My dear wife’s heart had been particularly drawn out on behalf of the fallen outcasts of society, who, often more sinned against than sinning, appealed peculiarly to her large and tender sympathies.  More than once she found opportunity for extending help to individual cases of misfortune, obtaining homes amongst her friends for some of the children, and assisting the poor mothers to win their way back to virtue.

But it was not until the end of 1883, or thereabouts, that anything like a systematic effort in this direction was organised on their behalf.  Touched by the helpless and pitiable condition of some poor girls who had sought Salvation at the Corps at which, with her husband, she fought as a Soldier, a baker’s wife, living in one of the most wretched streets in Spitalfields, took the girls, in distress and trouble, into her own home.  Before long it was crowded to its utmost capacity, and still other women were clamouring for admission.  She implored us to help her, and we engaged and opened a house as our first Rescue Home, placing it under the direction of Mrs. Bramwell Booth.

     The breaking forth of the same spirit in different directions in
     other lands quickly followed.

At about this time our first Prison Rescue Brigade, in the Colony of Victoria, was organised by the late Colonel Barker.  So striking was the success attending his effort that, before many months had passed by, magistrates in the city of Melbourne were actually giving delinquents the option of being sent to prison or to our Prison-Gate Home, and the Government placed the former Detective Police Building at our disposal, at a nominal rental.

Not only does the genuine Christian spirit carry the soul out in sympathy with misery, but it often leads it to prefer certain particular classes of sufferers or wrongdoers, on whom to lavish its self-sacrificing love, and restlessly spend itself in efforts for their benefit.  In the case of one Salvationist, it will be the dying; in another the daughters of sin and shame; in another the homeless; in another the children, and in yet another the drunkards.

     With Colonel Barker, as with other comrades under our Flag to-day,
     it was the criminals.

This spirit thrives and becomes more effective by what it feeds upon.  It must, therefore, be wise to favour its preferences, so far as it is possible to do so without losing sight of the well-being of the whole.

     We did this with Colonel Barker, and we are acting on the same
     principle with others to-day.

     Then came our first Women’s Rescue Home in Melbourne, to help us in
     the establishment of which the Colonial Government gave L1,000.

     It was upon foundations of this character that our Social
     Operations in New Zealand, France, South Africa, and several other
     countries were subsequently built up.