ife；　as　they　exist　in　a　healthy；　small　community。　　No　institution；　it　is　true；　can　ever　replace　the　magic　bond　of　personal　friendship；　but　if　we　have　the　whole　mass　of　Society　permeated　in　every　direction　by　brotherly　associations　established　for　the　purpose　of　mutual　help　and　sympathising　counsel；　it　is　not　an　impossible　thing　to　believe　that　we　shall　be　able　to　do　something　to　restore　the　missing　element　in　modern　civilisation。
  SECTION　4。THE　POOR　MAN'S　LAWYER。
  The　moment　you　set　about　dealing　with　the　wants　of　the　people；　you　discover　that　many　of　their　difficulties　are　not　material；　but　moral。　　There　never　was　a　greater　mistake　than　to　imagine　that　you　have　only　to　fill　a　man's　stomach；　and　clothe　his　back　in　order　to　secure　his　happiness。　　Man　is；　much　more　than　a　digestive　apparatus；　liable　to　get　out　of　order。　　Hence；　while　it　is　important　to　remember　that　man　has　a　stomach；　it　is　also　necessary　to　bear　in　mind　that　he　has　a　heart；　and　a　mind　that　is　frequently　sorely　troubled　by　difficulties　which；　if　he　lived　in　a　friendly　world；　would　often　disappear。　　A　man；　and　still　more　a　woman；　stands　often　quite　as　much　in　need　of　a　trusted　adviser　as　he　or　she　does　of　a　dinner　or　a　dress。　Many　a　poor　soul　is　miserable　all　the　day　long；　and　gets　dragged　down　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　depths　of　sin　and　sorrow　and　despair　for　want　of　a　sympathising　friend；　who　can　give　her　advice；　and　make　her　feel　that　somebody　in　the　world　cares　for　her；　and　will　help　her　if　they　can。
  If　we　are　to　bring　back　the　sense　of　brotherhood　to　the　world；　we　must　confront　this　difficulty。　　God；　it　was　said　in　old　time；　setteth　the　desolate　in　families；　but　somehow；　in　our　time；　the　desolate　wander　alone　in　the　midst　of　a　careless　and　unsympathising　world。　　〃There　is　no…one　who　cares　for　my　soul。　　There　is　no　creature　loves　me；　and　if　I　die　no　one　will　pity　me；〃　is　surely　one　of　the　bitterest　cries　that　can　burst　from　a　breaking　heart。　　One　of　the　secrets　of　the　success　of　the　Salvation　Army　is；　that　the　friendless　of　the　world　find　friends　in　it。　　There　is　not　one　sinner　in　the　world　no　matter　how　degraded　and　dirty　he　may　bewhom　my　people　will　not　rejoice　to　take　by　the　hand　and　pray　with；　and　labour　for；　if　thereby　they　can　but　snatch　him　as　a　brand　from　the　burning。　　Now；　we　want　to　make　more　use　of　this；　to　make　the　Salvation　Army　the　nucleus　of　a　great　agency　for　bringing　comfort　and　counsel　to　those　who　are　at　their　wits'　end；　feeling　as　if　in　the　whole　world　there　was　no　one　to　whom　they　could　go。
  What　we　want　to　do　is　to　exemplify　to　the　world　the　family　idea。　〃Our　Father〃　is　the　keynote。　　One　is　Our　Father；　then　all　we　are　brethren。　　But　in　a　family；　if　anyone　is　troubled　in　mind　or　conscience；　there　is　no　difficulty。　　The　daughter　goes　to　her　father；　or　the　son　to　his　mother；　and　pour　out　their　soul's　troubles；　and　are　relieved。　　If　there　is　any　serious　difficulty　a　family　council　is　held；　and　all　unite　their　will　and　their　resources　to　get　matters　put　straight。　　This　is　what　we　mean　to　try　to　get　done　in　the　New　Organisation　of　Society　for　which　we　are　labouring。　　We　cannot　know　better　than　God　Almighty　what　will　do　good　to　man。　　We　are　content　to　follow　on　His　lines；　and　to　mend　the　world　we　shall　seek　to　restore　something　of　the　family　idea　to　the　many　hundreds　of　thousandsay；　millionswho　have　no　one　wiser　or　more　experienced　than　themselves；　to　whom　they　can　take　their　sorrows；　or　consult　in　their　difficulties。
  Of　course　we　can　do　this　but　imperfectly。　　Only　God　can　create　a　mother。　But　Society　needs　a　great　deal　of　mothering；　much　more　than　it　gets。　And　as　a　child　needs　a　mother　to　run　to　in　its　difficulties　and　troubles；　to　whom　it　can　let　out　its　little　heart　in　confidence；　so　men　and　women；　weary　and　worn　in　the　battles　of　life；　need　someone　to　whom　they　can　go　when　pressed　down　with　a　sense　of　wrongs　suffered　or　done；　knowing　that　their　confidence　will　be　preserved　inviolate；　and　that　their　statements　will　be　received　with　sympathy。　　I　propose　to　attempt　to　meet　this　want。　　I　shall　establish　a　department；　over　which　I　shall　place　the　wisest；　the　pitifullest；　and　the　most　sagacious　men　and　women　whom　I　can　find　on　my　staff；　to　whom　all　those　in　trouble　and　perplexity　shall　be　invited　to　address　themselves。　　It　is　no　use　saying　that　we　love　our　fellow　men　unless　we　try　to　help　them；　and　it　is　no　use　pretending　to　sympathise　with　the　heavy　burdens　which　darken　their　lives　unless　we　try　to　ease　them　and　to　lighten　their　existence。
  Insomuch　as　we　have　more　practical　experience　of　life　than　other　men；　by　so　much　are　we　bound　to　help　their　inexperience；　and　share　our　talents　with　them。　　But　if　we　believe　they　are　our　brothers；　and　that　One　is　our　Father；　even　the　God　who　will　come　to　judge　us　hereafter　for　all　the　deeds　that　we　have　done　in　the　body；　then　must　we　constitute；　in　some　such　imperfect　way　as　is　open　to　us；　the　parental　office。　We　must　be　willing　to　receive　the　outpourings　of　our　struggling　fellow　men；　to　listen　to　the　long…buried　secret　that　has　troubled　the　human　heart；　and　to　welcome　instead　of　repelling　those　who　would　obey　the　Apostolic　precept：　　〃To　confess　their　sins　one　to　another。〃　　Let　not　that　word　confession　scandalise　any。　　Confession　of　the　most　open　sort；　confession　on　the　public　platform　before　the　presence　of　all　the　man's　former　associates　in　sin　has　long　been　one　of　the　most　potent　weapons　by　which　the　Salvation　Army　has　won　its　victories。　　That　confession　we　have　long　imposed　on　all　our　converts；　and　it　is　the　only　confession　which　seems　to　us　to　be　a　condition　of　Salvation。　　But　this　suggestion　is　of　a　different　kind。　　It　is　not　imposed　as　a　means　of　grace。　It　is　not　put　forward　as　a　preliminary　to　the　absolution　which　no　one　can　pronounce　but　our　Lord　Himself。　　It　is　merely　a　response　on　our　part　to　one　of　the　deepest　needs　and　secret　longings　of　the　actual　men　and　women　who　are　meeting　us　daily　in　our　work。　　Why　should　they　be　left　to　brood　in　misery　over　their　secret　sin；　when　a　plain　straightforward　talk　with　a　man　or　woman　selected　for　his　or　her　sympathetic　common…sense　and　spiritual　experience　might　take　the　weight　off　their　shoulders　which　is　crushing　them　into　dull　despair？
  Not　for　absolution；　but　for　sympathy　and　direction；　do　I　propose　to　establish　my　Advice　Bureau　in　definite　form；　for　in　practice　it　has　been　in　existence　for　some　time；　and　wonderful　things　have　been　done　in　the　direction　on　which　I　contemplate　it　working。　　I　have　no　pleasure　in　inventing　these　departments。　　They　all　entail　hard　work　and　no　end　of　anxiety。　　But　if　we　are　to　represent　the　love　of　God　to　men；　we　must　minister　to　all　the　wants　and　needs　of　the　human　heart。　　Nor　is　it　only　in　affairs　of　the　heart　that　this　Advice　Bureau　will　be　of　service。　It　will　be　quite　as　useful　in　affairs　of　the　head。　　As　I　conceive　it；　the　Advice　Bureau　will　be　THE　POOR　MANS　LAWYER　AND　THE　POOR　MANS　TRIBUNE。
  There　are　no　means　in　London；　so　far　as　my　knowledge　goes；　by　which　the　poor　and　needy　can　obtain　any　legal　assistance　in　the　varied　oppressions　and　difficulties　from　which　they　must；　in　consequence　of　their　poverty　and　associations；　be　continually　suffering。
  While　the　〃well…to…do〃　classes　can　fall　back　upon　skilful　friends　for　direction；　or　avail　themselves　of　the　learning　and　experience　of　the　legal　profession；　the　poor　man　has　literally　no　one　qualified　to　counsel　him　on　such　matters。　　In　cases　of　sickness　he　can　apply　to　the　parish　doctor　or　the　great　hospital；　and　receive　an　odd　word　or　two　of　advice；　with　a　bottle　of　physic　which　may　or　may　not　be　of　service。　But　if　his　circumstances　are　sick；　out　of　order；　in　danger　of　carrying　him　to　utter　destitution；　or　to　prison；　or　to　the　Union；　he　has　no　one　to　appeal　to　who　has　the　willingness　or　the　ability　to　help　him。
  Now；　we　want　to　create　a　Court　of　Counsel　or　Appeal；　to　which　anyone　suffering　from　imposition　having　to　do　with　person；　liberty；　or　property；　or　anything　else　of　sufficient　importance；　can　apply；　and　obtain　not　only　advice；　but　practical　assistance。
  Among　others　for　whom　this　Court　would　be　devised　is　the　shamefully…neglected　class　of　Widows；　of　whom　in　the　East　of　London　there　are　6；000；　mostly　in　very　destitute　circumstances。　　In　the　whole　of　London　there　cannot　be　less　than　20；000；　and　in　England　and　Wales　it　is　estimated　there　are　100；000；　fifty　thousand　of　whom　are　probably　poor　and　friendless。
  The　treatment　these　poor　people　by　the　nation　is　a　crying　scandal。　Take　the　case　of　the　average　widow；　even　when　left　in　comfortable　circumstances。　　She　will　often　be　launched　into　a　sea　of　perplexity；　although　able　to　avail　herself　of　the　best　advice。　　But　think　of　the　multitudes　of　poor　women；　who；　when　they　close　their　husbands'　eyes；　lose　the　only　friend　who　knows　anything；　about　their　circumstances。　There　may　be　a　trifle　of　money　or　a　struggling　business　or　a　little　income　connected　with　property　or　some　other　possession；　all　needing　immediate　attention；　and　that　of　a　skilful　sort；　in　order　to　enable　the　poor　creature　to　weather　the　storm　and　avoid　the　vortex　of　utter　destitution。
  All　we　have　said　applies　equally　to　orphans　and　friendless　people　generally。　　Nothing；　however；　short　of　a　national　institution　could　meet　the　necessities　of　all　such　cas