fessed that what has been done, in comparison with what
has to be done, would not be unfairly represented by the seven maids,
and that some people think the conversion of the foreigner as hopeless
as the carpenter did the sand-sweeping job. But seven mops are better
than none, and the pessimists are few. Souls are different material to
work upon from sand. By and by the Christian denominations will stop
sweeping around the edges of this great missionary enterprise, and take
hold of it with full force. This will come to pass when the real
conditions and needs and perils are widely known; and in making them
known the young people have their opportunity to render signal service
to foreigner, country, Church, and Christ.

_VI. Basal Grounds for Optimism_

[Sidenote: The Outlook]

Now that we have completed our study of immigration, necessarily limited
by time and space, we are in position to draw some conclusions with
regard to the outlook. Our study shows that there is plenty in the
character and extent of present day immigration to make the Christian
and patriot thoughtful, prayerful, and purposeful. On the surface there
is enough that is appalling and threatening to excuse if not justify the
use of the word "peril." The writer confesses that when he lived, years
ago, in western Pennsylvania, and came close to the inferior grades of
immigrants, and witnessed the changes wrought by the displacement of the
earlier day mining class, he bordered for a time on the pessimistic
plane. Nor was his condition much improved during residence in New
England, where the changing of the old order and the passing of the
Puritan are of vast significance to our country. But closer study of the
broad subject has led to a positively optimistic view concerning
immigration, and some of the grounds of this optimism may properly close
this chapter and volume.

[Sidenote: Two Great Factors--Democracy and Religion]

The basal ground is the universal tendency toward democracy and the
universal necessity for religion. These are sufficiently axiomatic. The
appeal to the history of the nineteenth century is sufficient to
establish the first, and the appeal to the heart of humanity will
establish the second. Democracy is the dominant spirit in the world's
life to-day. It is the vital air of America. Whatever is in its nature
inimical to democracy cannot permanently endure on this continent, and
certainly cannot control, whether it be in the spher