oral　Salvation；　of　salvation　from　pinching　poverty；　from　rags　and　misery；　must　be　offered　to　all。　They　may　reject　it；　of　course。　　But　we　who　call　ourselves　by　the　name　of　Christ　are　not　worthy　to　profess　to　be　His　disciples　until　we　have　set　an　open　door　before　the　least　and　worst　of　these　who　are　now　apparently　imprisoned　for　life　in　a　horrible　dungeon　of　misery　and　despair。　　The　responsibility　for　its　rejection　must　be　theirs；　not　ours。　　We　all　know　the　prayer；　〃Give　me　neither　poverty　nor　riches；　feed　me　with　food　convenient　for　me〃and　for　every　child　of　man　on　this　planet；　thank　God　the　prayer　of　Agur；　the　son　of　Jakeh；　may　be　fulfilled。
  At　present　how　far　it　is　from　being　realised　may　be　seen　by　anyone　who　will　take　the　trouble　to　go　down　to　the　docks　and　see　the　struggle　for　work。　　Here　is　a　sketch　of　what　was　found　there　this　summer：
  London　Docks；　7。25　a。m。　　The　three　pairs　of　huge　wooden　doors　are　closed。　　Leaning　against　then；　and　standing　about；　there　are　perhaps　a　couple　of　hundred　men。　　The　public　house　opposite　is　full；　doing　a　heavy　trade。　　All　along　the　road　are　groups　of　men；　and　from　each　direction　a　steady　stream　increases　the　crowd　at　the　gate。
  7。30　Doors　open；　there　is　a　general　rush　to　the　interior。　　Everybody　marches　about　a　hundred　yards　along　to　the　iron　barriera　temporary　chair　affair；　guarded　by　the　dock　police。　　Those　men　who　have　previously　（i。e。；　night　before）　been　engaged；　show　their　ticket　and　pass　through；　about　six　hundred。　　The　restsome　five　hundred　stand　behind　the　barrier；　patiently　waiting　the　chance　of　a　job；　but　less　than　twenty　of　these　get　engaged。　　They　are　taken　on　by　a　foreman　who　appears　next　the　barrier　and　proceeds　to　pick　his　men。　　No　sooner　is　the　foreman　seen；　than　there　is　a　wild　rush　to　the　spot　and　a　sharp　mad　fight　to　〃catch　his　eye。〃　　The　men　picked　out；　pass　the　barrier；　and　the　excitement　dies　away　until　another　lot　of　men　are　wanted。
  They　wait　until　eight　o'clock　strikes；　which　is　the　signal　to　withdraw。　The　barrier　is　taken　down　and　all　those　hundreds　of　men；　wearily　disperse　to　〃find　a　job。〃　　Five　hundred　applicants；　twenty　acceptances！　No　wonder　one　tired…out　looking　individual　ejaculates；　〃Oh　dear；　Oh　dear！　Whatever　shall　I　do？〃　　A　few　hang　about　until　mid…day　on　the　slender　chance　of　getting　taken　on　then　for　half　a　day。
  Ask　the　men　and　they　will　tell　you　something　like　the　following　story；　which　gives　the　simple　experiences　of　a　dock　labourer。
  R。　P。　said：　〃I　was　in　regular　work　at　the　South　West　India　Dock　before　the　strike。　　We　got　5d。　an　hour。　　Start　work　8　a。m。　summer　and　9　a。m　winter。　　Often　there　would　be　five　hundred　go；　and　only　twenty　get　taken　on　（that　is　besides　those　engaged　the　night　previous。）　The　foreman　stood　in　his　box；　and　called　out　the　men　he　wanted。　He　would　know　quite　five　hundred　by　name。　　It　was　a　regular　fight　to　get　work；　I　have　known　nine　hundred　to　be　taken　on；　but　there's　always　hundreds　turned　away。　　You　see　they　get　to　know　when　ships　come　in；　and　when　they're　consequently　likely　to　be　wanted；　and　turn　up　then　in　greater　numbers。　　I　would　earn　30s。　a　week　sometimes　and　then　perhaps　nothing　for　a　fortnight。　　That's　what　makes　it　so　hard。　　You　get　nothing　to　eat　for　a　week　scarcely；　and　then　when　you　get　taken　on；　you　are　so　weak　that　you　can't　do　it　properly。　　I've　stood　in　the　crowd　at　the　gate　and　had　to　go　away　without　work；　hundreds　of　times。　　Still　I　should　go　at　it　again　if　I　could。　　I　got　tired　of　the　little　work　and　went　away　into　the　country　to　get　work　on　a　farm；　but　couldn't　get　it；　so　I'm　without　the　10s。　that　it　costs　to　join　the　Dockers'　Union。　　I'm　going　to　the　country　again　in　a　day　or　two　to　try　again。　　Expect　to　get　3s。　a　day　perhaps。　　Shall　come　back　to　the　docks　again。　　Then　is　a　chance　of　getting　regular　dock　work；　and　that　is；　to　lounge　about　the　pubs　where　the　foremen　go；　and　treat　them。　　Then　they　will　very　likely　take　you　on　next　day。〃
  R。　P。　was　a　non…Unionist。　　Henry　F。　is　a　Unionist。　　His　history　is　much　the　same。
  〃I　worked　at　St。　Katherine's　Docks　five　months　ago。　　You　have　to　get　to　the　gates　at　6　o'clock　for　the　first　call。　　There's　generally　about　400　waiting。　　They　will　take　on　one　to　two　hundred。　　Then　at　7　o'clock　there's　a　second　call。　　Another　400　will　have　gathered　by　then；　and　another　hundred　or　so　will　be　taken　on。　　Also　there　will　probably　be　calls　at　nine　and　one　o'clock。　　About　the　same　number　turn　up　but　there's　no　work　for　many　hundreds　of　them。　　I　was　a　Union　man。　　That　means　10s。　a　week　sick　pay；　or　8s。　a　week　for　slight　accidents；　also　some　other　advantages。　　The　Docks　won't　take　men　on　now　unless　they　are　Unionists。　　The　point　is　that　there's　too　many　men。　　I　would　often　be　out　of　work　a　fortnight　to　three　weeks　at　a　time。　　Once　earned　#3　in　a　week；　working　day　and　night；　but　then　had　a　fortnight　out　directly　after。　　Especially　when　then　don't　happen　to　be　any　ships　in　for　a　few　days；　which　means；　of　course；　nothing　to　unload。　　That's　the　time；　there's　plenty　of　men　almost　starving　then。　　They　have　no　trade　to　go　to；　or　can　get　no　work　at　it；　and　they　swoop　down　to　the　docks　for　work；　when　they　had　much　better　stay　away。〃
  But　it　is　not　only　at　the　dock…gates　that　you　come　upon　these　unfortunates　who　spend　their　lives　in　the　vain　hunt　for　work。　　Here　is　the　story　of　another　man　whose　case　has　only　too　many　parallels。
  C。　is　a　fine　built　man；　standing　nearly　six　feet。　　He　has　been　in　the　Royal　Artillery　for　eight　years　and　held　very　good　situations　whilst　in　it。　　It　seems　that　he　was　thrifty　and　consequently　steady。　　He　bought　his　discharge；　and　being　an　excellent　cook　opened　a　refreshment　house；　but　at　the　end　of　five　months　he　was　compelled　to　close　his　shop　on　account　of　slackness　in　trade；　which　was　brought　about　by　the　closing　of　a　large　factory　in　the　locality。
  After　having　worked　in　Scotland　and　Newcastle…on…Tyne　for　a　few　years；　and　through　ill　health　having　to　give　up　his　situation；　he　came　to　London　with　he　hope　that　he　might　get　something　to　do　in　his　native　town。　　He　has　had　no　regular　employment　for　the　past　eight　months。　His　wife　and　family　are　in　a　state　of　destitution；　and　he　remarked；　〃We　only　had　1　lb。　of　bread　between　us　yesterday。〃　　He　is　six　weeks　in　arrears　of　rent；　and　is　afraid　that　he　will　be　ejected。　　The　furniture　which　is　in　his　home　is　not　worth　3s。　and　the　clothes　of　each　member　of　his　family　are　in　a　tattered　state　and　hardly　fit　for　the　rag　bag。　He　assured　us　he　had　tried　every　where　to　get　employment　and　would　be　willing　to　take　anything。　　His　characters　are　very　good　indeed。
  Now；　it　may　seem　a　preposterous　dream　that　any　arrangement　can　be　devised　by　which　it　may　be　possible；　under　all　circumstances；　to　provide　food；　clothes；　and　shelter　for　all　these　Out…of…Works　without　any　loss　of　self　respect；　but　I　am　convinced　that　it　can　be　done；　providing　only　that　they　are　willing　to　Work；　and；　God　helping　me；　if　the　means　are　forthcoming；　I　mean　to　try　to　do　it；　how；　and　where；　and　when；　I　will　explain　in　subsequent　chapters。
  All　that　I　need　say　here　is；　that　so　long　as　a　man　or　woman　is　willing　to　submit　to　the　discipline　indispensable　in　every　campaign　against　any　formidable　foe；　there　appears　to　me　nothing　impossible　about　this　ideal；　and　the　great　element　of　hope　before　us　is　that　the　majority　are；　beyond　all　gainsaying；　eager　for　work。　　Most　of　them　now　do　more　exhausting　work　in　seeking　for　employment　than　the　regular　toilers　do　in　their　workshops；　and　do　it；　too；　under　the　darkness　of　hope　deferred　which　maketh　the　heart　sick。
  CHAPTER　5。　　ON　THE　VERGE　OF　THE　ABYSS。
  There　is；　unfortunately；　no　need　for　me　to　attempt　to　set　out；　however　imperfectly；　any　statement　of　the　evil　case　of　the　sufferers　what　we　wish　to　help。　　For　years　past　the　Press　has　been　filled　with　echoes　of　the　〃Bitter　Cry　of　Outcast　London；〃　with　pictures　of　〃Horrible　Glasgow；〃　and　the　like。　　We　have　had　several　volumes　describing　〃How　the　Poor　Live〃　and　I　may　therefore　assume　that　all　my　readers　are　more　or　less　cognizant　of　the　main　outlines　a　〃Darkest　England。〃　　My　slum　officers　are　living　in　the　midst　of　it　their　reports　are　before　me；　and　one　day　I　may　publish　some　more　detailed　account　of　the　actual　facts　of　the　social　condition　of　the　Sunken　Millions。　　But　not　now。　　All　that　must　be　taken　as　read。　I　only　glance　at　the　subject　in　order　to　bring　into　clear　relief　the　salient　points　of　our　new　Enterprise。
  I　have　spoken　of　the　houseless　poor。　　Each　of　these　represents　a　point　in　the　scale　of　human　suffering　below　that　of　those　who　have　still　contrived　to　keep　a　shelter　over　their　heads。　　A　home　is　a　home；　be　it　ever　so　low；　and　the　desperate　tenacity　with　which　the　poor　will　cling　to　the　last　wretched　semblance　of　one　is　very　touching。　　There　are　vile　dens；　fever…haunted　and　stenchful　crowded　courts；　where　the　return　of　summer　is　dreaded　because　it　means　the　unloosing　of　myriads　of　vermin　which　render　night　unbearable；　which；　nevertheless；　are　regarded　at　this　moment　as　havens　of　rest　by　their　hard…working　occupants。　They　can　scarcely　be　said　to　be　furnished。　　A　chair；　a　mattress；　and　a　few　miserable　sticks　constitute　all　the　furniture　of　the　single　room　in　which　they　have　to　sleep；　and　breed；　and　die；　but　they　cling　to　it　as　a　drowning　man　to　a　half…