
what sort of a man her future husband   
must be4 ,first1 she decided1 he must be
 truly converted1 and a total abstainer1
 not to please her1 but from his own    
choice4 ,then he must be a man of sense1
 or she could never respect him2 and1 if
 they were to be happy1 they must feel  
and think alike on all important        
matters4  ,ah1 if our women-,soldiers   
and ,cadets to-day would but follow our 
,army ,mother's example1 there would be 
fewer unhappy marriages and wrecked     
lives6  ,but in her secret heart        
,catherine had also1 girl-like1 some    
ideas about the sort of man she would   

like to marry1 if she might choose4 ,he 
should be a minister--that was the      
nearest she could get to an ,officer in 
those days2 ,william was a name she     
particularly liked1 and--if only he     
might be tall and dark6 ,if you had been
 there when ,katie ,mumford first       
listened to his preaching you would have
 seen that he was 'tall and dark'       
indeed4  ,but though ,william ,booth    
loved ,catherine with a deep and holy   
love1 which increased each time they    
met1 yet he was very poor1 and he       
wondered if he ought1 under the         
circumstances1 to ask her to share his  
lot4 ,he wrote a letter to her1 telling 
her how perplexed and troubled he was1  
and her answer shows us that1 right from
 the very earliest days1 before they    
were even engaged1 her one desire was   
that his soul should prosper4  ',my dear
 friend1' she begins 444 ',the thought  
that ,i should cause you any suffering  
or increase your perplexity is almost   
unbearable4 ,i am tempted to wish that  

we had never seen each other4 ,do try to
 forget me1 as far as the remembrance   
would injure your usefulness or spoil   
your peace4 ,if ,i have no alternative  
but to oppose the ,will of ,god1 or     
trample on the desolations of my own    
heart1 my choice is made4 ,thy will be  
done is my constant cry4 ,i care not for
 myself2 but ,oh1 if ,i cause you to    
err1 ,i shall never be happy again4'    
,it was not the fear of poverty that    
frightened her1 for a few days later she
 says3--  ',i fear you did not fully    
understand my difficulty4 ,it was not   
circumstances4 ,i thought ,i had assured
 you that a bright prospect would not   
allure me1 nor a dark one affright me1  
if only we are one in heart4  ,my only  
reason for wishing to defer the         
engagement was that you might feel      
satisfied in your mind that the step is 
right4444 ,if you are convinced on this 
point1 let circumstances go1 and let us 
be one1 come what may4'  ,this is       
exactly what they did1 and after        

meeting1 and together consecrating their
 lives to ,god1 they solemnly pledged   
themselves to each other4  ,and now     
began a three-years' engagement1 in     
which1 though often for long months at a
 time they never met1 they remained true
 to each other and to ,god1 in thought  
and word and deed4  ,many of the        
beautiful letters that our ,army ,mother
 wrote to ,the ,general at this time1 ,i
 am glad to tell you1 have been kept1   
and we will look together at some of the
 ways in which she tried to help and    
cheer him4  ,in the first letter after  
their engagement she ends with these    
words3--  ',the more you lead me up to  
,christ in all things1 the more highly  
shall ,i esteem you2 and if it be       
possible to love you more than ,i do    
now1 the more shall ,i love you4 ,you   
are always present in my thoughts4'     
,now you must not think that1 even in   
these early days1 our ,general had a    
very easy life4 ,he was often much      
perplexed and troubled1 longing above   

all to do ,god's ,will for the          
,salvation of the people1 and yet not   
quite sure what that ,will was4 ,at     
these times ,catherine was of untold    
help to him4  ,once he was very         
unsettled--not certain whether he should
 remain away in the ,north of ,england1 
or accept a place in ,london1 where the 
two could often meet4 ,most girls would 
have said1 ',oh1 come1 then we shall be 
near to each other'2 but you will see   
that her advice to him is just as       
suitable for you when you are not       
certain of your duty--that she does not 
consider her own feelings at all4  ',i  
wish1' she writes1 'you prayed more and 
talked less about the matter4 ,try it1  
and be determined to get clear and      
settled views as to your course4 ,leave 
your heart before ,god1 and get         
satisfied in ,his sight1 and then do it1
 be it what it may4 ,i cannot bear the  
idea of your being unhappy4 ,pray do in 
this as you feel in your soul it will be
 right4 ,my conscience is no standard   

for yours4'  ,then she adds1 lower      
down3--  ',oh1 if you come to ,london1  
let us be determined to reap a blessed  
harvest4 ,let our fellowship be         
sanctified to our souls' everlasting    
good4 ,my mind is made up to do my part 
towards it4 ,i hope to be firm as a rock
 on some points4 ,the ,lord help me4 ,we
 must aim to improve each other's mind  
and character4 ,let us pray for grace to
 do it in the best way and to the       
fullest extent possible4'  ',anyway1'   
she says1 a day or two later--and ever  
remember her words when outside things  
try and distress you--'don't let the    
controversy hurt your soul4 ,live near  
to ,god by prayer4444 ,you believe ,he  
answers prayer4 ,then take courage4     
,just fall down at ,his feet1 and open  
your very soul before ,him1 and throw   
yourself right into ,his arms4 ,tell    
,him that if you are wrong you only wait
 to be set right1 and1 be the path rough
 or smooth1 you will walk in it4  ',oh1 
you must live close to ,god6 ,if you are

 a greater distance from ,him than you  
were1 just stop the whirl of outward    
things1 or rather leave it1 and shut    
yourself up with ,him till all is clear 
and bright upwards4 ,do1 there's a dear4
 ,oh1 how much we lose by not coming to 
the point4 ,now1 at once1 realize your  
union with ,christ1 and trust ,him to   
lead you through this perplexity4 ,bless
 you4 ,excuse this advice4 ,i am anxious
 for your soul4 ,look up4 ,if ,god hears
 my prayers1 ,he must guide you--,he    
will guide you4'  ,in these early days  
our ,general was tempted1 as some of us 
are tempted to-day1 to feel nervous and 
shy when talking before large crowds1   
and where the people were better dressed
 and better off than usual4 ,he wrote   
his feelings to ,catherine1 and she     
sends him back her wise advice and help4
 ',i am sorry for this1' she says1 'and 
am persuaded it is the fear of man which
 shackles you4 ,do not give place to    
this feeling4 ,remember you are the     
,lord's servant1 and if you are a       

faithful one it will be a small matter  
with you to be judged of man's judgment4
 ,let nothing be wanting beforehand to  
make what you say helpful1 but when you 
are before the people try to think only 
of your own responsibility to ,him who  
hath sent you4'  ,again1 later1 she     
writes3--  ',try and cast off the fear  
of man4 ,fix your eyes simply on the    
glory of ,god1 and care not for frown or
 praise of man4 ,rest not till your soul
 is fully alive to ,god4' ,how truly she
 herself carried this out in her own    
,meetings you will hear later on4  ,miss
 ,mumford was very anxious that ,the    
,general should improve himself with    
plenty of hard work4 ,she saw what he   
might become1 and she also knew that    
unless he did his part all those        
wonderful powers which ,god had lent to 
him would be thrown away4  ',do assure  
me1' she writes1 'my own dear ,william1 
that no want of energy or effort on your
 part shall hinder the improvement of   
those talents ,god has given you4'  ,so 

that1 with his constant travelling and  
preaching1 he might get time to read and
 think and learn1 she suggested a little
 plan to him in his billets4  ',could   
you not1' she says1 'provide yourself   
with a small leather bag or case1 large 
enough to hold your ,bible and any other
 book you might require--pens1 ink1     
paper and a candle8 ,and1 presuming that
 you generally have a room to yourself1 
could you not rise by six o'clock every 
morning1 and convert your bedroom into a
 study till breakfast time8444 ,i hope1 
my dearest love1 you will consider this 
plan1 and keep to it1 if possible1 as a 
general practice4 ,don't let little     
difficulties prevent your carrying it   
out4'  ,you must remember that at this  
time neither ,catherine nor ,mr4 ,booth 
ever dreamed of the wonderful work they 
were to be called to do4 ,he was then   
preaching and getting souls saved1      
mostly in country places1 and had many a
 'hard go1' but that was no reason why  
he should not improve4  ,did ,the       

,general like this advice and counsel8  
,or did he feel1 as some men do to-day1 
that women cannot judge nor understand  
such things8  ,ah6 he was wise1 and only
 too glad to have all the help that     
,catherine could give him4 ,in fact1 he 
often wrote begging her to help him     
more4 ,the outlines for addresses which 
she sent him weekly he valued and used1 
as this letter shows3--  ',i have1' he  
writes1 'just taken hold of that sketch 
you sent me on ,be not deceived1 and am 
about to make a full sermon on it4 ,i   
like it much4 ,it is admirable4  ',i    
want a sermon on the ,flood1 one on     
,jonah1 and one on the ,judgment4 ,send 
me some bare thoughts1 some clear1      
startling outlines4 ,we must have that  
kind of truth which will move sinners4' 
,but if ,catherine ,mumford was anxious 
about the mind and work of her future   
husband1 much more was she anxious about
 his soul4 ,to her1 there could be no   
true love without faithfulness1 and     
where she felt it necessary1 she        

cautioned him in the truest and         
tenderest way3--  ',you have special    
need1' she writes1 'for watchfulness and
 for much private intercourse with ,god4
  ',my dearest love1 beware how you     
indulge that dangerous element of       
character1 ambition4 ,misdirected1 it   
will be everlasting ruin to yourself1   
and perhaps to me also4 ,oh1 my love1   
let nothing earthly excite it2 let not  
the wish to be great fire it4 ,fix it on
 the ,throne of the ,eternal1 and let it
 find the realization of its loftiest   
aspirations in the promotion of ,his    
glory1 and it shall be consummated with 
the richest enjoyments and brightest    
glories of ,god's own ,heaven4'  ,you   
wonder1 perhaps1 if ,catherine ever     
wrote 'love letters1' as we call them4  
,she never wrote the foolish and        
sentimental letters which say a great   
deal1 and mean very little2 but she was 
able to put her great love into words   
strong1 intense1 and full of tenderness4
  ',do ,i remember8' she asks in one    

letter4 ',yes1 ,i remember all--all that
 has bound us together4 ,all the bright 
and happy1 as well as the clouded and   
sorrowful times of our fellowship4      
,nothing relating to you can time or    
place erase from my memory4 ,your words1
 your looks1 your actions1 even the most
 trivial and incidental1 come up before 
me as fresh as life4 ,if ,i meet a child
 called ,william1 ,i am more interested 
in him than in any other4 ,bless you4   
,keep your spirits up1 and hope much for
 the future4 ,god lives and loves us1   
and we shall be one in ,him1 loving each
 other as ,christ loved us4'  ,william  
,booth and ,catherine ,mumford were     
married in ,london1 on ,june #ae1 #ahee2
 and here are a few lines from the last 
letter she wrote to him before the      
engagement was ended1 and the long      
thirty-five years of happy married life 
began3--  ',i long to see you4 ,your    
letters do not satisfy the yearnings of 
my heart4 ,perhaps they ought to4 ,i    
wish it were differently constituted4 ,i

 might be much happier4 ,but it will be 
extravagant and enthusiastic in spite of
 all my schooling4 ,if ,i ever get to   
,heaven1 what rapture shall ,i know6    
,no1 there is no fear of our loving each
 other too much4 ,how can we love each  
other more than ,christ has loved us8   
,and this is the standard ,he has given 
us4 ,what a precious thing is the       
religion of ,jesus6 ,it makes our first 
duties our highest happiness4 ,it has   
the promise of the life that now is1 as 
well as of that which is to come4 ,we   
will spend all our energies in trying to
 persuade men to receive and practise   
it4'  ,how wonderfully she carried this 
intention into practice1 and1 together  
with ,the ,general1 lived every moment  
'publishing the ,sinner's ,friend1' you 
shall read later on4     ,,iv  ,a ,,life
 ,,of ,,sacrifice    ',since ,i came to 
the crucifixion of myself1 ,i have not  
cared much what men might say of        
me4'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4  ,at the time when
 our ,army ,mother married ,the         

,general's work was1 as we have seen1   
that of an ',evangelist' or ',travelling
 ,minister4' ,he would stay in a town   
for some weeks or months1 as the case   
might be1 preaching and holding         
,meetings1 and getting people saved1    
both in the town itself and the places  
round4  ,it was a blessed and useful    
life1 but very wearying2 and we can     
fancy how trying it must have been for  
,mrs4 ,booth after her marriage not to  
have any home of her own1 but to billet 
first in one stranger's house1 and then 
in another's4  ,but she did not         
complain1 though we see what it cost her
 by a letter she writes to her mother1  
telling the good news that they are to  
live in lodgings while at ,sheffield3-- 
',you cannot think1' she writes1 'with  
what joy ,i look forward to being to    
ourselves once more4 ,for though ,i get 
literally oppressed with kindness1 ,i   
must say ,i would prefer a home where we
 could sit down together at our own     
little table1 myself the mistress1 and  

my husband the only guest4 ,but the work
 of ,god so abundantly prospers that ,i 
dare not repine1 or else ,i feel this   
constant packing and unpacking and      
staying amongst strangers to be a great 
burden1 especially while so weak and    
poorly4 ,but then ,i have many mercies  
and advantages4 ,my precious ,william is
 all ,i desire1 and without this what   
would the most splendid home be but a   
glittering bauble8'  ,for several years 
,mrs4 ,booth travelled in this way from 
place to place1 helping1 cheering1 and  
encouraging her husband in his          
soul-saving campaigns4 ,she felt her    
duty lay here1 and even when she had a  
little son to care for1 she was         
unwilling to settle down4 ,writing to   
her mother1 who urged her to leave off  
this trying life2 or1 at any rate1 to   
hand the baby over to her1 she says3--  
',my objection to leaving ,william gets 
stronger as ,i see the need he has of my
 presence1 care1 and sympathy2 neither  
is he willing for it himself4 ,nor can  

,i make up my mind to parting with      
,willie4'  ,mrs4 ,booth's object was to 
be a help to her husband--not a         
hindrance2 to push him forward in his   
soul-saving work--not to hold him back2 
and therefore1 instead of rejoicing1 as 
most wives and mothers would have done1 
when a settled home and work were       
offered him1 she was doubtful4          
',personally considered1' she writes to 
her mother1 ',i care nothing about it4  
,i feel that a good rest in one place   
will be a boon to us4 ,anyhow1 if ,god  
wills him to be an ,evangelist1 ,he will
 open the way4 ,i find that ,i love the 
work itself far more than ,i thought ,i 
did1 and ,i am willing to risk something
 for it4'  ,after this came several     
years of great conflict and struggle4   
,the ,conference 7or1 as we would say1  
,headquarters7 under whom ,the ,general 
worked did not wish him to continue the 
great ,salvation ,campaigns for which   
,god had so marvellously fitted him4    
,they wanted him to 'settle down1' and  

spend perhaps several years in one place
 like ordinary ministers4  ,to please   
those who were over him he did this1 and
 spent four years in one town4 ,but     
though ,god blessed his efforts1 ,the   
,general was convinced that he was      
called to greater things4 ,he loved the 
sinners2 wherever he went crowds flocked
 to hear him1 and the vilest were       
converted4 ,was it ,god's will1         
therefore1 that he should sacrifice the 
work his soul loved1 and 'settle down'  
into an ordinary life1 helping and      
reaching only the people of one small   
city8  ,this question our ,army ,mother 
helped him to decide4 ,try to picture   
her position4 ,she had by this time a   
family of little children1 and her      
health was very delicate4 ,by           
counselling ,the ,general to 'settle    
down1' as his friends wished him to do1 
she would have a nice home1 a           
comfortable income1 and1 above all1 the 
constant presence of her husband1 who   
would no longer need to leave her on his

 long soul-saving tours4  ,by refusing  
the position offered1 and choosing      
instead to take up the 'evangelistic    
life' again1 ,the ,general turned his   
back on salary1 home1 and work1 and went
 out into the world1 with his wife and  
four children1 friendless and alone4 ,do
 you wonder that the struggle was a     
severe one8  ',pray for me1' she wrote  
to her mother1 when the question was    
about to be settled4 ',i have many a    
conflict in regard to the proposed new  
departure2 not as to our support--,i    
feel as though ,i can trust the ,lord   
implicitly for all that2 but the ,devil 
tells me ,i shall never be able to      
endure the loneliness and separation of 
the life4 ,he draws many a picture of   
most dark and melancholy shade4 ,but ,i 
cling to the promise1 ,no man hath      
forsaken1 etc41 and1 having sworn to my 
own hurt1 may ,i stand fast4 ,i have    
told ,william that if he takes the step1
 and it should bring me to the          
workhouse1 ,i would never say one       

upbraiding word4 ,no4 ,to blame him for 
making such a sacrifice for ,god and    
conscience' sake would be worse than    
wicked4 ,so1 whatever be the result1 ,i 
shall make up my mind to endure it      
patiently1 looking to the ,lord for     
grace and strength4'  ,but if it was    
difficult for ,mrs4 ,booth1 the path was
 equally dark and hard for ,the         
,general4  ',william hesitates1' she    
writes a few weeks later4 ',he thinks of
 me and the children1 and ,i appreciate 
his love and care4 ,but ,i tell him that
 ,god will provide1 if he will only go  
straight on in the path of duty4 ,it is 
strange that ,i1 who always used to     
shrink from the sacrifice1 should be the
 first in making it4 ,but when ,i made  
the surrender ,i did it whole-heartedly1
 and ever since ,i have been like       
another being4 ,oh1 pray for us yet more
 and more6 ,we have no money coming in  
from any quarter now4 ,nor has ,william 
any invitations at present4 ,the time is
 unfavourable4 ,i am much tempted to    

feel it hard that ,god has not cleared  
our path more satisfactorily4 ,but ,i   
will not charge ,god foolishly4 ,i know 
that ,his way is often in the whirlwind1
 and ,he rides upon the storm3 ,i will  
try to possess my soul in patience1 and 
to wait on ,him4'  ,sometimes you have  
heard your ,officers talking in a       
,meeting1 and telling the people that1  
if they will but step out in faith1 and 
do right1 ,god will open up the way for 
them4 ,the example of our ,general and  
,army ,mother has taught us this lesson1
 for few ever took a step of faith into 
greater darkness and difficulty than    
they did at this time4  ',my dearest1'  
writes ,mrs4 ,booth to her mother1 'is  
starting for ,london4 ,pray for him4 ,he
 is much harassed4 ,but ,i have promised
 to keep a brave heart4 ,at times it    
appears to me that ,god may have        
something very glorious in store for us1
 and when ,he has tried us ,he will     
bring us forth as gold4 ,it will not be 
the first time ,i have taken a leap in  

the dark1 humanly speaking1 for         
conscience' sake4'  ,it was1 indeed1 a  
'leap in the dark'3 to break up their   
little home in the ,north1 and1         
travelling by boat1 to save expense1 to 
bring their four children to ,mrs4      
,mumford's house in ,london4 ,there they
 separated3 the father and mother went  
to ,cornwall1 to hold a ,salvation      
campaign in a little chapel that had    
been lent to them1 and the children     
remained behind4  ,of the marvellous way
 in which ,god blessed the ,cornish     
work1 ,i cannot stop to tell you4 ,mrs4 
,booth's name as a preacher was by this 
time becoming as widely known as that of
 her husband2 and they went from one    
place to another1 at first together1 and
 then1 afterwards1 separately1 so as to 
be able to do more good1 for four long  
years4  ,whenever possible1 our ,army   
,mother took her children with her3 she 
never left them to others when she could
 help it1 and later on ,i shall tell you
 what a devoted and tender mother she   

was2 but the strain of those four long  
years no one will ever know4 ,i want you
 to see the dark as well as the bright  
side of her wonderful life2 and here is 
part of a letter to her mother1 written 
at that time3--  ',i feel dreadfully    
unsettled at present4 ,i don't like this
 mode of living at all4 ,william has now
 been away from home1 except on ,friday 
and ,saturday1 for twelve weeks4 ,i long
 to get fixed together again once more4 
,the going backwards and forwards and   
being in other people's houses does not 
suit ,william4 ,nor do ,i like leaving  
home for the ,sabbaths4 ,i am much      
tempted to look gloomily towards the    
future4 ,but my heart is fixed4 ,i will 
trust1 and not be afraid4'  ,then again1
 a little later on3--  ',pray for me4 ,i
 sometimes feel as though ,i had taken a
 path which is too hard for me1 and     
duties too heavy for me to perform2 but 
it is my privilege to say1 and to feel1 
,i can do all things through ,christ    
which strengtheneth me4'  ,once again   

she says3--  ',well1 the ,lord help us  
to be faithful to our convictions1 even 
in the dark and cloudy day6 ,i have felt
 it hard work to do so lately4 ,many a  
time have ,i longed to be where the     
weary are at rest4  ',well1 we must     
labour and wait a little longer2 it may 
be that the clouds will break1 and      
surround us with sunshine4 ,anyway1 ,god
 lives above the clouds1 and ,he will   
direct our path4'  ,the ,general and    
,mrs4 ,booth were holding ,salvation    
services in ,london when our ,army      
,mother was called to make a fresh      
sacrifice1 never dreaming of the        
wonderful results that would spring from
 it4 ,you shall read about it in her own
 words1 spoken many years afterwards3-- 
',i remember well1' she says1 'when ,the
 ,general decided at last to give up the
 evangelistic life and to devote himself
 to the ,salvation of the ,east-,enders4
 ,he had come home from a ,meeting one  
night1 tired out1 as usual4 ,it was     
between eleven and twelve o'clock4      

,flinging himself into an easy chair1 he
 said to me1 ,o ,kate1 as ,i passed by  
the doors of the flaming gin-palaces    
to-night ,i seemed to hear a voice      
sounding in my ears1 ',where can you go 
and find such heathen as these1 and     
where is there so great a need for your 
labours8' ,and ,i felt as though ,i     
ought at every cost to stop and preach  
to these ,east-,end crowds4  ',i        
remember the emotion that this produced 
in my soul4 ,i sat gazing into the fire1
 and the ,devil whispered to me1 ,this  
means another new departure--another    
start in life4  ',the question of our   
support ,i saw at once to be a serious  
difficulty4 ,hitherto we had been able  
to meet our expenses by the collections 
which we had made from our respectable  
audiences4 ,but it was impossible to    
suppose that we could do so among the   
poverty-stricken ,east-,enders4 ,we did 
not then see things as we do to-day4 ,we
 were afraid even to ask for a          
collection among the ,east ,london      

crowds4  ',nevertheless1 ,i did not     
answer discouragingly4 ,after a moment's
 pause for thought and prayer1 ,i       
answered1 ,well1 if you feel you ought  
to stay1 stay4 ,we have trusted the     
,lord once for our support1 and we can  
trust ,him again4'  ,mrs4 ,booth1 when  
she answered like this1 had no idea of  
all that was to follow4 ,she never      
dreamt that1 from ,the ,general's       
standing alone in ,whitechapel1 a mighty
 wave of ,salvation would sweep over the
 earth1 nor that ,god was about to raise
 up an ,army of which she and ,the      
,general were to be the leaders4  ,but1 
as always before1 she willingly agreed  
to whatever would be for ,god's glory   
and the ,salvation of souls2 and we all 
know to-day how1 from that little       
,whitechapel beginning1 grew the        
,christian ,mission1 and how1 at last1  
the ,christian ,mission became ,the     
,salvation ,army4  ,do not think1       
however1 that our dear ,army ,mother's  
consecration stopped here6 ,no1 indeed4 

,one by one1 as they became old enough1 
she gave up her children to the ,work1  
and we shall never know all we owe as an
 ,army to her beautiful spirit of       
devotion and sacrifice4  ,let us stand  
together by her open grave in the autumn
 twilight4 ,her twenty-six years of     
fight and toil in ,the ,salvation ,army 
are over now1 her spirit has been       
summoned ,home4 ,listen4 ,the ,army     
,founder himself is the speaker4 ,he is 
recalling the forty years which he and  
our dear ,army ,mother had trod         
together1 and his words sum up better   
than any other words could do what she  
was to our ,leader3--  ',if you had had 
a tree1' he said1 speaking to the vast  
crowd that stood round the grave1 'that 
had grown up in your garden1 under your 
window1 which for forty years had been  
your shadow from the burning sun1 whose 
flowers had been the adornment and      
beauty of your life1 whose fruit had    
been almost the stay of your existence1 
and the gardener had come along and     

swung his glittering axe and cut it down
 before your eyes1 ,i think you would   
feel as though you had a blank--it might
 not be a big one--but a little blank in
 your life4  ',if you had had a servant 
who for all this long time had served   
you without fee or reward1 who had      
administered1 for very love1 to your    
health and comfort1 and who suddenly    
passed away1 you would miss that        
servant4  ',if you had had a counsellor 
who1 in hours--continually occurring--of
 perplexity and amazement1 had ever     
advised you1 and seldom advised wrong2  
whose advice you had followed1 and      
seldom had reason to regret it2 and the 
counsellor1 while you were in the same  
intricate mazes of your existence1 had  
passed away1 you would miss that        
counsellor4  ',if you had had a friend  
who had understood your very nature1 the
 rise and fall of your feelings1 the    
bent of your thoughts1 and the purpose  
of your existence2 a friend whose       
communion had ever been pleasant--the   

most pleasant of all other friends--to  
whom you had ever turned with           
satisfaction1 and your friend had been  
taken away1 you would feel some sorrow  
at the loss4  ',if you had had a mother 
for your children who had cradled and   
nursed and trained them for the service 
of the living ,god1 in which you most   
delighted--a mother1 indeed1 who had    
never ceased to bear their sorrows on   
her heart1 and who had been ever willing
 to pour forth that heart's blood in    
order to nourish them1 and that darling 
mother had been taken from your side1   
you would feel it a sorrow4  ',if you   
had had a wife1 a sweet love of a wife1 
who for forty years had never given you 
real cause for grief2 a wife who had    
stood with you1 side by side1 in the    
battle's front1 who had been a comrade  
to you1 ever willing to interpose       
herself between you and the enemy1 and  
ever the strongest when the battle was  
fiercest1 and your beloved one had      
fallen before your eyes1 ,i am sure     

there would be some excuse for your     
sorrow4  ',well1 my comrades1 you can   
roll all these qualities into one       
personality1 and what would be lost in  
all ,i have lost in one4 ,there has been
 taken away from me the light of my     
eyes1 the inspiration of my soul1 and we
 are about to lay all that remains of   
her in the grave4 ,i have been looking  
right at the bottom of it here1 and     
calculating how soon they may bring and 
lay me alongside of her1 and my cry to  
,god has been that every remaining hour 
of my life may make me readier to come  
and join her in death1 to go and embrace
 her in life in the ,eternal ,city4'    
,v  ,,the ,,speaker    ',i will never   
speak to sinners so that one man or     
woman in my audience can stand up and   
say1 ,you might have warned me more     
faithfully1 spoken more plainly than you
 did4 ,i would rather die than that     
should be the case4'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4   
,no one must think that ,mrs4 ,booth    
became a great speaker all in a moment1 

or by any 'royal road4' ,she started    
when about eighteen1 as many a ,corps   
,cadet has since done1 by just taking a 
class or ,company on ,sundays1 never    
dreaming of doing more4 ,an elder girls'
 ,company was given to her2 and she had 
fifteen girls to teach1 whose ages      
varied from twelve to nineteen4  ,two   
half-days she spent every week in       
preparing for her ,company1 and in      
trying to make each lesson end in a     
practical way1 so as to do them real    
good4  ,then on ,sunday1 when the rest  
of the children had been dismissed1     
,miss ,mumford would beg to be given the
 key of the room and would remain       
behind1 holding a little ,prayer        
,meeting with her girls4 ,sometimes they
 would stay on for an hour and a half1  
and many by this means became truly     
converted4  ,often with so much praying 
and singing ,catherine quite lost her   
voice before the end of the ,meeting2   
but1 so long as souls were saved1 she   
did not mind that4  ,soon after her     

marriage ,mrs4 ,booth took another class
 of this same kind1 and also a little   
sort of ,sergeants' ,meeting1 and       
then--for you see our ,army ,mother was 
led on1 just as you or ,i may be1 step  
by step--she gave a short talk to the   
,band of ,hope children 7something like 
our ,band of ,love of today7 on the     
evils of drink4  ',oh1 how ,i wish1' she
 wrote to her father1 'that ,i had      
started speaking years ago6'  ,a little 
later on ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,booth moved to 
,gateshead1 and there the people were   
very much surprised to hear their       
minister's wife pray aloud when her     
husband had done speaking2 for in those 
days very few women thought of praying1 
much less of speaking1 in public4       
',since you can pray so beautifully1    
will you come and talk to us on our     
special ,prayer-,meeting night8' some of
 the people asked4 ,but ,mrs4 ,booth was
 horrified4  ',of course1 ,i said ,no1' 
she wrote4 ',i don't know what they can 
be thinking of4'  ,just at this time an 

argument began in one of the newspapers 
as to whether women had the right to    
speak for ,god or not4 ,mrs4 ,booth     
wrote an answer to this question you can
 read it for yourself in her book1      
',practical ,religion'--and she showed  
from ,god's ,word1 that women have the  
same right to help to get people saved  
that the men have4 ,the little pamphlet 
was already printed and being widely    
read1 and our ,army ,mother lay alone in
 her room very ill1 when the thought    
flashed into her soul1 ',you have been  
helping other women to preach and to    
speak for ,god4 ,what about yourself8'  
',oh1 no1 ,lord1 not me2 ,i can't4 ,i   
am1 as ,thou knowest1 the most timid and
 bashful disciple ever saved by grace4' 
,that was her answer4  ,then the ,lord  
took her back to the days when she first
 gave herself to ,him1 at the age of    
fifteen4 ,he showed her that all the way
 along this one thing had hindered and  
stopped her from 'being the blessing or 
from getting the blessing ,he intended4'

  ',lord1' she cried1 'if ,thou wilt    
come back to me as in the old days1 ,i  
will obey1 though ,i die in the         
attempt4'  ,but at the moment ,god      
seemed not to answer her cry1 and when  
she was well again all went on as       
before4  ,three months later ,mrs4      
,booth was quietly sitting one ,sunday  
morning in chapel with her eldest boy1  
when a very wonderful thing happened4   
,you shall read about it in her own     
words3--  ',i felt much depressed in    
mind1' she says1 'and was not expecting 
anything particular1 but as the         
testimonies proceeded ,i felt the ,holy 
,spirit come upon me4 ,it seemed as if a
 voice said to me3 ,now1 if you were to 
go and testify1 you know ,i would bless 
it to your own soul as well as to the   
people6 ,i gasped again1 and said in my 
heart3 ,yes1 ,lord1 ,i believe ,thou    
wouldst1 but ,i cannot do it6 ,i had    
forgotten my vow4  ',a moment afterwards
 there flashed across my mind the memory
 of the time when ,i had promised the   

,lord that ,i would obey ,him at all    
costs4 ,and then the voice seemed to ask
 me if this was consistent with that    
promise4 ,i almost jumped up and said1  
,no1 ,lord1 it is the old thing over    
again4 ,but ,i cannot do it6 ,i felt as 
though ,i would sooner die than speak4  
,and then the ,devil said1 ,besides1 you
 are not prepared4 ,you will look like a
 fool1 and will have nothing to say4 ,he
 made a mistake4 ,he overreached himself
 for once4 ,it was this word that       
settled it4 ,ah6 ,i said1 this is just  
the point4 ,i have never yet been       
willing to be a fool for ,christ4 ,now  
,i will be one6  ',without stopping     
another moment1 ,i rose up from my seat 
and walked down the aisle4 ,my dear     
husband thought something had happened  
to me1 and so did the people4 ,we had   
been there two years1 and they knew my  
timid1 bashful nature4 ,he stepped down1
 and asked me1 ,what is the matter1 my  
dear8 ,i replied1 ,i want to say a word6
 ,he was so taken by surprise that he   

could only say1 ,my dear wife wishes to 
speak6 and sat down4 ,for years he had  
been trying to persuade me to do it4    
,only that very week he had wanted me to
 go and address a little ,cottage       
,meeting of some twenty working people1 
but ,i had refused4  ',i stood--,god    
only knows how--and if any mortal ever  
did hang on the arm of ,omnipotence1 ,i 
did4 ,i just stood and told the people  
how it had come about4 ,i confessed1 as 
,i think everybody should who has been  
in the wrong and has misrepresented the 
religion of ,jesus ,christ4 ,i said1 ,i 
dare say many of you have been looking  
upon me as a very devoted woman1 and one
 who has been living faithfully to ,god4
 ,but ,i have come to realize that ,i   
have been disobeying ,him1 and thus     
brought darkness and leanness into my   
soul4 ,i have promised the ,lord to do  
so no longer1 and have come to tell you 
that henceforth ,i will be obedient to  
the holy vision4  ',there was more      
weeping1 they said1 in the chapel that  

day than on any previous occasion4 ,many
 dated a renewal in righteousness from  
that very moment1 and began a life of   
devotion and consecration to ,god4      
',now ,i might have talked good to them 
till now4 ,that honest confession did   
what twenty years of preaching could not
 have accomplished4'  ,after this       
wonderful victory ,mrs4 ,booth never    
again drew back4 ,the same night she    
spoke once more1 with even greater power
 than in the morning1 and before long   
invitations came pouring in from all    
parts1 for wherever she went souls were 
saved and people sanctified4  ,but it   
cost her a great deal to preach like    
this4 ,she writes of one ,meeting held  
soon after3--  ',i got on very well1 and
 had three beautiful cases1 but ,i      
cannot tell you how ,i felt all day     
about it4 ,i could neither eat nor      
sleep4 ,i never was in such a state1 and
 when ,i saw the people1 ,i felt like   
melting away4 ,however1 ,i got through4'
  ,even to the last1 when she was known 

all round the world as one of the       
greatest women-preachers of the day1 she
 never spoke without feeling deeply the 
responsibility and importance of her    
work1 nor without having prepared       
carefully beforehand what she wanted to 
say4  ,it was very difficult for her1   
with four little children1 the eldest   
only four years and three months old1 to
 get enough time and quiet4 ,we should  
have said it was impossible1 for she was
 not well off1 and could not afford to  
put her sewing out1 or to have many     
servants to work for her2 but she       
says3--  ',god forced me to begin to    
think and work1 and ,he gave me grace   
and strength to do it4 ,many a time     
while ,i was nursing my baby ,i was     
thinking of what ,i should say next     
,sunday1 and between times ,i noted down
 with a pencil the thoughts as they     
struck me4 ,then ,i would appear with an
 outline scratched in pencil1 trusting  
in the ,lord to give me the power of    
,his ,holy ,spirit2 and from the day ,i 

began ,he has never allowed me to open  
my mouth without giving me signs of ,his
 presence and blessing4'  ,the two books
 she always used in getting ready for   
her ,meetings were her ,bible and       
,concordance4  ,in later years she      
taught her children how to prepare for  
their ,meetings1 and some of the advice 
she gives is very helpful to ,corps     
,cadets4  ',jesus wept1' she writes to  
her eldest girl1 who was then fourteen1 
'would be a nice subject for you at one 
of your little ,meetings4 ,and you could
 find some texts to show how ,david     
wept1 and ,daniel1 and ,jeremiah1 etc41 
if you like it4 ,but don't take it      
because ,i say so--you must ask the     
,lord for your subjects4'  ,later on1   
however1 as ,the ,salvation ,army grew1 
,mrs4 ,booth felt that1 though it was   
just as necessary to prepare1 yet to    
speak from notes was often not helpful  
to either the ,officer or the people1 so
 she writes to one of her sons3--  ',get
 out of them6 ,they don't fit our work4 

,when you get on1 you don't want them2  
and when you don't1 they are no good4   
,at first1 if your memory won't serve   
you1 just jot on a small bit of paper   
the size of a ticket your main divisions
 in large writing1 but no more4 ,like   
this3--    ',day of wrath is come4      
'#a4 ,god's wrath4   '#b4 ,just wrath4  
'#c4 ,uttermost wrath4   '#d4 ,eternal  
wrath4'  ,on the platform ,mrs4 ,booth's
 manner was as simple and natural as    
when by her own fireside2 anything 'put 
on' or affected she hated4  ',if ,i were
 asked1' she says1 'to put into one word
 what ,i consider to be the greatest    
hindrance to the success of ,divine     
truth1 even when spoken by sincere and  
real people1 ,i should say stiffness4   
,simplicity is indispensable to success1
 naturalness in putting the truth4 ,it  
seems as if people1 the moment they come
 to religion1 put on a different tone1 a
 different look and manner--in short1   
become unnatural4'  ,but ,mrs4 ,booth   
not only prepared for her ,meetings by  

thought and study1 but she prepared most
 of all by prayer4  ',oh1 if we could1' 
she writes1 'get more of the spirit of  
prayer into those who love ,god6 ,few   
understand it at all4  ',i always find  
an exact proportion in the results to   
the spirit of intercession ,i have had  
beforehand4 ,that is why ,i like to be  
alone in lodgings4'  ,before her        
,meeting she would wrestle and plead    
with ,god for hours1 in tears and agony1
 and then would face her congregation   
overflowing with love and faith4  ',pray
 for me1' she writes during her         
marvellous ,portsmouth campaign4 ',no   
one knows how ,i feel4 ,i think ,i never
 realized my responsibility as ,i did on
 ,sunday night4 ,i felt really awful    
before rising to speak4 ,the sight      
almost overwhelmed me4 ,with its two    
galleries1 its dome-like roof and vast  
proportions1 when crammed with people1  
the building presents a most imposing   
appearance4 ,the top gallery is ten or  
twelve seats deep in front1 and it was  

full of men4 ,such a sight as ,i have   
never seen on any previous occasion4    
,oh1 how ,i yearned over them6 ,i felt  
as if it would be a small thing to die  
there and then1 if that would have      
brought them to ,jesus4'  ,nothing short
 of men and women getting converted     
satisfied her4  ',they say1' she writes 
of another campaign1 'the sinners here  
will bide some bringing down4 ,well1 the
 ,lord can do it4 ,they tell me1 too1   
that ,i am immensely popular with the   
people4 ,but that is no comfort unless  
they will be saved4'  ,she laboured to  
get the truth home to the hearts of her 
listeners1 and that is why her talking  
was so blessed4  ',god made you         
responsible1' she said1 'not for        
delivering the truth1 but for ,,getting 
,,it ,,in--getting it home1 fixing it in
 the conscience as a red-hot iron1 as a 
bolt1 straight from ,his throne2 and ,he
 has given you also the power to do it2 
and if you do not do it1 blood will be  
on your skirts4 ,oh1 this genteel way of

 putting the truth6 ,how ,god hates it6 
,if you please1 dear friends1 will you  
listen8 ,if you please1 will you be     
converted8 ,will you come to ,jesus8    
,shall we read just this1 that1 and the 
other8 ,no more like apostolic preaching
 than darkness is like light4'  ,how can
 ,i show you some of the marvellous     
results of her preaching8 ,in every part
 of our land her influence and words    
made themselves felt2 the largest       
buildings were crowded with all classes 
of society1 and glorious cases of       
conversion and sanctification crowned   
her labours everywhere4 ,a lady who was 
at some of her women's ,meetings at     
,lye1 near ,birmingham1 tells us3--     
',the women left their work1 and in all 
sorts of odd costumes flocked to the    
,meetings1 some with bonnets1 some with 
shawls fastened over their head1 others 
with little children clinging to their  
necks4 ,all1 with eager1 inquiring      
faces1 took their seats and listened to 
the gracious words which fell from the  

lips of dear ,mrs4 ,booth4 ,and when the
 invitation was given1 what a scene     
ensued6 ,it baffles all description4    
,crowding1 weeping1 rushing to the      
penitent-form came convicted sinners and
 repentant backsliders4 ,when the form  
was filled the penitents dropped upon   
their knees in the aisles or in their   
seats1 so that it was difficult to move 
about4'  ,when holding some ,meetings in
 a ,rotherhithe chapel 7for ,the ,army  
was only just beginning its work1 and   
our ,army ,mother took ,meetings in     
different churches and chapels up and   
down the land71 the victories were just 
as glorious1 and one of her ,converts   
says3--  ',there were many remarkable   
cases of conversion at these ,meetings4 
,amongst others there were the two      
daughters of a publican4 ,when one      
sister was saved the other went to hear 
,mrs4 ,booth on purpose to ridicule the 
services4 ,but she was seized with such 
an agonizing realization of her sins    
that she came down from the top of the  

gallery to the penitent-form1 crying out
 aloud1 ,i must come6 ,i must come6     
,soon after their father gave up the    
public-house1 and they afterwards became
 members of ,mr4 ,spurgeon's            
,tabernacle4  ',i have seen as many as  
thirty persons seeking ,salvation in a  
single ,meeting1 and some years         
afterwards1 when ,i looked at the       
register of our chapel1 ,i found about  
one hundred names of those who had      
professed to be converted at this time4'
  ,our ,army ,mother1 too1 was equally  
straight and fearless with the rich     
when1 later on1 they also came in crowds
 to hear her4 ,she had but one message  
and one gospel for all alike4 ,she says1
 ',by ,god's help ,i will not regard the
 person of man1 but will plainly and    
fearlessly declare the truth1 come what 
may4' ,god honoured this spirit1 and her
 ,meetings in the ,west-,end of ,london1
 where the great and rich live1 were    
some of the most glorious of her life4  
,of one such she writes3--  ',the ,lord 

has very graciously stood by me1 and    
given me much precious fruit4 ,last     
,sunday we had the ,hall crowded1 and a 
large proportion of gentlemen4 ,the     
,lord was there in power1 and twenty-one
 came forward--some for ,salvation and  
some for purity4 ,several were most     
blessed cases of full surrender4 ,we did
 not get away till nearly six1 and we   
began at three4 ,everybody is amazed at 
this for the ,west-,end6 ,the audience  
is very select1 we never having         
published a bill4 ,pray much1 dear      
friend1 that ,god may do a deep and     
permanent work in this ,babylon4 ,it    
seems as though ,he gave me words of    
fire for them1 and they sat spellbound4'
  ,you say you wish you had heard her   
speak8 ,indeed1 we all wish you had3 you
 could never have forgotten it4 ,but    
several of her addresses were taken down
 in shorthand at the time1 and are      
reprinted in her books1 so you can get  
and read them2 and they will bless and  
teach you as they have taught thousands 

before you4     ,,vi  ,,the ,,mother    
',a lady once said to me1 ,how have you 
managed to get your children converted  
so early8 ,oh1 ,i said1 ,i have been    
beforehand with the ,devil4'--,,mrs4    
,,booth4  ,i have already told you how  
,mrs4 ,booth had the true mother spirit 
when but a little child1 loving and     
tending her dolls as if they had been   
real babies2 you will1 therefore1 guess 
that with her own children she was the  
best and most careful of mothers4 ,she  
began early to train them in the right  
way1 and never left them unless forced  
to do so4  ',i cannot part with         
,willie1' she writes to her mother1 who 
offered to free ,mrs4 ,booth by taking  
charge of the baby for her2 'first1     
because ,i know the child's affections  
could not but be weaned from us2 and    
secondly1 because the next year will be 
the most important of his life with     
reference to managing his will2 and in  
this ,i cannot but distrust you4 ,i     
know1 my darling mother1 you could not  

wage war with his self-will so          
resolutely as to subdue it4 ,and then my
 child would be ruined1 for he must be  
taught implicit1 uncompromising         
obedience4'  ,but long before writing   
this she had already claimed her boy for
 ,god and ,his war4 ',i had from the    
first1' she says1 'definite longings    
over ,bramwell1 and lifted him up to    
,god as soon as ,i had strength to do   
so1 especially desiring he should be a  
teacher of ,holiness4' ,these prayers   
began to be answered very early4 ,the   
boy had a truthful and conscientious    
nature4 ,never1 his mother says1 does   
she remember his telling her a lie4     
,but1 for all that1 he needed1 as do all
 children1 training and teaching1 and   
,mrs4 ,booth was too wise not to be     
firm4 ,she writes therefore3  ',i       
believe he will be a thoroughly noble   
lad1 if ,i can preserve him from all    
evil influence4 ,the ,lord help me6 ,i  
have had to whip him twice lately       
severely for disobedience1 and it has   

cost me some tears4 ,but it has done him
 good1 and ,i am reaping the reward     
already of my self-sacrifice4 ,the ,lord
 help me to be faithful and firm as a   
rock in the path of duty towards my     
children6'  ,we know how practical our  
,army ,mother always was2 sentimental   
pity without help she despised4 ,when   
her little son1 therefore1 saw and      
pitied a small boy with shoeless feet1  
his mother quickly reminded him of his  
little money-box4  ',would you rather   
keep the money for barley-sugar1        
,willie1 or give it to the poor boy8'   
she asked4 ',give it to the boy1' he    
said at once1 and so learnt his first   
lesson in self-denial4  ,when the boy   
was seven years old he was converted1 to
 his mother's deepest joy4 ,some time   
before she had talked to him in a       
,meeting1 and urged him to get saved4   
,the boy sat still and said nothing4    
',willie1 ,i insist1' said his mother at
 last4 ',you must answer me4 ,will you  
give your heart to ,god or not8 ,yes or 

no8'  ,willie looked up in her face     
steadily and answered back ',no4'  ,mrs4
 ,booth said no more just then1 but held
 on in faith and prayer1 and some months
 later1 to her unutterable thankfulness1
 she found him squeezed in among a      
number of other children at the         
penitent-form4 ,he had1 unasked1 made   
his way there1 and was weeping and      
confessing his sins with all his heart4 
,needless to say1 he was faithfully     
dealt with1 and the boy1 now our beloved
 ,general1 dates his conversion from    
that moment4 ,a little later ,mrs4      
,booth wrote of him3--  ',willie has    
begun to serve ,god1 of course as a     
child1 but still1 ,i trust1 taught of   
the ,spirit4 ,i feel a great increase of
 responsibility with respect to him4    
,oh6 to cherish the tender plant of     
grace aright4 ,lord help6'  ,and as with
 the eldest so with the other seven4    
,one by one they gave their hearts to   
the ,lord as soon as they grew old      
enough to do so4  ',she used to gather  

us round her1' says one of her          
daughters1' and pray with us4 ,i wore   
then a low frock1 and her hot tears     
would often drop upon my neck1 sending a
 thrill through me which ,i can never   
forget4'  ,she would pray again and     
again that she might lay them in their  
graves rather than she should see them  
grow up wicked4  ,mrs4 ,booth was very  
particular about the way in which her   
children were dressed4  ,of course1     
there was no uniform in those days1 but 
,the ,army spirit was already in ,the   
,army ,mother1 and she would not have   
any finery or show1 either for herself  
or her children4  ',accept1' she writes 
to her mother1 'my warm thanks for the  
little frock you sent4 ,there is only   
one difficulty--it is too smart4 ,we    
must set an example in this direction4  
,i feel no temptation now to decorate   
myself1 but ,i cannot say the same about
 the children2 and yet1 ,oh1 ,i see ,i  
must be decided4 ,besides1 ,i find it   
would be dangerous for their own sakes4 

,the seed of vanity is too deeply sown  
in their young hearts for me to dare to 
cultivate it4'  ,even in her early days 
,mrs4 ,booth felt how wrong it was to   
spend time and money over dress3--  ',i 
remember feeling condemned1' she says1  
'when quite a child1 not more than eight
 years old1 at having to wear a lace    
tippet such as was fashionable in those 
days4 ,from a worldly point of view it  
would have been considered1 no doubt1   
very neat and consistent4 ,but on       
several occasions ,i had good crying    
fits over it4 ,not only did ,i          
instinctively feel it to be immodest1   
because people could see through it1 but
 ,i thought it was not such as a        
,christian child should wear4'  ,in     
everything to do with her home ,mrs4    
,booth was a most practical and careful 
mother4 ,she hated waste and luxury1 but
 her children were always properly      
dressed and fed and cared for1 and never
 lacked what was necessary for them4    
,ladies who had been blessed by her     

words came to consult her about their   
souls1 and to their surprise found the  
great preacher1 not shut away in her    
study1 but hard at work perhaps ironing 
the baby's pinafores1 or cutting out a  
pair of trousers for one of her boys6   
',i must try1' she said1 when she began 
to live this two-fold life1 'to do all  
in the kitchen as well as in the pulpit 
to the glory of ,god4 ,the ,lord help   
me4' ,he did help her1 and it was this  
practical mother-spirit at home which   
gave her so much force and power on the 
platform4  ,as the children grew older1 
they were more away from her side1 and  
her letters to them are suitable1 not   
only to her actual sons and daughters1  
but to her spiritual grandchildren who  
will read this little book4 ,therefore  
,i am going to give you some extracts1  
which you may take as though written by 
our ,army ,mother straight to your own  
heart4  ,to one of her boys at school   
she wrote3--  ',i do hope you are       
industrious1 and do not lose time in    

play and inattention4 ,remember ,satan  
steals his marches on us by littles--a  
minute now1 and a minute then4 ,be on   
the look out1 and don't be cheated by   
him6  ',all your little trials will soon
 be over1 so far as school life is      
concerned2 and every one of them1 if    
borne with patience1 will make you a    
wiser and better man4 ,never forget my  
advice about not listening to secrets6  
,don't hear anything that needs to be   
whispered--it is sure to be bad4 ,choose
 the boys to be your companions who most
 love and fear ,god1 and pray together  
when you can1 and help each other4'     
,here is a very beautiful letter written
 when one of her children desired to go 
in for some higher education1 which     
,mrs4 ,booth feared might spoil the soul
 life3--  ',i do so want you and all my 
children to live supremely for ,god4 ,i 
do so deeply deplore my own failure     
compared with what my life might have   
been1 and ,i feel as if ,i could die to 
save you from making a mistake4 ,perhaps

 you say1 ,you don't want me1 then1 to  
learn any more8 ,yes1 ,i do1 a great    
deal more2 but of the right kind1 in the
 right way1 and for a right purpose1    
even the highest good of your race4 ,i  
would like you to learn to put your     
thoughts together well1 to think        
logically and clearly1 to speak         
powerfully--that is1 with good but      
simple language--and to write clearly   
and well4'  ,just the wish we have now  
for all our ,young ,people6  ,early in  
their childhood the elder children were 
taught to be responsible for the        
younger1 and when at school they were   
given places of trust as monitors1 and  
so on4 ,as if knowing the               
responsibilities they would by and by be
 called to fill in our ranks1 ,mrs4     
,booth gives them some wise counsel3--  
',i hope1' she says to one who has been 
left in charge of the other children1   
'you will show yourself to be a true son
 of your mother1 and a consistent       
disciple of the ,lord4 ,very much       

depends on you as to the ease and       
comfort of managing the little ones4 ,do
 all you can4 ,be forbearing where only 
your own feelings or comfort are        
concerned1 and don't raise unnecessary  
difficulties2 but where their obedience 
to us or their health is at stake1 be   
firm in trying to put them right4'  ',i 
am pleased1' she says to one of the boys
 who has been in charge of others at    
school1 'that ,mr4 ,w4 puts such        
confidence in you2 but do not be puffed 
up by it4 ,remember how weak you are1   
and ask the ,lord to save you from      
conceit and self-sufficiency4 ,try to be
 fair and just in all dealings with the 
boys--i4e41 do not be hard on a boy whom
 you may not happen to like so well as  
another2 but be fair1 and treat all     
alike when left in charge4'  ,again1 she
 warns one of them against extremes1    
even in well doing3  ',you are under a  
mistake to suppose that sacrificing your
 recreation-time will help you in the   
end4 ,it will not4 ,cramming the mind   

acts just in the same way as cramming   
the stomach4 ,it is what you digest well
 that benefits you1 not what you cram   
in4 ,so many hours spent in study1 and  
then relaxation and walking1 will do    
your mind much more good than all work1 
and no play4 ,now mark this4 ,do not be 
looking so much at what you have to do  
as to what you are doing4 ,leave the    
future 7you may spend it in ,heaven71   
and go steadily on doing to-day's work  
in to-day's hours1 with recreation in   
between to shake the seed in4 ,one step 
well and firmly taken is better than two
 with a slip backwards4 ,poor human     
nature seems as though it must go to    
extremes--either all or none1 too much  
or too little1 idleness or being killed 
with work6 ,may the ,lord show you the  
happy medium4'  ',i was sorry about the 
cause of the accident4 ,i don't like    
that way of doing things in fun6 ,though
 it was very wrong and wicked of the boy
 to throw the brick1 yet it would have  
been better to let him look at the      

guinea-pigs being fed1 and thus have    
pleased him4 ,there was no harm in what 
he wanted to do4 ,you should watch      
against a hectoring spirit1 and mind the
 difference between a sacrifice of truth
 and principle1 and one only of         
self-importance or of mere feeling4 ,if 
a boy wants you to do wrong1 then be    
firm as a rock and brave for ,god and   
goodness4'  ',mind your soul1' she says 
at another time4 ',do not let your      
thoughts get so absorbed1 even in study1
 as to lead you to forget your ,bible   
and to neglect prayer4'  ,later1 again1 
as a wise mother she warns them in the  
tenderest way against their special     
temptations4  ,against lightness3--     
',be watchful against levity4 ,c4 is a  
good1 devoted fellow1 but naturally an  
incorrigible joker4 ,it may not hurt him
 much1 because it is his nature2 but it 
will hurt you if you give way to it4 ,it
 hurts nearly everybody4  ,watch6 ,don't
 descend to buffoonery4 ,while you      
become all things to win some1 don't    

forfeit your natural self-respect and   
the dignity of your position as a       
servant of ,christ4'  ,against too much 
talk3--  ',the ,spirit is teaching you  
this--is showing you that you must be   
more silent4 ,the tongue is one of the  
greatest enemies to grace 7,james iii4  
#e-ac74 ,strive to obey these teachings 
of ,god4 ,yield yourself up to obey2 and
 though you sometimes fail and slip1 do 
not be discouraged1 but yield yourself  
up again and again1 and plead more      
fervently with ,god to keep you4        
,fourteen years ago you were learning to
 walk1 and in the process you got many a
 tumble4 ,but now you can not only walk 
yourself1 but teach others4 ,so1        
spiritually1 if you will only let ,god  
lead you1 ,he will perfect that which is
 lacking in you4'  ,but it was not at   
first easy for the mother-spirit in     
,mrs4 ,booth to allow her delicate girls
 of fourteen or fifteen to undertake a  
public life1 and to speak and sing at   
the street corners1 surrounded by a     

rough1 low crowd4 ,such a thing was     
unheard-of in those days4  ,once1       
hearing that her daughter ,catherine had
 spoken in the open air to a large      
crowd1 ,mrs4 ,booth objected1 as other  
mothers have since objected3 the girl   
was too young as yet--she must wait     
awhile4  ,but her eldest son1 looking at
 his mother in the tenderest and most   
solemn way1 said1 ',mamma1 dear1 you    
will have to settle this question with  
,god2 for ,katie is as surely called and
 inspired by ,him for the particular    
work as you are yourself4'  ,mrs4 ,booth
 said no more4 ,she took this as the    
voice of ,god1 and gave her girl up to  
the marvellous work which ,god had      
called her to do4  ,later she writes of 
her to a friend3--  ',join me in praying
 that she may be kept humble and simple1
 and that all that the ,lord has given  
her may be used for ,him4'  ',i see1'   
she says1 writing at this same time to  
her daughter1 'what a glorious1 blessed1
 useful life you may live2 but ,i also  

see your danger1 and ,i pray for you    
that you may be enabled to cast aside   
the world in every form1 to look down   
upon its opinions1 and to despise its   
spirit1 maxims1 and fashions4'  ,later  
on1 again1 came the days when the boys  
had to choose1 as you have to do1 how   
they would spend their lives4 ,mrs4     
,booth might be writing to a ,corps     
,cadet of to-day when1 in a letter to   
one of her sons1 she says3--  ',i hope  
the ,lord will make you so miserable    
everywhere and at everything else that  
you will be compelled to preach6 ,oh1 my
 boy1 the ,lord wants such as you--just 
such--to go out amongst the people1     
seeking nothing but the things that are 
,jesus ,christ's6 ,you are free to do   
it2 able by ,his grace2 born to do it1  
with splendid opportunities4 ,will you  
not rise to your destiny8 ,have courage1
 and be strong1 and ,i 7the ,i ,am7 will
 be with thee4 ,get thee out1 and ,i    
will go with thee4 ,dare you not take   
hold of the arm that holds the world and

 all things up8 ,and if you do1 can you 
fail8 ,the ,lord gird you with ,his     
strength1 and make your brow brass1 and 
your tongue as a flame of fire4 ,you    
must preach6'  ,to another of her boys  
she writes3--  ',you may1 perhaps1 be   
wanted to stand and do battle for the   
,lord4 ,surely you will not sell your   
birthright8 ,the ,lord help you6 ,take  
hold of ,david's ,god4 ,hold your head  
up1 keep your shoulders back1 and go    
forward4'  ,again3--  ',this is what the
 world wants3 men of one idea--that of  
getting people saved4 ,there are plenty 
of men of one idea--that of             
gold-getting4 ,they make no secret of   
it2 they are of a worldly spirit4 ,now  
we want men who are set on soul-saving1 
who are not ashamed to let everybody    
know it--men of a ,christ-like spirit4  
,there need be no mistake or mystery    
about it4 ,by their fruits ye shall know
 them4 ,paul and every other man of like
 spirit has had his fruits1 and will    
have to the end of time4 ,it is ,not by 

might1 nor by power1 but by ,my ,spirit1
 saith the ,lord of ,hosts4'  ,with one 
of her daughters she reasons and        
pleads3--  ',oh1 it seems to me that if 
,i were in your place--young1 no cares  
or anxieties1 with such a start1 such   
influence1 and such a prospect--,i      
should not be able to contain myself for
 joy6 ,i should1 indeed1 aspire to be   
the bride of the ,lamb1 and to follow   
,him in conflict for the ,salvation of  
poor1 lost1 miserable man4 ,i pray the  
,lord to show it to you1 and so to      
enamour you of ,himself1 that you may   
see and feel it to be your chief joy to 
win them for ,him4 ,i say ,i pray for   
this--yes1 ,i groan for it1 with        
groanings that cannot be uttered2 and if
 ever you tell me it is so1 ,i shall be 
overjoyed4  ',i don't want you to make  
any vows 7unless1 indeed1 the ,spirit   
leads you to do so72 but ,i want you to 
set your mind and heart on winning      
souls1 and to leave everything else with
 the ,lord4 ,when you do this you will  

be happy--,oh1 so happy6 ,your soul will
 then find perfect rest4 ,the ,lord     
grant it to you1 my dear child4'  ,she  
made all her children feel that the only
 reward they could give her for her     
ceaseless toil and labour on their      
behalf was that they should give        
themselves to the ,war3--  ',i hope1 my 
dear boy1 that1 whatever sense of       
obligation or gratitude you have towards
 me1 you will try to return it by       
resolutely resisting all temptation to  
evil1 and by fitting yourself to your   
utmost to be useful to your fellow-men4 
,i ask from you1 as ,i asked from ,god1 
no other reward4 ,if ,i know my own     
heart1 ,i would rather that you should  
work for the ,salvation of souls1 making
 bad hearts good1 and miserable homes   
happy1 and preparing joy and gladness   
for men at the ,judgment bar1 if you    
only get bread and cheese all your life1
 than that you should fill any other    
capacity with #aj1jjj per year4'  ,to   
one of her children1 when tempted to be 

over-anxious1 she writes3--  ',keep your
 mind quiet4 ,lean back on ,god1 and    
don't worry4 ,it is ,his affair1 and if 
you have done what you could1 that is   
enough4 ,alas6 how little we have of the
 faith that can stand still1 and see the
 ,salvation of ,god4 ,what would you do 
if you were put in custody for two      
years1 like ,paul was8 ,and yet that    
imprisonment at ,rome sent the ,gospel  
far and wide6 ,god's ways are not our   
ways4 ,he takes in the whole field at   
once1 and does the best ,he can for the 
entire world4 ,human wisdom never has   
been able at the time to comprehend ,his
 plans1 but years after it has often    
seen their wisdom4 ,let us learn to     
trust in the dark--to stand still4'  ,to
 another1 tried and discouraged at the  
start of his public life3--  ',i have   
only a minute or two2 but1 lest you     
should think ,i don't sympathize with   
you1 ,i send you a line4 ,you ask1 did  
,i ever feel so8 ,yes1 ,i think just as 
bad as any mortal could feel--empty1    

inside and out1 as though ,i had nothing
 human or ,divine to aid me1 as if all  
,hell were let loose upon me4  ,but ,i  
have generally felt the worse before the
 best results1 which proves it was      
,satanic opposition4 ,and it has been   
the same with many of ,god's most       
honoured instruments4 ,i believe nearly 
all who are truly called of ,god to     
special usefulness pass through this    
buffeting4  ',it stands to sense1 if    
there is a ,devil1 that he should       
desperately withstand those whom he sees
 are going to be used of ,god4          
,supposing you were the ,devil1 and had 
set your heart on circumventing ,god1   
how would you do it but by opposing     
those who were bent on building up ,his 
,kingdom8 ,he hopes to drive us from the
 field by blood and fire and vapour of  
smoke4 ,but our ,captain fought and won 
the battle for us1 and we have only to  
hold on long enough1 and victory is     
sure4 ,courage6 your ,captain cries4    
,only be thou strong1 and of good       

courage1 and ,i will be with thee1 and  
teach thee what to say4  ',he hath      
chosen the weak things4 ,he has not made
 shift with them--taken them because    
there were no others4 ,no6 ,he hath     
chosen them4 ,will ,he ever forsake     
them1 and thus make ,himself a          
laughing-stock for ,hell8 ,never6 ,will 
,he ever let the ,devil say1 ,ah1 ah6   
,he chose this weak one1 and then let   
him fail8 ,no1 no1 no6'  ,on the        
important question of courtship1 she    
writes3--  ',the ,devil sets such       
innocent-looking traps--spiritual       
traps--to catch young people6 ,ah1 he is
 a serpent still6 ,beware of his        
devices1 and always cry to ,god for     
wisdom and strength of will to put down 
all foolish tampering4 ,you are born for
 greater things4 ,god may want you to be
 a leader in some vast continent1 and   
you will want a companion and a         
counsellor--a helpmeet4 ,the original   
word means a help corresponding to his  
dignity ,this is the meaning given by   

the best expositors4 ,oh1 what wisdom   
there is even in the words which ,god   
has chosen to express ,his ideas6       
,corresponding to his dignity6 ,yes1 and
 no man ever takes one below this mark  
who does not suffer for it2 and1 worse  
still1 generations yet unborn have to   
suffer also4 ,mind what ,god says1 and  
keep yourself till that one comes4  ',a 
wrong step on this point1 and you are   
undone4 ,oh1 the misery of an unsuitable
 match6 ,it is beyond description4 ,i   
could tell you tales of woe that are now
 being enacted4 ,but ,i must wait till  
we meet4  ',i have seen too much of     
life1 and know too much of human nature1
 to have much confidence in promises    
given under such circumstances4 ,for my 
own part1 ,i made up my mind when ,i was
 but sixteen that ,i would not have a   
man1 though a ,christian1 who should    
offer to become even an abstainer for my
 sake4 ,i felt that such a promise would
 not afford me ground for confidence    
afterwards4 ,and do not we see enough   

all round us to show that unless people 
adopt things on principle1 because they 
see it to be right1 they soon change8   
,look at the folks who promise to give  
up tobacco and dress1 for the sake of   
getting into berths2 how soon it        
evaporates6 ,no1 my lad1 wait a bit4    
,couldst thou not watch with ,me one    
hour8 ,jesus lived a single life for    
your sake all the way through4 ,can you 
not live so till ,he finds you one after
 ,his own heart8 ,i feel sure ,he will4 
,pray about it in faith4 ,i am doing so2
 and ,god will answer4 ,but ,oh1 don't  
run before ,him6 ,wait on the ,lord4    
',a little longer and you will be       
saying1 ,oh1 how glad ,i am ,i waited6  
,i have now found a treasure indeed6    
,when ,god's time and person are come1  
,he will bring you together4 ,how       
delighted and satisfied ,isaac must have
 felt when the servant told him the way 
,god led him 7,genesis xxiv474'  ,when  
standing by her grave ,the ,general said
 she was ,the ,army ,mother4 ,he said   

the truth4  ,one of her early promises1 
given to her as a girl1 when she only   
saw its greatness and hid it away in her
 heart as too sacred to be spoken of1   
and almost too wonderful ever to be     
accomplished1 were the words3 ',i will  
make thee a mother of nations4'  ,when  
called to send her children abroad1 she 
paid to the full the heavy price2 but   
she also saw the glorious outcome1 and  
from her death-bed sent tenderest       
messages to those of distant lands and  
far-off nations who owned her as their  
,army ,mother4     ,,vii  ,,the ,,worker
    ',what the ,lord wants is1 that you 
shall go about the business to which ,he
 sets you1 not asking for an easy post1 
nor grumbling at a hard one4'--,,mrs4   
,,booth4  ,if she had not been a worker1
 our ,army ,mother would have done      
little with her life4 ,the wonderful    
call which came to her1 her great gifts1
 the zeal and love which filled her     
heart1 would all have been useless had  
she not been willing to work1 and to    

work hard1 and to work every day4  ,stop
 and think about this4 ,no life         
accomplishes anything unless it is full 
of hard work--often work accompanied by 
much drudgery1 whether it is the life of
 a king or of a poor man4 ,mrs4 ,booth  
has set us all an example in this1 for  
she would work ceaselessly with head or 
hands or heart1 as long as ever her     
health allowed her to do so4 ,laziness  
and idleness of all kinds she detested2 
nor could she tolerate a lazy person in 
her service4  ,she worked first of all  
in her home4 ,when she spent a morning  
in her kitchen1 the work there was      
perfectly done4 ,the dinner was ready at
 the right time1 properly cooked1 good  
and wholesome4 ,she allowed no waste and
 no extravagance4 ,her bread was light  
and beautifully baked1 and when she had 
finished her morning's work her kitchen 
was as neat as when she began4 ,she     
finished everything1 and put it straight
 as she went along4  ,it was the same   
with the children4 ,she was alike nurse 

and doctor1 dressmaker and tailor2 she  
made and mended1 washed and ironed for  
her boys and girls during their early   
years1 and herself attended to every    
smallest detail of their lives4         
,strangers who asked where ,mrs4 ,booth 
bought her children's things1 so that   
they could go to the same shop1 could   
scarcely believe the reply3 ',mamma     
makes all our clothes herself'--so      
beautifully were they cut and finished4 
,and when the little garments were of no
 further service to her1 she would alter
 and mend them once again1 and give them
 away4 ,her baby-clothes1 when the last 
daughter had outgrown them1 were given  
to a member of the ,mission for his     
child4  ,he will never forget taking the
 little bundle home to his wife and     
turning over the tiny things4 ',i had   
often heard ,mrs4 ,booth preach1' he    
said1 'but those baby-clothes preached a
 louder sermon to me and my wife than   
ever her words had done4 ,they were all 
darned and mended and patched1 and the  

work--but1 there1 ,i never saw such     
stitches6 ,and as we looked1 and knew   
the hours of toil she must have put into
 them1 rather than throw them away1 as  
many another would have done--well1 ,i  
tell you ,i listened to her next sermon 
as ,i had never listened before4'  ,and 
this same diligent1 tireless spirit was 
with her to the last4 ,when on her      
deathbed1 able only to use her left     
hand1 and propped up by pillows1 she    
devised a little frame on which1        
painfully1 stitch by stitch1 she could  
work a last token of love for ,the      
,general4  ,when her hands were folded  
still in death1 ,i saw those slippers4  
,they were beautifully embroidered1 one 
with the words1 ',he will keep the feet 
of ,his ,saints'2 and the other with the
 sure and certain hope which lay beyond 
the parting1 ',our feet shall stand     
within thy gates1 ,o ,jerusalem'--a     
fitting and sacred service with which to
 close her many years of toil and labour
 for others4  ,but our ,army ,mother had

 another way of working in her          
home--that is1 she worked over others4  
,if a girl wished to learn1 ,mrs4 ,booth
 would take endless trouble in showing  
her the best way to wash or iron1 or    
clean a grate1 or do whatever the work  
on hand might be4 ,she instructed her   
servants1 explaining to them the reason 
for doing their duties in a certain way1
 teaching them forethought and common   
sense1 and dealing faithfully with them 
over all their failures4  ',better1' she
 said1 in one of her addresses--and she 
lived it out in her own home--'better   
take a girl whom you have to teach how  
to wash a child's face1 or to stitch a  
button on1 if she is true and sincere1  
than have one ever so clever1 who will  
teach your children to lie and deceive4'
  ,she worked1 too1 over the cases of   
need and poverty which were often at her
 door4 ,not content1 like so many1 with 
giving a few coppers to a beggar1 or    
some broken food1 she would inquire into
 the cause of the distress2 and then1 if

 the need seemed genuine1 she would     
help1 either by getting the father work1
 or by having the home visited and      
suitable relief given after the true    
condition of things had been found out4 
,and this was only a little of the      
homework with which her hands were ever 
full4 ,of her ceaseless care over her   
children's mind and soul training ,i    
have told you elsewhere4 ,but of her    
public work perhaps the most exhausting 
was that which resulted from her        
,meetings4 ,for she could not rest      
content with the most careful           
preparation beforehand1 nor with pouring
 out her whole soul upon the people     
during the forty or fifty minutes that  
her address lasted4 ,at the close of the
 ,meeting1 whenever her health allowed  
it1 she would labour and toil1 often for
 two hours and more1 dealing herself    
with the penitents1 meeting their       
difficulties1 one by one1 and was       
unwilling to leave them until1 as far as
 possible1 all had claimed and received 

the blessing they sought4  ,the next    
day1 too1 she would follow up any       
special case with a long personal letter
 from her own pen1 or she would arrange 
another interview1 or in some way keep  
in close1 actual touch with the         
struggling soul1 until the step of      
obedience had been taken1 and he or she 
was fairly started on the ,narrow ,way4 
,and it was this careful1 earnest1      
patient after-work which gave such      
glorious harvests to her soul-saving    
campaigns4 ,labour and trouble were a   
joy to her1 if she could but help one   
sincere1 seeking soul into the light4   
,but remember this3 while she so toiled 
over all who came to her for advice and 
guidance1 she never repeated nor passed 
on to others their confidences4 ,if she 
had done so1 people would soon have left
 off corning to her2 they would have    
said1 ',we cannot trust her4' ,she was1 
as you know1 a mighty speaker2 but about
 other people's affairs she was entirely
 silent--as you must learn to be if you 

wish to be of any service to ,god or    
man4  ,and ,mrs4 ,booth strove          
constantly to teach all who were around 
her to work as she did4 ',you have begun
 well enough--now carry it through1' she
 would say again and again to her       
children1 and whether it was a doll's   
frock1 or an article for ',the ,war     
,cry1' or a series of ,meetings1 it was 
always the same4 ,unfinished1 half-done 
work she detested with all her soul4    
',if a thing is worth beginning at all1 
then it is worth finishing1' she would  
say2 and this great principle followed  
her through her life in small things as 
in great4  ,this was the reason that1 on
 her deathbed1 she could say1 turning to
 the ,chief of the ,staff1 ',i have no  
vain regrets about the past4 ,as far as 
my strength allowed1 ,i have finished   
the work ,i had to do as ,i went along2 
and now ,i leave it1 all imperfect as it
 has been1 in ,his hands4'  ,perhaps1 by
 nature1 you are not a worker4 ,but what
 you are not by nature1 you can become  

by grace4 ,god can teach you to love    
work4 ,and as you work1 you will1 like  
our dear ,army ,mother1 learn better and
 better how to work2 and your life1     
whenever ,god calls you to lay it down1 
shall be like hers1 not unfinished1 but 
complete4     ,,viii  ,,goodness    ',i 
see more than ever that the religion    
which is pleasing to ,god consists in   
doing and enduring ,his will1 rather    
than in good sentiments and feelings4   
,the ,lord help us to endure as seeing  
,him who is invisible4'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4
  ,when our first ,general stood on that
 ,october evening by the grave of his   
beloved wife1 and spoke to us with a    
breaking heart of our ,army ,mother1 he 
unfolded to us the three great qualities
 which made her character so beautiful4 
,first1 and foremost1 she was good2     
secondly1 she was love2 and1 thirdly1   
she was a ,warrior4 ,let us1 following  
,the ,general's outline1 look at these  
three leading qualities in her life4    
',first1' he said1 'she was good4 ,she  

was washed in the ,blood of the ,lamb4  
,to the last moment her cry was a sinner
 saved by grace4 ,she was a thorough    
hater of shams1 hypocrisies1 and        
make-believes4 ,her goodness was of a   
practical sort4 ,by their fruits ye     
shall know them was a text she often    
quoted1 and one by which she was always 
willing to be judged4'  ,it is of this  
'goodness of a practical sort' that ,i  
want first to tell you1 before we       
consider that soul goodness which made  
her life so holy4  ,mrs4 ,booth could   
not imagine any goodness apart from     
industry4 ,as we have already seen1 she 
considered it a sin to waste precious   
time4 ,any one who was lazy she could   
not endure1 and when one such offered   
for the work she wrote of him3--  ',i do
 hope you will not throw a lot of money 
away in trying ,h------1 just for want  
of courage to tell him at once that he  
will not do1 because ,i am sure that it 
will be thrown away4 ,it is the nature  
of the man that is at fault1 and not his

 circumstances4 ,he is a drone1 and     
nothing1 no change of place or position1
 can ever make him into a bee4 ,he never
 ought to have left his trade2 he never 
would have done so if he had thought    
soul-saving was harder work6'           
,extravagance and waste of every kind   
she abhorred1 and had she not been so   
careful in planning and arranging1 her  
time and money would again and again    
have run short4 ,the sewing1 mending1   
and housekeeping needed for a family of 
little children when means are scarce   
would have been burden enough for most  
mothers4 ,but besides this came her own 
letter-writing1 preparing for her       
,meetings1 and also the hours she spent 
consulting and advising ,the ,general1  
whose voice1 ',here1 ,kate1' would call 
her from the nursery or kitchen to help 
him decide some important question4     
,again1 it was impossible to talk to    
,mrs4 ,booth1 even for five minutes1    
without finding how true and sincere she
 was4 ,to please no one would she keep  

back the truth1 or appear different from
 her real self4  ',i believe1' she      
writes1 when quite a young woman1       
'honesty to be the best policy1 and ,i  
shall act upon it4 ,let me have truth1  
if it shakes the foundation of the      
earth4'  ,she was sincere and faithful  
in every part of her nature3 faithful   
with her own soul and in dealing with   
the souls of others4 ,great or small1   
rich or poor1 she made no difference1   
and never held back from reproving sin  
when it was needful4  ',i see more than 
ever1' she said1 'the need of making    
righteous people true in their inward   
parts4 ,let us be more thorough than    
ever with souls under conviction4 ,let  
us not be afraid to wound too deeply4   
,thousands of professors have never been
 truly convinced of sin1 much less truly
 converted4 ,sin to them is being found 
out6'  ,though all through her life our 
,army ,mother hungered and thirsted to  
know ,god better1 and to serve ,him more
 perfectly1 yet it was not till some    

time after her marriage that she        
received the blessing of a clean heart4 
,of the struggle and conflict which she 
went through1 before the blessing of    
,holiness became hers1 she shall tell   
you in her own words3--  ',i had been   
earnestly seeking all the week to know  
,jesus as an all-sufficient ,saviour    
dwelling in my heart1 and thus cleansing
 it every moment of all sin2 but on     
,thursday and ,friday ,i laid aside     
almost everything else1 and spent the   
chief part of the day in reading and    
prayer1 and trying to believe for it4   
,on ,thursday afternoon at tea-time ,i  
was well-nigh discouraged1 and felt my  
old visitant1 irritability1 and the     
,devil told me ,i should never get it1  
and so ,i might as well give it up at   
once4 ,however1 ,i know him of old as a 
liar and the father of lies1 and pressed
 on1 cast down1 yet not destroyed4  ',on
 ,friday morning ,god gave me two       
precious passages4 ,first1 ,come unto   
,me all ye that labour and are heavy    

laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,oh1  
how sweet it sounded to my poor1 weary1 
sin-stricken soul6 ,i almost dared to   
believe that ,he did give me rest from  
inbred sin--the rest of perfect         
,holiness4 ,but ,i staggered at the     
promise through unbelief1 and therefore 
failed to enter in4 ,the second passage 
consisted of those thrice-blessed words1
 ,of ,him are ye in ,christ ,jesus1 who 
is made unto us wisdom1 righteousness1  
sanctification1 and redemption4 ,but    
again unbelief hindered me1 although ,i 
felt as if getting gradually nearer4    
',i struggled through the day until a   
little after six in the evening1 when   
,william joined me in prayer4 ,we had a 
blessed season4 ,while he was saying1   
,lord1 we open our hearts to receive    
,thee1 that word was spoken to my soul1 
,behold1 ,i stand at the door and knock4
 ,if any man hear ,my voice1 and open   
unto ,me1 ,i will come in1 and sup with 
him4 ,i felt sure ,he had long been     
knocking1 and ,oh1 how ,i yearned to    

receive ,him as a perfect ,saviour6 ,but
 ,oh1 the inveterate habit of unbelief6 
,how wonderful that ,god should have    
borne so long with me6 ,when we got up  
from our knees1 ,i lay on the sofa1     
exhausted with the excitement and effort
 of the day4 ,william said1 ,don't you  
lay all on the altar8 ,i replied1 ,i am 
sure ,i do6 ,then he said1 ,and isn't   
the altar holy8 ,i replied in the       
language of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,the altar
 is most holy1 and whatsoever toucheth  
it is holy4 ,then1 said he1 ,are you not
 holy8 ,i replied with my heart full of 
emotion and with some faith1 ,oh1 ,i    
think ,i am6 ,immediately the word was  
given me to confirm my faith4 ,now are  
ye clean through the word which ,i have 
spoken unto you4 ,and ,i took           
hold--true1 with a trembling hand1 and  
not unmolested by the tempter1 but ,i   
held fast the beginning of my           
confidence1 and it grew stronger1 and   
from that moment ,i have dared to reckon
 myself dead indeed unto sin1 and alive 

unto ,god through ,jesus ,christ my     
,lord4  ',i did not feel much rapturous 
joy1 but perfect peace1 the sweet rest  
which ,jesus promised to the heavy      
laden4 ,i have understood the ,apostle's
 meaning when he says1 ,we who believe  
do enter into rest4 ,this is just       
descriptive of my state at present4 ,not
 that ,i am not tempted1 but ,i am      
allowed to know the ,devil when he      
approaches me1 and ,i look to my        
,deliverer ,jesus1 and ,he still gives  
me rest4 ,two or three very trying      
things occurred on ,saturday1 which at  
another time would have excited         
impatience1 but ,i was kept by the power
 of ,god through faith unto full        
,salvation4  ',and now what shall ,i    
say8 ,unto ,him who has washed me in    
,his own ,blood be glory and dominion   
for ever and ever1 and all within me    
says ,amen6 ,oh6 ,i cannot describe1 ,i 
have no words to set forth the sense ,i 
have of my own utter unworthiness4      
,satan has met me frequently with my    

peculiarly aggravated sins1 and ,i have 
admitted it all4 ,but then ,i have said1
 the ,lord has not made my              
sanctification to depend in any measure 
on my own worthiness or unworthiness1   
but on the worthiness of my ,saviour4   
,he came to seek and to save that which 
was lost4 ,where sin hath abounded1     
grace doth much more abound'  ,how      
wonderfully in after years ,mrs4 ,booth 
explained and led others into this same 
blessing1 we know4 ,was not1 then1 the  
long struggle and agony on her own      
behalf worth it8 ,yes1 indeed1 and it   
will be so with you when you get this   
glorious blessing in your soul4  ,you   
will have noticed how in struggling for 
,holiness ,mrs4 ,booth had to fight     
unbelief4 ,this determination to trust  
,god fully marked her out as strong in  
faith4  ,she had this marvellous faith  
because she obeyed and struggled to     
throw herself on the ,lord2 but faith   
was not natural to her any more than it 
is to you or me4  ,often money was      

short1 and she hardly knew how she would
 be able to feed and clothe her family3 
this was a sore trial of her faith4 ,on 
one such occasion she wrote to her      
mother3--  ',we have not at present     
received as much as our travelling      
expenses and house rent4 ,i feel a good 
deal perplexed1 and am sometimes tempted
 to mistrust the ,lord4 ,but ,i will not
 allow it4 ,our ,father knows6'  ,later 
on we get a sight of her own experience 
in one of her letters1 when she said3-- 
',i am much tried just now by           
perplexities of every kind2 uncertainty1
 from a human standpoint1 hedges me in  
on every side4 ,satan says it is useless
 trying to steer straight through such a
 labyrinth2 but ,i am determined to hold
 on to the promises1 come what will4 ,my
 ,god is the living ,god4 ,he sees me1  
knows me1 loves me1 cares for me1 wants 
to have me with ,him in ,glory1 as much 
as ,he did ,abraham1 or ,paul1 or ,john4
 ,if this be true1 what have ,i to      
fear8'  ,and again3--  ',said ,i not    

unto thee1 that1 if thou wouldst        
believe1 thou shouldst see the          
,salvation of ,god8 ,this is a precious 
word4 ,it has kept my soul alive many a 
time when ,satan has almost overthrown  
me4 ,if thou canst believe1 all things  
are possible to thee4 ,never mind       
whether anybody else can or cannot4 ,if 
others are too strong to let ,me carry  
them1 if thou art weak enough to throw  
up all self-effort1 and trust ,me with  
thy whole weight1 ,i will carry thee1   
and thou shalt glorify ,me4 ,i know this
 is the way4 ,hence the babes go in with
 the simple and the great sinners1 while
 the reasoners1 and the strong1 and the 
proud1 and the fearful are shut out4'   
,again1 to one who was cast down1 and   
tempted to be discouraged because of his
 failings1 she writes3--  ',it is well  
to see them1 for how can we take hold of
 ,jesus to mend what we don't see8 ,it  
is best to know ourselves1 but we       
,salvationists are in danger of erring  
on the other side4 ,we look too much at 

ourselves apart from ,him who is or     
would be our righteousness1             
sanctification1 and redemption4 ,faith  
in ,him as your keeper will do more in  
five minutes than years of conflict     
without it4'  ,once1 in another letter1 
she gives us a beautiful bit of her own 
soul's experience on this subject3--    
',i had such a view of ,his love and    
faithfulness on the journey from        
,wellingborough1 that ,i thought ,i     
would never doubt again about anything4 
,i had the carriage to myself1 and such 
a precious season with the ,lord1 that  
the time seemed to fly4 ,as the         
lightning gleamed around ,i felt ready  
to shout1 ,the chariot of ,israel1 and  
the horsemen thereof4 ,oh1 how precious 
it is when we see as well as believe1   
but yet more blessed to believe and not 
see6 ,lord1 work this determined1       
obstinate1 blind1 unquestioning1        
unanswering faith in me and my beloved  
friend1 and let us two dare to trust    
,thee in the midst of our peculiar      

trials4 ,as ,i looked at the waving     
fields1 and grazing sheep1 the flashing 
sky1 a ,voice said in my soul1 ,of what 
oughtest thou to be afraid8 ,am ,i not  
,god8 ,cannot ,i supply thy little1 tiny
 needs8 ,my heart replied1 ,it is       
enough1 ,lord2 ,i will trust ,thee1     
forgive my unbelief4'     ,,ix  ,,love  
,the truest love must ever seek the     
highest good of its object2 sometimes   
even with forgetfulness of important    
smaller advantages4'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4   
,the second great quality in ,mrs4      
,booth's character1 as given by the     
first ,general1 was her love4  ',she was
 love1' he says4 ',her whole soul was   
full of tender1 deep compassion4 ,oh1   
how she loved1 how she pitied the       
suffering poor6 ,how she longed to put  
her arms round the sorrowful1 and help  
them6'  ',how1' asked ,mrs4 ,booth once1
 'are we to put heart into people8 ,even
 grace seems to fail to do so in many   
instances4 ,i think it needs mothers to 
do this from infancy upwards4'  ,you    

will recollect that ,mrs4 ,mumford      
fostered this 'heart' and love in her   
little girl2 and you will remember how  
keenly ,katie felt1 blazing up into     
wrath at any story of wrong or injury1  
and ready to sacrifice her life for     
those she loved4 ,this spirit grew with 
her4 ,she could not help caring and     
struggling to help all who needed her4  
,the ,general often told her in later   
years that she was killing herself by   
carrying every one's burdens4 ,then she 
would try to leave off for a little1 but
 her heart was too strong1 and she could
 not hold it back4  ,when but a child1  
running down the road with her hoop and 
stick1 she saw a drunkard being dragged 
off to prison by a policeman4 ,all the  
people were jeering and mocking at the  
poor friendless wretch4 ,instantly      
,katie's pity and love fired up4 ,she   
dashed across the street1 and marched   
along close by the man's side1 so that  
he might feel that at least one little  
heart cared for him1 and wanted to help 

him4  ,to the end of her life she       
carried this deep1 tender pity wherever 
she went4 ,she loved the poor4 ',with   
all their faults1' she said1 'they have 
larger hearts than the rich'2 and she   
loved them for it4  ,where any one had a
 warm heart1 she could forgive and      
overlook many mistakes2 but with cold1  
narrow1 'fishy' souls1 she had neither  
sympathy nor patience4  ,our ,army      
,mother's help was practical4 ,she did  
not only give money or pity1 but she--so
 to speak--rolled up her sleeves and    
helped the suffering herself4  ,every   
sort of suffering and need appealed to  
her4 ,if an animal was wounded or in    
pain1 she stopped1 and herself relieved 
it as best she could2 and to the last1  
if she saw a horse or any creature being
 ill-treated1 she would not hesitate to 
rush out and stop the driver1 or in some
 way force him to leave off his cruelty4
  ,she was not only kind and helpful to 
those she liked1 but every living thing 
that suffered had a claim upon her1 and 

the greater the need the more tender and
 ready was her help4  ,mrs4 ,booth was a
 people's woman1 and she was never weary
 of scheming and planning how to help   
the poor in the most practical way4     
',when ,i see people going wrong1' she  
said1 when but a girl of twelve1 ',i    
must tell the poor things how to        
manage4'  ,dirt and sin1 and drink and  
misery1 could not quench this love2 it  
was a part of her very nature4 ,long1   
long before ,slum ,sisters were ever    
thought of1 ,mrs4 ,booth did their work 
herself1 just because she so loved the  
poor1 and longed to help them4 ,you     
shall read the story in her own words3--
  ',i remember in one case finding a    
poor woman lying on a heap of rags4 ,she
 had just given birth to twins1 and     
there was nobody of any sort to wait    
upon her4 ,i can never forget the       
desolation of that room4 ,by her side   
was a crust of bread and a small lump of
 lard4 ,i fancied a bit o' bootter      
7butter71 the woman remarked            

apologetically1 noticing my eye fall    
upon the scanty meal1 and my mon1 he'd  
do owt for me he could1 bless'm--he     
couldna git me iny bootter1 so he fitcht
 me this bit o' lard4 ,have you iver    
tried lard isted o' bootter8 ,it's rare 
good6 said the poor creature1 making me 
wish ,i had taken lard for bootter all  
my life1 that ,i might have been the    
better able to minister to her needs4   
,however1 ,i was soon busy trying to    
make her a little more comfortable4 ,the
 babies ,i washed in a broken pie-dish1 
the nearest approach to a tub that ,i   
could find4 ,and the gratitude of those 
large eyes1 that gazed upon me from out 
of that wan and shrunken face1 can never
 fade from my memory4'  ,before public  
,meetings took up so much of her time1  
she delighted in this house-to-house    
visiting1 and went especially for the   
drunkards1 over whom ,god gave her a    
wonderful power4  ',i used to visit in  
the evenings1' she says1 'because it was
 the only part of the day in which ,i   

could get away2 and1 besides1 ,i should 
not have found the men at home at any   
other time4 ,i used to ask one          
drunkard's wife where another lived4    
,they always knew4 ,after getting hold  
of eight or ten in this way1 and getting
 them to sign the pledge1 ,i used to    
arrange ,cottage ,meetings for them1 and
 try to get them saved4 ,they used to   
let me talk to them in homes where there
 was not a stick of furniture1 and      
nothing to sit down upon4'  ,in this way
 our ,army ,mother sought and cared for 
the drunkards long before ,drunkards'   
,brigades were dreamt of4  ,when1 at a  
later time in her life1 she first heard 
of the wicked and cruel way in which    
young girls are trapped and drawn into  
sin1 ,mrs4 ,booth's soul was filled with
 a whirlwind of holy indignation4  ',i  
feel as though ,i could not rest1 but as
 though ,i must go and ferret out these 
monsters myself1' she wrote4 ',almost   
everybody1 notwithstanding the          
indignation1 seems so content with      

talking4 ,nobody appears willing to take
 the responsibility of doing or risking 
anything4 ,oh1 what a state the world   
has got into6'  ,but1 deep and practical
 as was her love in earthly things1 her 
passion for lifting and leading souls   
into ,salvation and ,holiness was a     
thousand times more intense4 ',if we    
only realized1 as we ought1 the value of
 souls1 we should not live long under   
it1' she said2 and she herself realized 
it fully enough to make her fight on    
ceaselessly in spite of intense         
weakness4 ',if it were not for          
eternity1' she often sighed1 ',i should 
soon give up this life4'  ,it was love  
for souls which made her go from town to
 town1 care-worn1 weary1 often quite    
unfit to meet the immense congregations 
which came to hear her4  ,it was love   
for souls which kept her sitting for    
hours at her writing-table1 when she    
should have been resting1 trying to help
 those who turned to her for counsel and
 direction from every part of the globe4

  ,it was love for souls which gave her 
many a sleepless night1 and chained her 
to her knees1 weeping and pleading1     
agonizing with ,god on behalf of the    
people she was to face the next day4    
,and this love for souls grew even      
stronger as death came near4 ',eva1' she
 exclaimed to one of her daughters1 as  
she lay racked with agonizing pain1     
'don't you forget that man with the     
handcuffs on4 ,find him4 ,go to         
,lancaster ,jail2 let somebody go with  
you1 and find that man4 ,tell him that  
your mother1 when she was dying1 prayed 
for him1 and that she had a feeling in  
her heart that ,god would save him2 and 
tell him1 hard as the ten years of      
imprisonment may be1 it will be easier  
with ,christ than it would be without   
,him4'  ,she was lying between earth and
 ,heaven1 thinking of the joy and peace 
awaiting her1 when it seemed as if she  
saw the dark face of a heathen woman1   
and heard the cry1 ',won't you help us8'
 ,the old love for perishing souls woke 

again directly1 and she cried1 ',oh1    
yes1 ,lord1 ,i will go anywhere to help 
poor struggling people4 ,i would go on  
an errand to ,hell1 if the ,lord would  
promise me that the ,devil should not   
keep me there4'  ,in one of these last  
days she sent a dying message to the    
,officers4 ',tell them1' she said1 'that
 the only consolation for a             
,salvationist on his death-bed is to    
have been a soul-winner4 ,after all my  
labours ,i feel ,i have come far short  
of the prize of my high calling4        
,beseech them to redeem their time1 for 
we can do but little at the best4'  ,a  
little maid who was a ,candidate came   
into ,mrs4 ,booth's sick-room once as   
she was speaking1 and she called her to 
her bedside1 giving her warning and     
counsel which every ,corps ,cadet can   
take as though spoken to herself3--     
',you will be finished with the dishes  
soon1' she said1 'and you are going to  
be a ,cadet4 ,i have been very pleased  
with you while you have been here1      

because you have worked out of sight    
with a good will1 and ,i think you will 
make a brave ,officer4 ,you will promise
 me1 will you8' she said1 as she laid   
her trembling hand on the girl's head4  
',yes1' was the reply1 ',i will1' amid  
stifled sobs4  ',give me a kiss1 then1' 
said ,mrs4 ,booth4 ',promise me that you
 will never get spoiled by any          
unfaithful ,officer4 ,if you ever get   
mixed up with such1 do not hide it from 
,headquarters1 but let them know about  
it1 and they will soon move the false   
away from you4 ,i shan't be here2 but1  
,oh6 may ,god help them to get rid of   
the wrong4 ,discernment of spirits6 ,oh1
 why should we not have that gift back8 
,it is very necessary4'  ,mrs4 ,booth's 
whole heart was wrapped up in the spread
 of ,the ,army1 and she was never more  
of a warrior than when fighting its     
battles4 ,and ,the ,army needed some one
 to stand up for it in those days4 ,we  
who live to-day can hardly fancy the    
fierce1 bitter persecution the early-day

 ,salvationists had to fight through4   
,now1 even those who dislike and despise
 us are forced to admit that ',the ,army
 does a great deal of good'2 but then it
 was different1 and again and again1    
both by speech and writing1 ,mrs4 ,booth
 had to defend and stand up for our     
methods4  ',i would not1' she says1     
after she had spoken too plainly for    
some rich people who were offended at   
her words1 'sit down and listen to their
 abuse of ,the ,salvation ,army for all 
their money4 ,but ,i did not say a word 
that ,i would object to have published  
upon the housetops4 ,such1 however1 is  
often the spirit of the rich4 ,they     
think that one must sit and hear        
whatever they may choose to say1 and    
hold one's breath1 because of their     
money6 ,but1 no1 ,i will never be dumb  
before a golden idol6'  ,she loved the  
,uniform3 she herself planned that worn 
by ,army women1 and always wore her own1
 rejoicing to be able to give to our    
people a way of escape from the fashions

 and extravagances of the world4  ,she  
loved the ,flag1 and was true to its    
beautiful meaning4 ,she loved to present
 ,colours to the newly-opened ,corps1 or
 to parties of ,officers going abroad2  
and when1 shortly before she passed     
away1 she changed her room1 she begged  
that the dear ,army ,flag might be      
brought in and hung above her bed4      
',there1' said ,the ,general1 'the      
,colours are over you now1 my darling4' 
,and she clasped them fondly with her   
left hand1 and traced the motto--',blood
 and ,fire4'  ',yes1' she said1 ',blood 
and ,fire2 that is just what my life has
 been--a constant and severe fight4'    
',it ought to be ,blood and ,fire and   
,victory1' said ,the ,general4  ',i'll  
fight on till ,i get it1' she answered4 
',i won't give in4 ,next time ,i see    
them ,i shall be above the pain and     
sorrow for ever4'  ,but1 though at the  
last she longed to be at rest1 it was   
not easy for her great mother's heart to
 unloose itself from those she loved1   

and from the thousands in all lands who 
looked to her as to a mother4  ,if you  
have learnt to love very deeply you will
 also have to suffer1 and her very love 
made the parting so difficult4  ',oh1'  
she exclaimed1 when speaking of leaving 
,the ,general and her children1 'mine is
 such a heart6 it seems as if it had got
 roots all round the world clutching on 
to one and another1 and that it will not
 let them go6 ,and yet ,you can take    
care of them1 ,lord1 better than ,i     
could4 ,i do1 ,i do believe6 ,o ,eternal
 ,father1 ,shepherd of the sheep1 do    
,thou look after my little flock6'      
',amen1' we who read these lines may    
say2 adding to her prayer1 ',and give us
 that same heart and love which made her
 life of such mighty power4'     ,x     
,,the ,,warrior    ',fighting is hard   
work1 whatever sort of fighting it is4  
,you cannot fight without wounds of     
body1 heart1 or soul4'--,,mrs4 ,,booth4 
',lastly1' said ,the ,general in that   
same beautiful tribute to our ,army     

,mother that ,i have already quoted     
from1' she was a warrior4 ,she liked the
 fight4 ,she was not one who said to    
others1 ,go1 but ,here1 let me go2 and  
when there was the necessity she said1  
,i will go6 ,i never knew her flinch    
until her poor body compelled her to lie
 on one side4'  ,our ,army ,mother was1 
indeed1 before all things a warrior2 she
 fought bravely and unceasingly her     
whole life through4  ,in thought and    
purpose she was independent1 and dared  
to stand out for what she felt right4   
,cowardice1 in her opinion1 was one of  
the commonest and most subtle sins of   
the day1 and she had no patience with   
those who dared not say ',no1' and      
feared to stand alone4  ,she thought for
 herself1 and though always eager to    
hear and learn as much as possible from 
others1 yet she was not carried away by 
their opinions1 but carefully weighed   
and considered their arguments1 and then
 formed her own judgments4  ,mrs4 ,booth
 strove earnestly for doctrine4  ',let  

us take care1' she said1 in ,the ,army's
 early days1 'what ,gospel we preach4   
,let us mind our doctrine4'  ,and       
again3--  ',we must stick to the form of
 sound words1 for there is more in it   
than appears on the surface4 ,glory be  
to the ,father1 to the ,son1 and the    
,holy ,ghost1 was the theology of our   
forefathers1 and ,i am suspicious of all
 attempts to mend it4'  ,and once       
more3--  ',let us beware of wrong       
doctrine1 come through whomsoever it    
may4 ,holy men make sad mistakes4 ,well1
 but1 say some1 is not a person who     
holds wrong views with a right heart    
better than a person with right views   
and a wrong heart8 ,yes1 so far as his  
personal state before ,god is concerned1
 but not in his influence on man4 ,my   
charity must extend to those likely to  
be deceived or ruined by his doctrines  
as well as to him4'  ,mrs4 ,booth's     
whole life was a continual fight against
 sin--sin of all kinds4 ,whether her    
,meeting was held for the very lowest   

and roughest1 or whether rows of clergy 
and lawyers1 and lords and ladies sat to
 listen1 it made no difference to her4  
,she attacked sin1 and went straight at 
the very heart-sins of the people in    
front of her4  ',we need great grace1'  
she says in the midst of her wonderful  
,west-,end campaign1 where even princes 
and princesses came to hear her4 ',i    
think the ,lord never enabled me to be  
more plain and faithful4 ,as a lady in  
high circles said to me1 ,we never heard
 this sort of ,gospel before4 ,no1 poor 
things1 they are sadly deceived4'       
,drink1 too1 was another evil which     
,mrs4 ,booth fought against during the  
whole of her life4 ,she began1 as you   
remember1 when a girl by being secretary
 of the ',band of ,love' of those days4 
,in the early days of their engagement  
,the ,general was strongly advised to   
take a little wine for the sake of his  
health4 ,our ,army ,mother wrote him a  
long letter1 showing him how false and  
foolish such advice was1 and ending     

with3--  ',i have had it recommended to 
me scores of times1 but ,i am fully and 
for ever settled on the physical side of
 the question4 ,footnote3 ,that means   
taking it for the sake of health4--,,ed4
  ',it is a subject on which ,i am most 
anxious you should be thorough4 ,i have 
far more hope for your health because   
you abstain1 than ,i should if you took 
wine4 ,flee the detestable thing as you 
would a serpent2 be a teetotaller in    
principle and practice4'  ,though1 as we
 have seen1 full of boundless faith and 
pity for the drunkard1 ,mrs4 ,booth     
attacked the makers and sellers of drink
 unmercifully4 ,she says1 on one        
occasion3--  ',by your peace of         
conscience on a dying bed2 by the       
eternal destinies of your children1 by  
your care for never-dying souls2 by the 
love you owe your ,saviour1 ,i beseech  
you banish the drink4  ',tell me no more
 of charity towards brewers1 distillers1
 and publicans4 ,your false charity to  
these has already consigned millions to 

an untimely ,hell6444 ,arise1           
,christians1 arise1 and fight this foe6 
,you and you alone are able1 for your   
,god will fight for you6'  ,another     
thing for which our ,army ,mother       
fought1 and which to-day we owe in great
 measure to her efforts1 is the position
 to which women have been lifted as     
speakers and teachers in ,god's work4   
,she first1 as we have seen1 opened the 
way herself2 and then she left it open1 
encouraging and helping tens of         
thousands of simple1 holy women all     
round the world to follow in her steps4 
,she had a tough battle to wage4 ,all   
classes wrote and spoke against women   
being allowed to stand and speak for    
,god in the open air or in public halls2
 but1 strong in faith and courage1      
convinced that she had ,divine authority
 for what she did1 our ,army ,mother    
fought on1 arguing1 writing1 preaching  
on the matter4 ,now to-day there is     
scarcely a land where ,the ,army bonnet 
is not known and loved1 nor where ,army 

women cannot gain a crowd of respectful 
listeners4  ,now ,i am going to show you
 some of the hindrances in spite of     
which our ,army ,mother fought on4  ,the
 first of these hindrances was the      
burden which ,god allowed ,mrs4 ,booth  
to carry all through her life--a weak   
and suffering body4 ,she said1 when her 
life was drawing to its close1 that     
suffering seemed to have been her       
special lot1 and that she could scarcely
 remember a day in her life when she had
 been wholly free from pain4  ',i don't 
care about my body1' she exclaimed when 
lying in her last illness4 ',it has been
 a poor old troublesome affair4 ,i shall
 be glad for it to be sealed up4 ,it is 
time it was4 ,oh1 ,i have dragged it    
wearily about4'  ,most women suffering  
as she did1 with a weak spine1 heart    
disease1 and over-strained nerves1 would
 have lived the life of an invalid4 ,but
 the warrior spirit within forced her   
body along4 ,scores of times she has    
gone from her bed to the ,meeting1 and  

then1 exhausted and fainting with the   
effort1 has had to be almost carried    
home4 ,but she had done her work1 and   
sent the arrow of conviction into       
hundreds of hearts4  ,writing after one 
special strain of work and anxiety1 she 
says3--  ',the excitement made me worse 
than ,i have been for two years4 ,my    
heart was really alarming1 and for two  
days ,i could hardly bear any clothes to
 touch me4 ,this has disheartened me    
again as to my condition4 ,but ,god     
reigns1 and ,he will keep me alive as   
long as ,he needs me4'  ,another of her 
hindrances1 and one which was almost    
more difficult to overcome than weakness
 of body1 was depression4  ,i wonder if 
you know what that is8 ,if so1 it will  
help you to realize that ,mrs4 ,booth   
had to fight it also4  ,the ,devil      
seemed allowed to try and test her faith
 to the uttermost1 and at times to blot 
out all peace and glory from her soul4  
,during one such time of darkness she   
writes3--  ',i know ,i ought not1 of all

 saints1 or sinners either1 to be       
depressed4 ,i know it dishonours my     
,lord1 grieves ,his ,spirit1 and injures
 me greatly2 and ,i would fain hide from
 everybody to prevent their seeing it4  
,but ,i cannot help it4 ,i have         
struggled hard1 more than any one knows1
 for a long time against it4 ,sometimes 
,i have literally held myself1 head and 
heart and hand1 and waited for the      
floods to pass over me4'  ,but our ,army
 ,mother did not give up working for    
,god1 and sit down in despair1 because  
she was thus tried4 ,one day1 just      
before leaving for a great ,west-,end   
,meeting1 in which ,god made her words  
as a sharp two-edged sword1 she wrote   
this to one of her children3--  ',i have
 been very much depressed since you     
left--more so than usual4 ,it is of no  
use reasoning with myself when these    
fits of despondency are on me4 ,i must  
hold on and fight my passage through2   
and when ,i get to ,heaven the light and
 joy will be all the greater4 ,if ,i    

dared give up working ,i should do so a 
hundred times over2 but ,i dare not4'   
,another and constant hindrance which   
our ,army ,mother had to fight for the  
greater part of her life was poverty4   
,it was so difficult1 many times1 to    
make two ends meet4 ,she had1 during    
many years of her life1 no regular money
 coming in on which to depend1 and      
during that time it was a constant      
struggle to have her children properly  
cared for and give them the needed      
education4  ,but most of all did our    
,army ,mother show herself a warrior in 
her own ,salvation campaigns4 ,in those 
early days there were no praying        
,soldiers and ,sergeants to be had to   
deal with the penitents--no one1 either1
 to lead her singing1 scarcely even to  
keep the doors or take up the           
collection4 ,she would arrive in a town 
absolutely alone4 ,a hall had been taken
 in which she was to speak1 and she     
would hire a tiny lodging1 or stay in   
whatever home would receive her1 and set

 to work4 ,we can scarcely understand   
the loneliness of her position4 ,here   
was a proof of her mighty faith in ,god4
  ,she began these solitary campaigns   
when her sixth child was but a few weeks
 old1 and ,god most wonderfully owned   
her labours4 ,at one place she saw one  
hundred grown-up people and two hundred 
children come to her penitent-form in   
six days4 ,but it was a fearful battle4 
',i have a comfortable little cot to    
stay in1' she writes to her mother from 
one such battle-field1 'very small and  
humble2 but it is clean and quiet2 and  
when ,i feel nervous no one knows the   
value of quietness4 ,i have felt it hard
 work lately4 ,many a time have ,i      
longed to be where the weary are at     
rest4'  ,at ,margate1 some years later1 
she commenced her ,meetings without     
knowing a single person in the place4   
,for some weeks she had not even a      
helper in the ,prayer ,meetings1 nor one
 who would give out a song for her4     
,mrs4 ,booth could not sing herself1 and

 there was often an awkward pause before
 any one would be willing to pitch her  
tune4 ',if only1' she said when ,the    
,army was fairly on its feet1 ',i had   
been able to command a dozen reliable   
people such as ,i could have anywhere   
now1 ,i think ,i could have done almost 
anything4'  ,even more wonderful was her
 experience at ,brighton4  ,the ,dome1 a
 great building holding three thousand  
people1 had been taken for her          
,meetings4  ',i can never forget my     
feelings1' says this ,soldier-saint1 'as
 ,i stood upon the platform and looked  
upon the people1 realizing that among   
them all there was no one to help me4   
,when ,i commenced the ,prayer ,meeting1
 for which ,i should think quite nine   
hundred remained1 ,satan said to me1 as 
,i came down from the platform according
 to my custom1 ,you will never ask such 
people as these to come and kneel down  
here8 ,you will only make a fool of     
yourself if you do4 ,i felt stunned for 
a moment2 but ,i answered1 ,yes1 ,i     

shall4 ,i shall not make it any easier  
for them than for the others4 ,if they  
do not realize their sins enough to be  
willing to come and kneel here1 they    
will not be of much use to the kingdom4'
  ,the ,lord set ,his seal upon ,mrs4   
,booth's faith and courage1 for the     
first to volunteer were two old         
gentlemen1 both over seventy years of   
age2 and she had ten or twelve at the   
mercy-seat before the ,meeting ended4   
,writing from ,portsmouth1 she tells the
 same story of loneliness and victory3--
  ',you say1 ,how do you get on         
personally8 ,oh1 ,i never was so        
hampered for help in every way in all my
 life6 ,the most able man ,i have keeps 
a milliner's shop1 and the one that     
opens for me generally is an overseer2  
so their attention is divided and the   
time limited4 ,pray for me4 ,i never    
needed your prayers so much4 ,this is a 
dreadfully wicked place4'  ,yet during  
the seventeen weeks of her stay some six
 hundred names were taken1 many of them 

wonderful trophies of ,god's mercy4     
,having lived such a warrior's life1 you
 think1 very likely1 that the death-bed 
experience of our ,army ,mother would be
 all peace and glory4 ,but no4 ,right   
down into the ,valley she needed to use 
the ,sword of the ,spirit and the       
,shield of ,faith1 for to the last      
,satan was allowed to test and try her4 
,but she fought on6  ',one of my hardest
 lessons1' she said in her last hours1  
'has been the difference between faith  
and realization2 and if ,i have had to  
conquer all through life by naked faith1
 ,i can only expect it to be the same   
now4 ,all our enemies have to be        
conquered by faith1 not realization2 and
 is it not so with the last enemy1      
death8 ,yes1 if it please the ,lord that
 ,i should go down into the dark valley 
without any realization1 simply knowing 
that ,i am ,his1 and ,he is mine1 ,i am 
quite willing--,i accept it4'  ,this is 
the faith that made our ,army ,mother   
and all the ,bible saints such          

conquerors4 ,it is the secret of their  
victory--the faith without which it is  
impossible to please ,god1 and for which
 we all need to pray1 ',lord1 increase  
our faith4'     ,,xi  ,,last ,,days     
',as ,i look back on life ,i do not     
remember the houses ,i have lived in1   
the people that ,i have known1 the      
things of passing interest at the       
moment4 ,they are all gone4 ,there is   
nothing stands out before my mind as of 
any consequence1 but the work ,i have   
done for ,god and ,eternity4'--,,mrs4   
,,booth4  ,if ,the ,general and those   
who loved our ,army ,mother best had    
been able to choose for her1 they would 
most likely have said3 ',let her live   
and fight and work on1 up to within a   
few days of her promotion to ,glory4    
,let the call come quickly and          
painlessly1 as it has come to others in 
our ranks4'  ,but the ,lord1 who loved  
her more than we did1 saw fit to send to
 her two and a half years of            
ever-increasing weariness and suffering4

 ,for long months she lay on the very   
bank of the ,river1 longing for the     
messenger of ,death to carry her across4
 ,those who loved her could not tell why
 the ,lord sent her this last fiery     
trial2 they could only bow with her1 and
 say1 ',thy will be done4'  ,it was in  
,february1 #ahhh1 that ,mrs4 ,booth1 who
 was anxious about her health1 went to  
consult a great doctor and get his      
opinion4 ,she was alone1 for no one had 
thought her illness was so serious4 ,she
 asked him to tell her the truth--all   
through her life1 as you know1 she      
wanted the truth2 and after a little    
hesitation he told her4  ,the truth was 
the saddest that she could hear4 ,that  
dreadful illness--cancer--through which 
she had so tenderly nursed her own dear 
mother1 had come to her1 and in the     
doctor's opinion she had much suffering 
to pass through1 and only two or1 at the
 most1 three years longer to live4 ,mrs4
 ,booth listened calmly1 thanked the    
doctor1 and then1 getting once more into

 the cab1 drove home all alone4  ,it was
 a dark journey4 ,the ,war needed her4  
,the ,general needed her4 ,her children 
needed her4 ,and yet the sentence of    
,death had been passed upon her1 and she
 must soon leave them all4 ,what did she
 do8 ,i think you can guess4  ,she knelt
 down in the cab1 and in prayer         
committed to ,god1 in a new and deeper  
way than ever before1 her own body1 and 
her dear ones and the work ,he had given
 her to do4  ,at last the cab stopped   
before her own door1 and ,the ,general  
came out to meet her4  ',i shall never  
forget that meeting in this world1 or   
the next1' he says4 ',i had been        
watching for the cab1 and had run out to
 meet her and help her up the steps4    
,she tried to smile on me through her   
tears2 but1 drawing me into the room1   
soon told me1 bit by bit1 what the      
doctor had said4 ,i sat down speechless4
 ,she rose from her seat1 and came and  
knelt beside me1 saying3 ,do you know   
what was my first thought8 ,that ,i     

should not be there to nurse you in your
 last hour4  ',i was stunned4 ,i felt as
 if the whole world were coming to a    
standstill4 ,opposite me1 on the wall1  
was a picture of ,christ on the cross4  
,i thought ,i could understand it then1 
as never before4 ,she talked to me like 
an angel2 she talked as she had never   
talked before4 ,i could say little or   
nothing4 ,i could only kneel with her   
and try to pray4 ,that very same night  
,the ,general was to leave ,london for  
some great ,meetings in ,holland1 and   
,mrs4 ,booth would not hear of his      
changing his plans and remaining with   
her4  ',the ,war must go on' was her    
thought1 even when all her family stood 
stunned and heart-broken around her1    
unwilling to leave her even for a       
moment4  ,two years later1 when but a   
few more days of suffering remained to  
her1 a last message from her lips       
reached us as ,self-,denial ,week began4
 ',the ,war must go on' was one of its  
sentences4  ',the ,war must go on' had  

been as her motto1 lived out in all the 
long1 long months that lay between4     
,instead of immediately laying aside her
 work1 when the doctors gave their      
dreadful judgment1 and beginning to     
think only of herself1 she went on with 
it as long as her increasing weakness   
allowed4  ,but step by step the disease 
grew worse4 ,first she was forced to    
give up ,meetings and public work4 ,then
 it became impossible for her to use her
 right hand1 and she was therefore      
obliged to give up her correspondence1  
though she still continued to dictate   
her letters1 and learnt also to write   
with her left hand4  ,soon her daily    
drives became too tiring1 and by and by 
she went out of the house into the      
little garden for the last time2 and    
then for the concluding twelve months of
 her life she was a prisoner in her     
room1 lying in constant suffering4  ,but
 during these long months the greatest  
joy and relief that could come to her   
was to hear of some fresh victory or    

triumph for the ,kingdom of ,jesus4 ,her
 interest in ,the ,army and her love for
 the people were as keen as ever1 and   
,war ,councils were held and new        
developments planned in her chamber1 and
 much of ,the ,general's ,darkest       
,england ,scheme for the poor and       
outcast was thought out and decided upon
 beside her sick bed4  ,again and again1
 too1 ,mrs4 ,booth would receive        
deputations of ,officers of different   
classes and from various countries in   
which ,the ,army was at work1 who came  
to ,clacton-on-,sea1 where the last     
fifteen months of her life were spent1  
to listen to her words of advice and    
inspiration4  ,there were no ,corps     
,cadets in those days2 but our ,army    
,mother left some specially beautiful   
words about the ,juniors1 to which ,i   
must refer4  ,when she was told by the  
,officer then in charge of our ,junior  
,work in ,england that the children     
loved and prayed continually for her1   
she smiled4  ',the thought of the little

 ones1' says some one who was there1    
'brought our beloved ,army ,mother      
wholly out of herself and her pain and  
weariness4'  ',a very choice branch of  
the work1' she said4 ',i have often told
 ,emma that ,i hoped when ,i was too old
 for public work ,god would let me end  
where ,i began--with the children4 ,but 
it seems that it is not to be so4'      
',give the children1' she went on1 in   
reply to the messages they had sent1 'my
 dear love1 and tell them that if there 
had been a ,salvation ,army when ,i was 
ten ,i should have been a ,soldier then1
 as ,i am to-day4  ,never allow yourself
 to be discouraged in your work4 ,i know
 you must meet with many                
discouragements2 but ,i am sure the     
,spirit of ,god works mightily on little
 children long before grown people think
 they are able to understand4'  ,again  
and again during that last year of awful
 suffering it seemed as if ,mrs4 ,booth 
were about to leave us2 but then she    
would revive1 and come back to endure   

more weeks and months of agony4  ,but at
 last1 on ,october #d1 #ahij1 all could 
see that she was on the brink of the    
,river1 and even those who loved her the
 most tenderly could not wish to hold   
her back4  ',o ,emma1 let me go1        
darling1' she whispered2 and hearing the
 reply1 ',yes1 we will1 we will1' she   
said1 ',now6 ,yes1 ,lord1 come1 ,oh1    
come6'  ,the singing of ,the ,army songs
 seemed to comfort her2 and once she    
raised her suffering arm1 and pointed to
 the text1 ',my grace is sufficient for 
thee1' which hung on the wall4 ,it was  
lifted down and placed at the foot of   
her bed1 so that her eyes could often   
rest on it during those last hours4     
',soon after noon1' says the present    
,general1 ',i felt that the deepening   
darkness of the ,valley was closing     
around my dear mother1 and a little     
later ,i took my last farewell4 ,her    
lips moved1 and she gave me one look of 
unspeakable tenderness and trust which  
will live with me for ever4 ,again we   

sang3--    ,my mistakes ,his free grace 
doth cover1     ,my sins ,he doth wash  
away2   ,these feet which shrink and    
falter     ,shall enter the ,gates of   
,day4  ,and1 holding her hand1 ,the     
,general gave her up to ,god4 ,it was a 
solemn and wonderful scene4'  ,the      
,chief of the ,staff and ,mrs4 ,bramwell
 ,booth1 ,mrs4 ,booth-,tucker1 and the  
,commander1 and her three daughters1    
,marian1 ,eva1 and ,lucy1 knelt round   
the bed1 upon which were placed         
photographs of the other members of her 
family who were unavoidably absent4     
,near to her stood her faithful nurse1  
,captain ,carr1 and others of the       
household1 the dear ,general bowing over
 his beloved wife and companion in      
life's long strife1 and giving her up to
 the keeping of the ,father4  ,one by   
one the members of the family tenderly  
embraced her2 then a gleam of           
recognition passed over the brightening 
countenance as ,the ,general bent over  
her4 ,their eyes met---the last kiss of 

love on earth1 the last word till the   
,morning1 and without a movement the    
breathing gently ceased1 and a warrior  
laid down her sword to receive her      
crown4         99       99       99     
99       99  ,you may have heard of     
those wonderful days from ,tuesday      
morning till ,sunday night1 when the    
coffin containing the precious remains  
of our ,army ,mother lay at the         
,congress ,hall1 ,clapton1 and when more
 than fifty thousand people came to have
 a last look at her dear face4  ,a piece
 of glass had been let into the plain   
oak coffin4 ,it was just large enough to
 show the head and shoulders1 and she   
lay as if in a sweet sleep4  ,you wonder
 if many came merely from curiosity4    
,some did1 of course1 but most of the   
people came because her life and example
 and words had been so blessed to their 
souls2 and they came as they would come 
to look at the dead face of their own   
mother4 ,it was the most wonderful      
tribute to a woman's life and words that

 ,london had ever seen4  ,for all kinds 
of people came--rich and poor1 good and 
bad1 people of many different religions1
 and many with no religion at all4      
,working men came in their dinner-hour1 
with their tools on their backs and     
tears in their eyes2 mothers lifted up  
their little children to look at the one
 who had taught them the way of life2   
and1 best of all1 by the side of her    
coffin knelt many a wanderer and        
backslider to give themselves afresh to 
,god4  ,more than one poor girl went    
direct from the ,congress ,hall to the  
,rescue ,homes1 to begin to live 'as she
 would have wished'2 and the ,cadets on 
guard were all the time dealing with    
drunkards and helping those who desired 
to begin from thenceforth to live a new 
and different life4  ,even to-day1      
twenty-four years later1 we often meet  
those who date their conversion1 or     
their first step in the ,narrow ,way1   
from their look at that face lying in   
its simple coffin4  ,one of ,mrs4       

,booth's own grandchildren1 ,mary1 the  
present ,general's second daughter1     
looks back to that scene as the time    
when ,god in an unmistakable manner     
sealed her as ,his4 ,she was only five  
years old as she knelt by the coffin1   
but nevertheless she decided there1 in  
her childish consecration1 like ,ruth of
 old1 that ',thy people shall be my     
people1 and thy ,god my ,god'2 and in   
the spirit of this consecration she     
lives to-day4         99       99       
99       99       99  ,in order that    
some of the crowds who wished to share  
in the funeral service might be present1
 the largest hall in ,london1 the       
,olympia1 was taken4 ,twenty-six        
thousand people filled it2 and though it
 was1 of course1 impossible for them all
 to hear1 they followed the service     
given on printed papers with reverent   
sympathy4  ,the coffin was carried down 
the immense hall by ,officers2 ,the     
,general and his family followed4       
,those who arranged for this last mighty

 gathering remembered that ,mrs4 ,booth1
 when with us1 was never happy to leave 
a ,meeting unless it had been brought to
 a point1 and something definite had    
been done2 and therefore1 when the songs
 and prayers and readings were over1 the
 huge crowd was asked to kneel and make 
a solemn covenant with ,god4  ,it was a 
beautiful covenant1 and ended with these
 words3--  ',and now1 in this solemn    
hour1 and in the presence of death1 ,i  
come again to ,thy footstool1 and make  
this covenant with ,thee4'  ,then all   
who had made the covenant from their    
hearts rose and sang together3--        
,just as ,i am ,thou dost receive1      
,dost welcome1 pardon1 cleanse1 relieve1
   ,because ,thy promise ,i believe1    
,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6  ,it was just
 such an ending to the wonderful service
 as our ,army ,mother would have chosen 
had she been still on earth with us4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the next morning was dry and bright4   
',i shall ask ,god to give you a fine   

day for my funeral1 ,emma1 so that you  
mayn't take cold1' our ,army ,mother had
 said1 for she was ever thoughtful for  
others2 and her prayer was answered1 for
 though the white mist crept up from the
 river to the ,embankment1 where the    
procession was forming up1 there was no 
rain nor wind4  ,tens of thousands of   
our dear ,soldiers would gladly have    
sacrificed a day's work in order to     
follow in the funeral procession of one 
they so dearly loved2 but1 so as not to 
gather too large a crowd1 only ,officers
 were allowed in the march1 which passed
 through countless throngs of people    
from ,international ,headquarters to    
,abney ,park ,cemetery1 a distance of   
about five miles4  ,all along the route 
the crowds stood in dense masses1 and   
roofs1 windows1 and every nook and      
corner were packed with human beings4   
,nothing had been seen like it1 said the
 police1 since the ,duke of             
,wellington's funeral1 forty years      
before4  ,it was a wonderful march4 ,i  

wish you could have seen it6 ,sometimes 
it seemed as if every one was weeping2  
and when the open hearse1 with its plain
 oak coffin1 crowned by ,the ,army      
bonnet and well-worn ,bible1 passed1 all
 heads were bared1 all voices hushed1   
and tears filled all eyes4  ,the        
,general1 standing alone in his open    
carriage all along the long1 sad way1   
must have felt that he had the people's 
sympathy and love with him in his grief1
 for scores of heartfelt ',god bless    
you's6' came from lips that are unused  
to such words4  ,and at last the yellow 
evening sun shone out as the great      
procession reached the gates of ,abney  
,park ,cemetery and wound towards the   
open grave4  ,only a part of the mighty 
throng could hear ,the ,general's       
beautiful words1 so strong and yet so   
tender1 from which ,i have already      
quoted1 but all joined in the song1     
',rock of ,ages1' which seemed to roll  
up to the heavens themselves4  ,several 
leading ,officers and members of ,the   

,general's own family prayed and spoke1 
wonderfully upheld in spite of their    
deep grief and the strain of the last   
days4 ,and then by the open grave the   
present ,general led all hearts to make 
a fresh consecration1 the whole assembly
 promising1 with ,god's help1 that they 
would be  ',faithful to ,thee1 faithful 
to one another1 and faithful to a dying 
world1 till we meet our beloved ,mother 
in the ,morning4 ,amen4'         99     
99       99       99       99  ,if ever 
you are in ,abney ,park ,cemetery you   
should visit her grave4 ,it is very     
simple4 ,around the little piece of     
earth runs a grey stone1 with these     
words carved on it3--    ,,catherine    
,,booth1    ,,mother ,,of ,,the         
,,salvation ,,army    ,more than        
,conqueror1 through ,him that loved us1 
and gave ,himself for all the world and 
for you4    ,do you also follow ,christ8
  and above are two small beds of       
flowers4  ,do many people go to see it8 
you wonder4  ,oh1 yes4 ,all round it a  

path is worn in the grass1 made by the  
tread of many feet2 for mothers bring   
their boys and girls to see it1 and tell
 them what a mother she was1 and men and
 women of all creeds and races pause    
beside it1 and remember4  ,many         
,officers1 too--from distant lands1 and 
speaking strange tongues you could not  
understand--come to ,the ,army ,mother's
 grave when they visit our shores4 ,for 
she was their ,mother as well as ours1  
they say4  ,they kneel beside the stone1
 and spell out the name1 and then they  
consecrate themselves afresh to ,god and
 the needs of the heathen lands1 and    
they claim ,his grace to follow in her  
steps4  ,for our ,army ,mother is not   
dead4 ,true1 her body lies in the quiet 
grave at ,abney ,park1 and her spirit is
 in ,heaven2 but her life and influence 
still live among us1 her words are      
treasured1 and our greatest prayer and  
desire for the girls and wives and      
mothers in our ranks is that they may   
live to be worthy daughters of          

,catherine ,booth4     ,,dates ,,in     
,,mrs4 ,,booth',s ,,life    #ahbi4      
,january #agth4 ,catherine ,mumford born
 at ,ashbourne1 ,derby4 #ahbi4 ,april   
#ajth4 ,william ,booth born at          
,nottingham4 #ahdc4 ,catherine has to   
leave school owing to severe illness4   
#ahdd4 ,refuses to be engaged to her    
cousin4 #ahde4 ,is converted4 #ahdf4    
,seems likely to go into consumption4   
#ahej4 ,takes ,sunday class of elder    
girls4 #ahea4 ,june4 ,miss ,mumford     
hears ,mr4 ,booth preach2 later meets   
him at a       friend's house4 #aheb4   
,may #aeth4 ,they are engaged to be     
married4 #ahee4 ,june #afth4 ,the       
wedding4 #aheg4 ,mrs4 ,booth speaks to a
 children's meeting on ,temperance4     
#ahei4 ,she starts work among drunkards4
 ,she writes her first pamphlet on      
woman's right to preach4 #ahfj4 ,mrs4   
,booth speaks for the first time in     
public4 #ahfa4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,booth    
break up their home in the north1 and   
come to       ,london1 choosing an      

evangelistic life4 #ahfd4 ,mrs4 ,booth  
begins to hold ,evangelistic campaigns  
apart from her       husband4 #ahfd4    
,july4 ,east ,end ,mission begun4 #ahfh4
 ,first ,headquarters established4      
#ahfi4 ,mrs4 ,booth's wonderful         
,brighton campaign4 #ahgj4 ,east ,london
 ,mission becomes the ',christian       
,mission4' #ahga4 ,mrs4 ,booth publishes
 her first book4 #ahgg4 ,christian      
,mission becomes ',the ,salvation       
,army4' #ahgh4 ,the uniform is chosen4  
#ahhf4 ,first ,self-,denial ,week4      
#ahhh4 ,february4 ,mrs4 ,booth learns   
that she is suffering from cancer4      
#ahhh4 ,june #bast4 ,mrs4 ,booth speaks 
in public for the last time 7at the     
,city ,temple74 #ahhi4 ,august4 ,she    
goes to ,clacton-on-,sea4 #ahij4        
,october #dth4 ,mrs4 ,booth is promoted 
to ,glory4 #ahij4 ,october #fth4 ,her   
body brought to ,congress ,hall1        
,clapton4 #ahij4 ,october #aath4        
,funeral at ,abney ,park4