A SALTATION ARMY FAREWELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 32

A SALTATION ARMY FAREWELL.

Heartiness, indicative of a cheery optimism as to the "ultimate decency o£ things," as Stevenson puts it, is an outstanding characteristic of members of the Salvation Army, and the meeting of fareWell on the 18th in the Dowling Street Barracks to Commissioner M'Kie was in ail respects of a hearty and optimistic nature. There was a large audience; there was a. brass band ; the speakers were virile, forceful, energetic, appealing, and evangelical; the; singing was real Salvation Army singing — a sufficient indication of its vigour, — ancfi the entire meeting was pervaded by «. spirit of intense zeal and enthusiastic power: Devotional exercises we're engaged in by) Lieutenant-colonel Horakins, after which? Lieutenant-colonel Knight, commander of the South Island, addressed the meeting. He assured Commissioner M'Kie that he and* his wife would always be remembered aa a man and a woman who had carried the flag high and laboured earnestly and long. — i (Applause.) - Mrs M'Kie, who was accorded an en» tiiusiastic reception, delivered a feeling address, dealing especially with her own department of -work — the rescue labour among the fallen in great cities. Very pathetic and touching were ' the illustrations she employed in an earnest address, which held the attention of the .audience fixedly -throughout. "Religion may not' always be very attractive," she said, but, proceeding, showed that attractive things were not always the best and that usaful things were oftentimes better than attractive things. On rising to speak, the Commissioner, who was greeted with applause, expressed his pleasure at meeting his Dunedin friends. The Commissioner then gave some record) of the last six and a-half years' results. Six thousand men had passed *rom the prison gates to the oare of the Salvation Army ; 3500 women had been helped in, trouble ; 3000 children had been born ire their maternity homes ; 2900 girls had beeiu rescued -from the streets. On the penitent form some 60,000 souls had made confession.' If only half stood firm that was a glorious record, and even if a quarter were true that would be a day of righteousness. In New Zealand alone thay had 1 600 children under their care. Numbersof children had in previous years growa up and were now officers in the Army, There was a very successful girls' institution at Wellington, and in a few weeks thoy would open another one at Middle* march. Towards the cost of this Dunedin had given > £600, and he believed that Dunecin would completely defray all coat in ' connection with its inception, and set the tome going absolutely free. It was always looked upon as a. sign of earnestness .when property was bought and maintained. It showed they had coma to^tay. In New Zealand their property was worth roughly £190,000, and they were going to( get more. Their self-denial fund showed! a great sacrifice on the part of their people. During these six years this effort had yielded the splendid .sum of £190,000, . and this was altogether outside other offerings. In concluding, the Commissioner made effective contrastive use of the two texts, " Thou has cast me behind Thy back, and " Thou has cast my sins behind Thy back, , using them for the furtherance of a powerful evangelistic appeal.