The eyes of the whole world have, in our day, been more or less opened to the ruinous character of the drink traffic, and The General and his forces, whilst keeping out of the political arena, have mightily helped the agitations that have ended in the exclusion of the drink traffic altogether from many states and cities, and its limitation, in many ways.

But much less notice has been taken of other evils, which have no less absorbed the attention, and spoiled the means, the minds, and the souls of the masses.  The sight daily in every great English-reading city when the sporting editions of the newspapers appear, ought indeed to arouse every follower of Christ.  But the habit of irresponsibility that has grown up in most “Christian” circles has still to be fought against everywhere, and The General’s persistent testimony against it, indeed the whole theory of a Divine Army and of War, must remain for ever one of the strongest features of his life’s work.  The old song:—­

    Arm me with jealous care,
      As in Thy sight to live;
    And, Oh, Thy servant, Lord, prepare
      A strict account to give,

has expressed the thought behind all the arrangements of our Army.  And it is remarkable how, in the midst of the general indifference, so large a measure of this “jealous care” for God and souls has been awakened and maintained.

Nowhere, alas! does the theory of irresponsibility find a more congenial soil than in the very places and services where God is most feared, honoured, and obeyed.  His doors are indeed opened to the world; but whether anybody enters them or no is the care of but sadly too few.  Hymns are so announced as to make it easy for all to join in singing them, if they choose.  But whether the words are sung by many, or only by a proficient few, and above all, whether hearts as well as voices are raised in prayer and praise to God, is too often a matter of absolute indifference to almost every one.

How The General altered all that, wherever his influence was felt!  He made all his people understand that not merely are they responsible for understanding and heeding God’s commands themselves, but for enforcing attention to them, as those who must give account of their success or failure.

The sister leader of some little Meeting in the far-away Outpost of a Corps, thousands of miles from the centre, when she insists upon having a verse sung for the third time because “I’m sure some of you lads were not half singing,” has little idea of the religious revolution she represents.  That the dislike of so many for any “such innovations” continues, may help to convince any one who thinks of the urgent need there was, and is still, for the substitution of responsible for irresponsible leadership in “Divine Service.”

During his visit to the United States in 1907 The General had a severe illness which seriously threatened to cut short his career.  His death was indeed cabled as an item of news from Chicago.  But the report was, as Mark Twain would have said, “grossly exaggerated.”  Nobody will wonder, however, at his having been ill when they read Commissioner Lawley’s report.  He writes:—­