y and systematic effort which alone made it
possible to keep up so vast a work mainly by the gifts of the poor. To
this very day it is the same old struggle to get each L5 that is wanted
together. Yet all of it is precious to us because it so guarantees
exemption from indifference, and the pervasion of all our ranks
everywhere with the principles of self-help which The General always so
inculcated as to make The Army everywhere independent of the wealthy,
yet their trusted and skilful almoners.

Rejoicing as we do in all that, we cannot too strongly guard every one
against the impression that The Army has become, either at its centre,
or anywhere else, so situated that there is not at any given moment
extraordinary strain in some financial direction. It has come to be very
generally known that the individual Officer can only keep in existence
because he has schooled his desires to be content with what others all
around would regard as "an impossible pittance."

We hear one day of a great city where the conditions of life are such
that a Rescue Home is evidently urgently needed, and the lady who calls
our attention to the matter offers at once to find L500 towards the
fitting-up of such a Home. But we know that to keep it up requires gifts
amounting to some thousands of pounds each year, which, if not
subscribed locally, we shall have to provide from Headquarters.

Now what is to be done? Are we to stand still with what seems to us so
valuable an offer, not only of money-helps but of opportunity to help?
Under the circumstances we know what The General would have done. He
would without a moment's hesitation have said: "This ought to be done,
and must be done"; and, trusting in God, he would have made the other
step forward, though perfectly conscious that it would probably involve
him in new cares and anxieties.

"Four shillings and tenpence. Now, really, can't we manage that twopence
to make five shillings?"

Such an appeal, heard at a street-corner, where one of our Open-Air
Meetings is being closed, is, I fear, the first and last that many
people hear of The Salvation Army. They have not been present at the
Meeting. All the beautiful speaking and singing of happy men and women,
anxious to do anything they can for the good of others--of this the
passers-by know nothing. Many of them "would not be seen standing to
listen" amidst the crowd, still less when, for want of any considerable
crowd, they would be more cons