THE SALVATION ARMY IN BLEN HEIM.

Marlborough Express, Volume XX, Issue 180, 4 August 1884, Page 2

THE SALVATION ARMY IN BLEN HEIM.

WITH but a small detabhinent tif 'ribldlers and witb a big array of enemies m front of them the Salvation Army opehecTtheir Blenheim caaibaiga yeaterday ia Emrt'i Hall. ' Major Pollard— the"" Commander ;'of the ;fafttifur' uT^e* ISeilMl-hae entrusted' the ; leadarfliip in'the/e parts to Captain Ella M'Miltfta and Lieut. Annie Tew\<Jale, t^o Hallelujah lasses, small m years and ' ptatiire, bat great m faith, earnestness; 1 ': arid eloquence. The Captain, who we believe has just entered the twenties, is a 'Sootoh lassie, deoidedly ladylike and- prepossessing, m thfl,prime of health and vigour, and with » rioh, full, mellow voice, without a traoe of the Dorio dialect of her native land. The Lieutenant, -who we are informed is a few years youDgerthan her "lister offioer, ia Mot so well fitted for. an arduous cam* paign. Her health appears to be feeble, and her aspect is, that, of a lady more flt for oareful nursing and attention than foi; the rough and tumble life of a Salvation army meeting. Both offiosrs speak, sing, and pray fluently, and witb remark* able distinctness of pronunciation, but what m the Captain is -evidently-the pleasurable exercise of trained and healthy natural faculties is, m the Lieutenant, a i„vejy / .p4infal effort, and oue wbich a backing b mghhJnaers it.jlmost distressing to witness. There j^i.nma. 4hing touching arftf almost .rdHK^ m the 'spectacle of 'these' ; twb v ' teeregirls, endued with, thei, .pijrength whioh • firm belief it; ..Christianity, ever givei to the weakest I fram,e, leaving behind them home,'' frirady," -comfort, and the refirieri&fs oroittlis-itibfiifiuartSfitnring alone, bo far as -human aid is concerned, fibto a sfrang6 land lilje.Blenheii^.r^The ..qu«t andiinbbtrasive referendei made by both the lasses yesterday to the oirole of attached friends they had formed at Baiolntha—the last scene of their warfare— and to the heart- pang which it-had-cost them to leave the little bapd. pf faithful solder?,' wh<jm they v oyglf I; iq* miet again till' the muster roll was called before the ; (Sleat White' Throne, /waa pathetiq in)the extreme, and shbnld have todved the stoniest heart, m the; audience. We inferred from the speeohes delivered at the seryioes. yesterday, that both these ladiea oam'e but to" New Zealand abdut two yeara ago to engage' in the Army^ tfbrk, having previously undergone that special training whiolj.General ßooth, whoa? planjis that i'ii-i.i -:i . ,l<i.;i' ; •:■■ .'■'■■■'u .. 77 fn.iiH icjjsl.

n.an-a-cetio found, r of_a rolbi-. - o :■ ■ fo'the Middle Ages, kftows so tfellllbw I enforce and '.maintain, ; and even to rendf attractive- That bath officers, have bee accustomed to sway large meetiugg-an noisy audiences is evident from their d< taeanour* ihere is a quiet power an firmness about them, and though neithe la'd^ has auy-'pretensioris to humour, the; have studied to perfection "tbe Sof answer that turneth away wrath," am thit' can silence the disturbaneeof scoffer; and larrikins, when the mgry. denunci ations of aßSfttiwges Vodld be worse that useless. Three services were held yester day at Ewart's Hall, and: there Were verj largo congregations at aU of tbem. AY three' pere what ; we . bebevfr are c«lec Vte&rfony ■'YneMabß* '^Ghnstiifn: fner coming forward on the platform to pubHclyltfecordttM m had londor them, and the benefits they had Monrri firran accepting the full Gospel which the Halle. injkfi-l'iMs ! ' i hav v^(ioSie here , to > preach, To a man of oulture and taste : these •' experiences " sre not ; always pleasant to he*r, • an4,--TT a ,. P onf ? s f ; !■*»< the egotistical asstiniption of-'-god-liness, and virtue", uttered by r people ■mj>te e*-%-day QiW : h|Bcbeen:only too -vWU'in6wn inj Blenhtimj;if<!4lculated'to make the judioiotis grieve. It must have *ymany ; last night m. Ewart's Haft'thaf "fbne p^wiF ffie'frrotninent Siieakerr" dii 11 the' platform were feir .si&ileH'ttf tiie "eleot," or good specimens ot tbat modesty and humility which -;are,wdd to -follow close' upon conversion, "ihV.flaireluiah. lasses will find it more diffloult ihkn ever to persuade the ungodly ■W-'abtept salvation. As to' 'the servioes themselyes.tbey.do not.difler materially from We"evan'g'elistlo work which is con-ducted-by the orthodox denominations. The epspsl which Capt. Ella MoMillan ma-lSeEKlSßisaare'-iresohedryesterday is the BartS old fafthful --gospel, believing -wMohYmHHjmS'Of-.i-prspns have died m the full hope" 'of a blissful immortplity.; Tkose who went to Ewart's Hall to hear "blood and fire "« -and other, sensational modes of fighting the.', devil u were disap, pointed. There is a.'strangelj realistic and intsnsely personal mode of address about the lasses, and Jesns.and.the Devil ara habitua'ly spoken of as though they were , parsonages • : ;to : :be • met every day m the Btreats of _ Blenheim. But m .no ' instamie ' did f the speakers exceed"- thff boundsof deoenoy or discretion m speaking of either; the Saviour or the Father, of Evil,, and the discriptions of heaven.aud hell— although • as materialistic as an auctioneer's catalogue— were not so glowing aa-srime we have heard delivered m orthodox-pulpits. ..-••BoHi the Captain and Lieutenant are terribly m earnest, and it is plain' that they really believe themselves to be charged. with a message to' the' aouh of e*ety man, woman and child m Blenheim, ■-Both-ladief.are beyond question sincere and firm believers ip tha absolute truth of 'every word they utter, and m the /•mtepoe olevery person, and ..place thay • J 3S*il*.'- . ln- tWs lies theieoret .of the Army's snecess. The soldiers do not' ""preactrto'live," but " live to-preaob," and asts as are .now leading the -Aft&y ih ®ehhej'm"»re the stuff of which martyrs were made of, and the, „- material out of ,whioh successful religious '"revivals' in all ages .have 'proceeded. "In quiethe-Ss and Confidence shall be your strength," and armed with this' feeling two weftk>and illogical girls can- . ,'Convprt thp wisdom. of men into foolish- " ness,' and',lead thousands to give a heart felt asH&ht ' io emotions ahd ideas about this world and thereafter against whioh the Intellect positively revolts. We doTs9f {fceWndat preaent to measure the good' Wliich tibe Salvation Army is. able to 'do m; Blenheim. It maybe that the harvest is not so'plentiful as Major Pollard has been led to-thmk, and it may be tbat. the crowded congregations of yesterday .jinU dwindle down, and tbat interest ,iv the. ' J m6Vraent Trtll ipeediiy begin ; to'flag in;a small town. If so, it is difficult to see howthe Army can raise tbe sinews of. war without poaobyig upon the preserves vol the existing Christian ohurohes. En-, thumasm" must be kept up' at fever point, or the Army will attach to itself m Blen-. heim none -but those who are already, members of Christian churches, and who, if we can credit tbeir assertions, are com-, pletejy saved already. This will not Buit. yr thS 'Army.'wbibb, like its Master, has "come, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," and the captain and lieutenant will need to call forth all. thtjir ,^^]l^'fej^fthe^ld-.h6Mtepi:Bnd soeptical multitudes Who'in this district,' as well as mM Q&(M.3artSnf Itbeldvilised1 tbe l dvilised world,' attend no plaoe of worship at all. Ot course they were auoceesful yesterday m gathering*)geth<ft pegpleof this sort, ahd "unorthodox Blenheim" was speoially )j atrong m <the : Hallr;l«st night, brought thithe)f>ta pardonabie'euriosity and the : , 'desire : . t(f 'see v [Captain 'M'MiHkn'' and '■ lieu^nant Teasdalfr' were able to quicken >i tye'dry;bonis>of theology, into life. , We : r>Hjif^ly.otpi)wpu th?t they are able to: do sp,jaiid, they. have- our best'wishes fbr *' thetf BucCe'ssy Bbey are hot likeTjr to 'meet . with active opposition aiid annbynnce, br ir'iorganised liirikinism m. this !tOwn. At the morning and afternoon aerTicep; the ,J)qy^.^j|rg,^tJier nqiety.and there was thjal * stamping of feet "wbibn seems almost ip-^ .iesat&i£li3ck p'etfohnanaes m a theatre. In the evening there was jygnning_fire jof derision and interruption, proeiedangfrqm _ v^Jl-drgjsed people wbo ought to know H JmosJ-anfi afle^ groanj aiid sbrieka y frcfai g^^tam wdliknown Blenh&im' i^ebHatss. But tn^prerfence of the polios kept fools iof tlatterolaas from going too far, and the ;&kyiß& onfJt.onoa''#;'twiß6 toTnilmy r tcTidißtutbahcei. Respect -for tpe &>%& of the army officers, if not reverence for ideas which the vast majority of persons hold apS^ecl, ought to have kept welldressed lalrifan^ from making unseemly noises. O^h^Army^nesd have no fear jof oigpftnigga opposition such as they had to - .-enajfanfiEwnrason," where Btreet loafers ; and puoUCrtuHlfre frequenters were ■■ paid ito "milfiionduof "themselves and" assault t^e B'*9HJffWPith9(hp« of march. What the army h^s.^ fear m Blenheim is apithy *Bfiß ! i&3tffefehee,.- and opposition "of tbiat ~Tdnd"hrfar-inore deadly m- the long run. We shall ste^irtietber the Hallelujah tbeir earnest speeoh and im:,pl^rmg jiiayera, will ba able to break it M? dow£ The ocitume of the' two officers; and pf one other ' lady who supported f'-them-onfthe platform.-ia a quaint jretujrn c<ito the 4ashions which .existed "^hin George, HI was' young-" A " hallelujah bonnet.'l'(afTflbdifled editipn ntthe anoient -^K^l-^orittle), and. a dark-blue serge dress, 3;. : flolistUulte a, costihne thlbb favours' ih po - map- 01-tha.4iomi»a .and. vanities. Ot this wicked world,, jgii ..ia not sufficiently ■ singohft,. t^.' remind one of that prid* "' w^ich 'apm r"hnmillty. The' officers had the'- Co-opft-alibn on the platform of Christian friends at eaoh serp jl<»#«t?f.d»y, and ?e presume, that, befc fore very' long we shall See raanjr following the officers' example, and pinning the f! i medal on their hrekits. One Mature' Witf decidedly weak m the" iervices—the .sjnging fell. far short of "expeotatioq«; : ThY Captain has a good voice, and bbth ladies lead thehymns admirably, bufctti9jF3»£p&>' : the bad habit of pitehihg rt!** I*,1 *, ■ i "^ 00 high— a f act , wbiqh the ' ' IWnfcins Jn'ade the most' of "by screeching at the&ipxjl their voices.: The " Soldiers' hymi^-bpoksV^ad^been mislaid on th« fsaa,'ahd the tfuaiimoe were for the moifc [ jpatt m blissful ignorance pf the worijs. '$r& the hymn books are to turnu p to-d^y, and before the week is out Salvation tui)e.s will be' sung from one end of Blenheim to the other. ;On Row. -SJ}" eiple— that 'Mihe devil '^TshbulSnot have'airrEe"besTTune? td"himAimyyiinddlges m ditties Nvith i . i touting' • lohorusestf /and >, aeoalar , passages ct.'whioh ua- «lnfdst-imirthfnlj.>',Thßy go: m '.fbr pophlariaing religion •an^bringing it ...u.,.1 „,i;i | .

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and' the 'story of man's 'redemption, told m a stirring melody with a jog-trot refrain, though calculated to startle conservative theologians, is just the very thing for the masses. It is to be hoped that any success the Army may achieve will be accomplished Without injuring or weakaning'in any way the existing Christian organisations. All are working for a common end, though with widely differing machinery, and the presence of the Rev D. MoNicoll (Wesleyan minister) on the platform last night is a guarantee that from one denomination at least the Army may expect ready and hearty co-operation.