Booth, Catherine Mumford, 1829-1890; Salvation Army -- Great Britain -- Biography
Since she was not at all strong, and had few girl friends, Katie did not
play rough or noisy games, but her love for her dolls made her quite a
little mother to them. She treated them almost like real children, and
would sew and toil, and never rest till she felt she had in every way
done her duty to them. She loved animals, too, especially dogs and
horses, and could not bear to see any one ill-treat them. Oh, how she
suffered one day, watching some poor sheep driven down the road! She
watched the man beat them--she could not stop him; and at last she tore
home, and flung herself down almost choking and speechless with
indignation and distress.
Her mother did not check Katie for feeling so keenly. She encouraged her;
for she knew that a hard, indifferent child, who can see suffering and
not care or be distressed over it, would make a hard woman; and she
wanted her Katie to be full of love and tenderness for all, and
especially for those needing help.
When Catherine was twelve years old she became very interested in the
drink question. She wrote letters about it, and sent them to different
newspapers, for there was no 'War Cry' nor 'Young Soldier' in those days;
and she also became the secretary of what was then called a Juvenile
Temperance Society, and did all she could to get boys and girls to
promise never to touch the drink.
Katie was also, like many of you, much interested in the heathen. She
would go round to all her friends collecting money to pay for preachers
to be sent to them; and in order to get more money she would deny herself
sugar and other small luxuries. No one told Katie to do this; but you see
our Army Mother herself taught us, by her example when only a child, to
keep our great Self-Denial Week.
Of course, most of Katie's time was taken up with her lessons, and, as
she loved to learn and study, they were no hardship to her. For two years
she went to a boarding-school, and here her companions soon found out how
straight and truthful she was. 'You'll never get _her_ to tell a
lie,' the girls said, 'nor even to exaggerate, so it's no use trying.'
Every one knew also that Katie felt for the backward girls and those who
were slow and dull. She wanted them to succeed, and would help them
between school hours. That was her joy, you see--to help and care for
others; whether at school or at home she was the same.
But you must not think that Catherine was perfect. Oh, no, indeed!
Sometimes her schoolmates would tease her because she was so quiet, and
liked to read better than to play; and at such times, instead of being
patient, she would flare up into a passion, and say harsh, angry words.
When the storm was over she would be, however, Oh! so sorry, and would
beg her schoolfellows to forgive her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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