God's Answers: A Record of Miss Annie Macpherson's Work at the Home of Industry, Spitalfields, London, and in CanadaLowe, Clara M. S.
Religion
God's Answers: A Record of Miss Annie Macpherson's Work at the Home of Industry, Spitalfields, London, and in Canada
Lowe, Clara M. S.
Canada -- Emigration and immigration; Church work with children; Home missions; Macpherson, Annie
"Strike another note of praise for the answer to the many prayers of
our Glasgow fellow-labourers. A friend in Scotland has been stirred up
to give 2000 pounds in order to build an Emigration Refuge in that
city, that homeless lads may be trained for Canada. Let us unite in
asking that ere long similar Homes may be opened in Edinburgh and
Liverpool, where poor and oppressed orphans abound. Before returning
to you, we trust that corresponding Homes on this side will be in
course of preparation, one in the East and another in the West, so
that when the 150 young emigrants arrive at Quebec, fifty can proceed
at once to each Home for distribution.
"We leave Marchmont accompanied in our mission carriage by two boys;
and these two have histories which contain a lesson for all boys.
Their antecedents in England were much the same--orphanage, want of
caretakers, misery. One is still self-willed, having no mercy on
himself, a runaway from the home in which we had placed him, and was
brought to us a second time by the police as homeless. We are now
taking him back to his master to hear all about the grievances, and
find out that they arose from his determination not to go to school.
A boy that does not value the opportunities afforded him, but prefers
growing up in ignorance, must suffer for it sooner or later. May all
boys who read this determine to apply themselves to every lesson
heartily; each difficulty overcome will render it more easy to master
the next.
"The other boy was one of the first hundred; he arrived by train
from Toronto at midnight, and rang us up, expecting admittance, for
he felt that he was coming home to see his friends, his master having
given him a holiday. This boy, though utterly alone in the world,
snatched by us from a life in London stables, stands there, at
fourteen, a self-reliant little man, with his purpose in life
clearly defined. He is not many minutes in the house before he
discloses the joy it is to come home, and tells us how he has as good
a suit of Sunday-clothes to put on as any gentleman.
"Next morning he sits during Bible-lesson in the schoolroom side by
side with the ne'er-do-weel. Both are received for Jesus' sake, the
one in his poverty and self-will, the other in his good suit and
self-complacency, but both still wanting the 'one thing needful' to
fit them for the home and mansions on high. Whilst endeavouring to
explain how Jesus had loved them, and wrought out a righteousness for
them, and was as willing to receive them as we had been, and that He
had a large and loving heart, and cared for the many hundreds still
wandering about in the great city, tears filled the eyes of the
little group. Just picture what we felt as J--- P---, in the most
humble and childlike way, put his hand in his pocket and drew out
twenty-five dollars, saying, 'Miss, that will bring another.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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