THE SALVATION ARMY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 833, 4 January 1883, Page 2

THE SALVATION ARMY.

The following extract from a letter 1 written by “General” Booth, to a gentleman residing in Auckland;* will give some idea of the progress made by that eccentric organisation; l the Salvation Army, which is to make" its appearance in New Zealand shortly*. Referring to the recent purchase of The Eagle, London, he says;—“We have received much encouragement in tKS matter, as well as experienced some difficulty. We have received Lia.ooo in contributions, but the cost of fhtj * building with the alterations and ictr provements, and the fitting up ahjcs furnishing of The Eagle Tavern as) a Salvation Hotel has on the whole cosf us very nearly L 20,000. We have, however, made magnificent premisesmf them. I should think there is of the kind to equal them in the world. As you are aware, there is a larga square plot of ground, with trees ana variegated lamps in the centre, which has hitherto been used for dancing;-* Two large theatres, the Grecian and another, form two sides of the and the house and some adjoining buildings the remaining sides. In the. tavern there is a splendid banqueting room, which will seat 500 people, qjf more, and bars now used for temperance refreshments, and sleeping rooms.' The two theatres will contain between them 6,000 people, and on the platform, in the summer time, we can accommodate 5,000 or 6,000 more. Both the theatres are crowded on Sundays, and one of them every night. We have not strength at present to work them both every night, but we hope to be} able to do so directly. Already over 600 people have been to the penitent form —some of them very notorious sinners. The week-day noon meeting has an audience of some 500 people, and altogether, the undertaking is very promising. It is true, the offerings are not very large, the people being very poorj still they average L3O a week; but the working expenses arc very heavy. You will probably have observed from the reports in the papers that I am under obligations to keep the licences on for the sale of intoxicating liquors, according to the covenants of the lease, and I amglad to be able to report that the Magistrates granted them last week without demur, although they knew I did not propose to sell intoxicating liquor. lam hoping—nay, I feel quite sure that the most sanguine expectations, and the most fervent prayers that have been offered up for this scheme all through the world, will be fully answered and met. From all parts of the kingdom we continue to have very good news. Our commencement in India has surprised every one. You will see from the War Cry that the theatre which our people have hired out there was full on the first day, the audience being largely composed of natives, who listened most attentiyely to every word that was said. They are crying out for us now to go to Cat cutta ; indeed, we are being pressed to go to every part of the world, and to every part of the world we want to nay, we are impatient to go, for yip want to multiply the sound of the message of Salvation, so that it shah ring in every ear and find an echo in

every- heart. The last three or four months we have been turning out attention to Australia. A merchant of x Adelaide, .who has shown our people great kindness, having built them a barracks, capable of holding 1,500 people, has been spending three or four months here this summer, and has urged 'upon our attention the possibilities of usefulness in your part of the world. We have therefore sent out a major and some five or six extra officers, and we-have also sent a-cap-tain to Queensland. A number of our male soldiers and fifty female soldiers go but to Adelaide during the next fortnight, with assisted passages, the whole of which arrangements have been carried through by this merchant, who has secured very favorable terms for them. There will therefore be quite a colony of our people in Adelaide before many weeks have gone by, in addition to the two crops already formed there. As we have already said, New Zealand will come next, and will arrange to send officers as soon as we possibly can. You yvill see that this extended field of action must involve us here in great labor. The War Cry alone is a serious anxiety, and the strain at times is very heavy, and the great burden of the direction of affairs comes upon us as a family, and none of us are strong ; still God is wonderfully good aind not only keeps us on our feet, but has. found us co-workers of the noblest devotion and of considerable ability; still the strain is heavy, and the financial burden is great. The large undertakings this year in the way of property Have diverted much of our ordinary income, while the expenditure is greatly increased, leaving us very considerably behind. The misrepresentations so industriously circulated interfere with the generosity of weak-kneed friends, and so increase our difficulties. But still, thank God, I have no fear. We shall weather the storm, and be the better

ip r it. The Lord will provide. Will you continue to pray for us ? Be as- ' sored that what you have read and beard concerning us is more than realised in the facts of the case. As a nile, all who come to see the movement exdaim * The half has not been told.’ God Is in it. ; God is the author, and He will finish it to His glory, and for the salvation of a dying world.”