GENERAL BOOTH ON HIS FATHER

Evening Star, Issue 19724, 26 November 1927, Page 16

GENERAL BOOTH ON HIS FATHER

A FILIAL TRIBUTE “ IN MANY WAYS A HANDFUL General Braniwell Booth, the seventy-two-year-old chief of the Salvation Army, was given a civic welcome in Walsall recently. He was greeted by thousands of people. Tho Booth family lived in Walsall in 1863, and the people of Walsall are proud of tho fact that, whilst in their midst preaching in a little local chapel, William Booth conceived the idea or bringing into being an organisation for tho Christianising of tho people whom the churches of the land failed to roach. Welcoming General Booth, the mayor (Mr J. A. Leckie) recalled that when the Booth family lived in Walsall they found it a hard place, and the general was so harried and disappointed by the attitude of organised religious btoies that he had a breakdown. Happily he recovered, and started the Salvation Army, which had gone on from tr umph to triumph in all parts of the world. "A REGULAR LIMB.” General Bramwell Booth, oplying, said: “I was rather a thoughtful child, and came greatly into contact w.th my mother, who was left much alone during my father’s many journeys. I cannot claim that I was a good hey. On the contrary, I was a regular limb. I was conscious of my own b/idness. My father was an intensely religions man. Ho was a hard nut, and lie knew how / to take tho blows of the world and suffer difficulties and discouragements. My mother was a deeply spiritual woman, but my father’s influence dominated the homo, and we had religion all day and every day and seven days a week. My mother used to say to me: ‘I would rather you loved God in rags than be a millionaire.’ We were very poor in those days. "These religious exercises in the home were very irksome, and I woke up a few months before I came to Walsall to realise that I did not want to lead the religious life of the home, although I did not disclose that ;o my mother.

"1 was bad, and did not want to servo God and pray. The prayer bell seemed to be ringing all the time in the house, and it rather bothered me. “ A change took place in my life, the like of which I have never seen to be more striking in any of the notorious characters 1 have como into contact with as I have gone up and down the world. I am a witness to the truth that God does save, and by some sudden act He works a new creation in tho souls of those who give themselves to Him. A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

"I have had a happy life. But it has been full of cares and worries. I had a great responsibility in the early days of the Salvation Army—l had-to manage my lather. (Laughter.) In many ways I found him a handful. Were he here he would say ‘ You. Bramwell, were a little difficult, tco. (Laughter.)

"Ho was a strong, determined character with great power of will. 1 was his lieutenant for thirty-six years. Although ho was difficult to work with in some waySj we never really had any serious differences. Somo people thought ho was an irritable and angry man, and difficult to get on with. That is all nonsense. Ho was sharp, but tho humor came directly after that, "I would say to parents; Lot your children take a share in tho bufferings of life in the conflict for Christ.”