mmissioner" Railton, soliciting wedding presents for Mr. Bramwell
Booth. With the exception of Reuben May's begging letters, it is the
finest cadging document we ever saw. Booth was evidently ashamed to
sign it himself, so it bears the name of Railton. But the pious showman
cannot disown the responsibility for it. He will not allow the officers
of the Army to marry without his sanction; he forbids them to accept
any private present; he keeps a sharp eye on every detail of the
organisation. Surely, then, he will not have the face to say that
he knew nothing of Railton's circular. He has face enough for almost
anything, but hardly for this. There is one damning fact which he cannot
shirk. Bailton asks that all contributions shall be made "payable to
William Booth, as usual."

Bailton spreads the butter pretty freely on Booth and his family. He
says that their devotion to the Army has "loaded them with care, and
often made them suffer weakness and pain." As to Mr. Bramwell Booth,
in particular, we are informed that he has worked so hard behind the
scenes, as Chief of the Staff, that many of his hairs are grey at
twenty-seven. Poor Bramwell! The Army should present him with a dozen
bottles of hair restorer. Perhaps his young wife will renew his raven
head by imitating the lady in the fable, and pulling out all the grey
hairs.

In order to compensate this noble family in some degree for their
marvellous devotion to the great cause, Bailton proposes that wedding
presents _in the shape of cash_ should be made to Mr. Bramwell Booth on
the day of his marriage. Whatever money is received will go, not to the
young gentleman personally, but to reducing the Army debt of L11,000.
But as the Army property is all in Booth's hands, and Mr. Bramwell is
his _heir_ and successor, it is obvious that any reduction of the debt
will be so much clear gain to the firm.

The General evidently saw that the case was a delicate one; so Bailton
sends out a private circular, which he excuses on the ground that
"any public appeal would not be at all agreeable to Mr. Bramwell's own
feelings." Of course not. But we dare say the wedding presents will
be agreeable enough. As this is a strong point with the firm, Bailton
repeats it later on. "I do not wish," he says, "to make any public
announcement of this." The reason of this secrecy is doubtless the same
as that which prompts the General to exclude reporters and interlopers
from his all-night meetings