THE SALVATION ARMY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 991, 31 January 1883, Page 4

THE SALVATION ARMY.

Tne following is an extract from a letter written by General Booth, of the Salvation Army, to a gentleman residing in Auckland, Referring to the recent purchase of The Eagle, London, he says : —“We have received much encouragement in the matter, as well as experienced some difficulty. We have received £12,00 ) in contributions, but the cost of the building with the alterations and improvements, and the fitting up and furnishing of the Eagle Tavern as a Salvation Hotel, has on the whole cost us very nearly £20,000. We have j however, made magnificent premises of them. I should think there is nothing of the kind to equal them in the world. As you are aware, there is a large square plot of ground, with trees and variegated lamps in the centre, which has hitherto been used for dancing. Two large theatres, the Grecian and another, form two sides of the square, and the house and some adjoining buildings the remaining sides. In the tavern there is a splendid banqueting-room which will seat 500 people or more, and bars now used for temperance refreshments and sleeping rooms. The two theatres will contain, between them, 6000 people, and on the platform, in the summertime, we can accomodate 5000 or 60)0 more. Both the theatres are crowded on Sundays, and one v 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 weekday 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 poor ; still they average £3O a week, but the working expenses are very heavy. You will probably have observed, from the reports in the papers, that I am under obligations to keep the licenses on for the sale of intoxicating liquors, according to the covenants of the lease, and I am glad to be able to report that the magistrates granted them last week; without demur, although they knew I did not propose to sell intoxicating liquors, I am 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 good news. Our commencement in India has surprised everyone. You will see from the War Cry that the theatre wnich our people have hired out there was full on the first day, the audience being largely composed of natives, who listened most attentively to every word that was said. They are crying for us now to go to Calcutta ; indeed we are being pressed to go to every part of the world, and to every part of the world we want to go—nay, we are impatient to go, for we want to multiply the sound of the message of Salvation, so that it shall ring in- every ear, and find an echo in every heart. The last three or four months we have been turning our attention to Australia. A merchant at Adelaide who has shown our people great kindness, having built them a barracks capable of holding 1500 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 captain to Queensland, A number of our male soldiers and 50 female soldiers go out 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 corps already formed there. As we have already said, New Zealand will come next, and we will arrange to send officers as soon as we possibly can. You will see that this extended field of action must involve us here' in great labour. 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, and 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 he the better for it. The Lord will provide. Will you continue to pray for us 1 Be assured that what you have read and heard concerning us is more than realised in the facts of the case. As a a rule, all who come to see the movement exclaim, “ The half has not been told 1” God is in it. God is the author, and he will finish it to His glory, and for the salvation of a dying world.”