f　eight　said；　last　Christmas　Day；　〃I　remember　when　we　had　only　dry　bread　for　Christmas；　but　to…day　we　had　a　goose　and　two　plum…puddings。〃　　Brother　X。　was　dismissed　in　disgrace　from　his　situation　as　commercial　traveller　before　his　conversion；　to…day　he　is　chief　man；　next　to　his　employer；　in　a　large　business　house。
  He　says：
  I　and　perfectly　satisfied　that　very　few　of　the　lowest　strata　of　Society　are　unwilling　to　work　if　they　could　get　it。　　The　wretched　hand…to…mouth　existence　many　of　them　have　to　live　disheartens　them；　and　makes　life　with　them　either　a　feast　or　a　famine；　and　drives　those　who　have　brains　enough　to　crime。
  The　results　of　our　work　in　the　Slums　may　be　put　down　as：
  1st。　　A　marked　improvement　in　the　cleanliness　of　the　homes　and　　　　　　　children；　disappearance　of　vermin；　and　a　considerable　lessening　　　　　　　of　drunkenness。
  2nd。　　A　greater　respect　for　true　religion；　and　especially　that　of　the　　　　　　　Salvation　Army。
  3rd。　　A　much　larger　amount　of　work　is　being　done　now　than　before　our　　　　　　　going　there。
  4th。　　The　rescue　of　many　fallen　girls。
  5th。　　The　Shelter　work　seems　to　us　a　development　of　the　Slum　work。
  In　connection　with　our　Scheme；　we　propose　to　immediately　increase　the　numbers　of　these　Slum　Sisters；　and　to　add　to　their　usefulness　by　directly　connecting　their　operations　with　the　Colony；　enabling　them　thereby　to　help　the　poor　people　to　conditions　of　life　more　favourable　to　health；　morals；　and　religion。　　This　would　be　accomplished　by　getting　some　of　them　employment　in　the　City；　which　must　necessarily　result　in　better　homes　and　surroundings；　or　in　the　opening　up　for　others　of　a　straight　course　from　the　Slums　to　the　Farm　Colony。
  SECTION　2。THE　TRAVELLING　HOSPITAL。
  Of　course；　there　is　only　one　real　remedy　for　this　state　of　things；　and　that　is　to　take　the　people　away　from　the　wretched　hovels　in　which　they　sicken；　suffer；　and　die；　with　less　comfort　and　consideration　than　the　cattle　in　the　stalls　and　styes　of　many　a　country　Squire。　And　this　is　certainly　our　ultimate　ambition；　but　for　the　present　distress　something　might　be　done　on　the　lines　of　district　nursing；　which　is　only　in　very　imperfect　operation。
  I　have　been　thinking　that　if　a　little　Van；　drawn　by　a　pony；　could　be　fitted　up　with　what　is　ordinarily　required　by　the　sick　and　dying；　and　trot　round　amongst　these　abodes　of　desolation；　with　a　couple　of　nurses　trained　for　the　business；　it　might　be　of　immense　service；　without　being　very　costly。　　They　could　have　a　few　simple　instruments；　so　as　to　draw　a　tooth　or　lance　an　abscess；　and　what　was　absolutely　requisite　for　simple　surgical　operations。　　A　little　oil…stove　for　hot　water　to　prepare　a　poultice；　or　a　hot　foment；　or　a　soap　wash；　and　a　number　of　other　necessaries　for　nursing；　could　be　carried　with　ease。
  The　need　for　this　will　only　be　appreciated　by　those　who　know　how　utterly　bereft　of　all　the　comforts　and　conveniences　for　attending　to　the　smallest　matters　in　sickness　which　prevails　in　these　abodes　of　wretchedness。　　It　may　be　suggested；　why　don't　the　people　when　they　are　ill　go　to　the　hospital？　　To　which　we　simply　reply　that　they　won't。　They　cling　to　their　own　bits　of　rooms　and　to　the　companionship　of　the　members　of　their　own　families；　brutal　as　they　often　are；　and　would　rather　stay　and　suffer；　and　die　in　the　midst　of　all　the　filth　and　squalor　that　surrounds　them　in　their　own　dens；　than　go　to　the　big　house；　which；　to　them；　looks　very　like　a　prison。
  The　sufferings　of　the　wretched　occupants　of　the　Slums　that　we　have　been　describing；　when　sick　and　unable　to　help　themselves；　makes　the　organisation　of　some　system　of　nursing　them　in　their　own　homes　a　Christian　duty。　　Here　are　a　handful　of　cases；　gleaned　almost　at　random　from　the　reports　of　our　Slum　Sisters；　which　will　show　the　value　of　the　agency　above　described：
  Many　of　those　who　are　sick　have　often　only　one　room；　and　often　several　children。　　The　Officers　come　across　many　cases　where；　with　no　one　to　look　after　them；　they　have　to　lie　for　hours　without　food　or　nourishment　of　any　kind。　　Sometimes　the　neighbours　will　take　them　in　a　cup　of　tea。　It　is　really　a　mystery　how　they　live。
  A　poor　woman　in　Drury　Lane　was　paralyzed。　　She　had　no　one　to　attend　to　her；　she　lay　on　the　floor；　on　a　stuffed　sack；　and　an　old　piece　of　cloth　to　cover　her。　　Although　it　was　winter；　she　very　seldom　had　any　fire。　She　had　no　garments　to　wear；　and　but　very　little　to　eat。
  Another　poor　woman；　who　was　very　ill；　was　allowed　a　little　money　by　her　daughter　to　pay　her　rent　and　get　her　food；　but　very　frequently　she　had　not　the　strength　to　light　a　fire　or　to　get　herself　food。　　She　was　parted　from　her　husband　because　of　his　cruelty。　　Often　she　lay　for　hours　without　a　soul　to　visit　or　help　her。
  Adjutant　McClellan　found　a　man　lying　on　a　straw　mattress　in　a　very　bad　condition。　　The　room　was　filthy；　the　smell　made　the　Officer　feel　ill。　The　man　had　been　lying　for　days　without　having　anything　done　for　him。　A　cup　of　water　was　by　his　side。　　The　Officers　vomited　from　the　terrible　smells　of　this　place。　　Frequently　sick　people　are　found　who　need　the　continual　application　of　hot　poultices；　but　who　are　left　with　a　cold　one　for　hours。
  In　Marylebone　the　Officers　visited　a　poor　old　woman　who　was　very　ill。　She　lived　in　an　underground　back　kitchen；　with　hardly　a　ray　of　light　and　never　a　ray　of　sunshine。　　Her　bed　was　made　up　on　some　egg　boxes。　She　had　no　one　to　look　after　her；　except　a　drunken　daughter；　who　very　often；　when　drunk；　used　to　knock　the　poor　old　woman　about　very　badly。　The　Officers　frequently　found　that　she　had　not　eaten　any　food　up　to　twelve　o'clock；　not　even　a　cup　of　tea　to　drink。　　The　only　furniture　in　the　room　was　a　small　table；　an　old　fender；　and　a　box。　　The　vermin　seemed　to　be　innumerable。
  A　poor　woman　was　taken　very　ill；　but；　having　a　small　family；　she　felt　she　must　get　up　and　wash　them。　　While　she　was　washing　the　baby　she　fell　down　and　was　unable　to　move。　　Fortunately　a　neighbour　came　in　soon　after　to　ask　some　question；　and　saw　her　lying　there。　　She　at　once　ran　and　fetched　another　neighbour。　　Thinking　the　poor　woman　was　dead；　they　got　her　into　bed　and　sent　for　a　doctor。　　He　said　she　was　in　consumption　and　required　quiet　and　nourishment。　　This　the　poor　woman　could　not　get；　on　account　of　her　children。　　She　got　up　a　few　hours　afterwards。　　As　she　was　going　downstairs　she　fell　down　again。　　The　neighbour　picked　her　up　and　put　her　back　to　bed；　where　for　a　long　time　she　lay　thoroughly　prostrated。　　The　Officers　took　her　case　in　hand；　fed；　and　nursed　her；　cleaned　her　room　and　generally　looked　after　her。
  In　another　dark　slum　the　Officers　found　a　poor　old　woman　in　an　underground　back　kitchen。　　She　was　suffering　with　some　complaint。　When　they　knocked　at　the　door　she　was　terrified　for　fear　it　was　the　landlord。　　The　room　was　in　a　most　filthy　condition；　never　having　been　cleaned。　　She　had　a　penny　paraffin　lamp　which　filled　the　room　with　smoke。　　The　old　woman　was　at　times　totally　unable　to　do　anything　for　herself。　　The　Officers　looked　after　her。
  SECTION　3。　REGENERATlON　OF　OUR　CRIMINALS。THE　PRISON　GATE　BRIGADE
  Our　Prisons　ought　to　be　reforming　institutions；　which　should　turn　men　out　better　than　when　they　entered　their　doors。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　they　are　often　quite　the　reverse。　　There　are　few　persons　in　this　world　more　to　be　pitied　than　the　poor　fellow　who　has　served　his　first　term　of　imprisonment　or　finds　himself　outside　the　gaol　doors　without　a　character；　and　often　without　a　friend　in　the　world。　　Here；　again；　the　process　of　centralization；　gone　on　apace　of　late　years；　however　desirable　it　maybe　in　the　interests　of　administration；　tells　with　disastrous　effects　on　the　poor　wretches　who　are　its　victims。
  In　the　old　times；　when　a　man　was　sent　to　prison；　the　gaol　stood　within　a　stone's　throw　of　his　home。　　When　he　came　out　he　was　at　any　rate　close　to　his　old　friends　and　relations；　who　would　take　him　in　and　give　him　a　helping　hand　to　start　once　more　a　new　life。　　But　what　has　happened　owing　to　the　desire　of　the　Government　to　do　away　with　as　many　local　gaols　as　possible？　　The　prisoners；　when　convicted；　are　sent　long　distances　by　rail　to　the　central　prisons；　and　on　coming　out　find　themselves　cursed　with　the　brand　of　the　gaol　bird；　so　far　from　home；　character　gone；　and　with　no　one　to　fall　back　upon　for　counsel；　or　to　give　them　a　helping　hand。　　No　wonder　it　is　reported　that　vagrancy　has　much　increased　in　some　large　towns　on　account　of　discharged　prisoners　taking　to　begging；　having　no　other　resource。
  In　the　competition　for　work　no　employer　is　likely　to　take　a　man　who　is　fresh　from　gaol；　nor　are　mistresses　likely　to　engage　a　servant　whose　last　character　was　her　discharge　from　one　of　Her　Majesty's　prisons。　It　is　incredible　how　much　mischief　is　often　done　by　well…meaning　persons；　who；　in　struggling　towards　the　attainment　of　an　excellent　end　such；　for　instance；　as　that　of　economy　and　efficiency　in　prison　administrationforget　entirely　the　bearing　which　their　reforms　may　have　upon　the　prisoners　themselves。
  The　Salvation　Army　has　at　least　one　great　qualification　for　dealing　with　this　question　I　believe　I　am　in　the　proud　position　of　being　at　the　head　of　the　only　religious　body　which　has　always　some　of　its　members　in　gaol　for　conscience'　sake。　　We　are　also　one　of　the　few　religious　bodies　which