The Angel Adjutant of "Twice Born Men"Carpenter, Minnie Lindsay Rowell
Religion
The Angel Adjutant of "Twice Born Men"
Carpenter, Minnie Lindsay Rowell
Lee, Kate; Salvation Army
The sitting-room of the little home which she enjoyed for the last two or
three years of her life, was a reflex of her character in modesty,
simplicity, and usableness. A soft green paper covered the walls, dark
lino the floor, a rug or two here and there; a writing-desk, book-case, a
cottage piano, a couple of easy chairs, and a couch completed the
furniture. On the walls and mantleshelf were Army photos, a print of
Christ at prayer; a few treasures, 'with a meaning' (her sister
explains), picked up here and there as mementoes of her furloughs; a
small French bronze of Jesus carrying His cross; a petrified bird's nest,
which has served as an object lesson in children's meetings, and so on.
This quiet room was the dearest of retreats to Kate Lee. Here, with her
sister, who anticipated her every wish and lavished love upon her, she
shut the door upon the world with its turmoils, and gave herself up to
study and rest. Her books were her greatest treasures. In them she
enjoyed the company of the greatest and best of souls, who believed as
she believed, fought for the things she counted worth while, and
triumphed as she was endeavouring to triumph.
Her bookshelf contained, perhaps, one hundred volumes in all; chosen, as
were all her small possessions, with an eye to the highest values.
A notebook furnishes a list of the books she read during her field
service; they included The Founder's and The Army Mother's works,
Finney's 'Revivals,' many biographies, Meyer's 'Bible Characters,' and
more thoughtful studies such as Butler's 'Analogy.' How she had managed
time for reading during those busy, rushed days, is revealed in a reply
to a young officer who had consulted her on self-improvement. She wrote,
'I trained myself to read one chapter of some good book every day.'
To sit at the desk where Kate Lee had worked, open its drawers and draw
out the contents, was to discover on everything the stamp of the
principles which had governed her life. Everything was in perfect order.
Here is her diary, a memorandum of coming events and engagements
fulfilled; and her accounts. Here a locked box; in it a tiny leather bag,
holding the balance of her 'Lord's money,' with a reference to her diary
for the exact amount due; also the covenant mentioned elsewhere. A
much-worn 'Where Is It?' contains a record, with shorthand remarks, of
every address she had delivered, in alphabetical order of the place where
she had spoken. She commenced these entries at her second corps, nearly
thirty years earlier, and by reference, could ascertain in a few minutes
the addresses or lectures she had given on Holiness, Salvation, Social,
or other subjects, whether in Sunderland, Brighton, Croydon, Thetford, or
elsewhere. For her there was no unpleasant wondering as to whether she
might repeat her subject on a return visit anywhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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