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This is an important chapter, but
one contained in few words.
I have told the story of my life’s
work for destitute children in
the hope that many friends will be inclined to help me to carry it on, and
so permanently help to save many
more.
I have established the Home in Nova
Scotia in the hope that it will be a real home to numbers of poor
children who have no other, and that it will be a safe starting-point for
many boys and girls in a new country, where they have the opportunity
offered to them of rising in the
world, as well as a home to which they can come at any time for counsel or
refuge in time of trouble—to say
nothing of the place where their success will always be most heartily
rejoiced in by all the folks at home.
We have all laboured to make the
farm and workshops an
efficient training school for lads of good
character, from whence they quickly obtain good situations, and therefore
hope that many will take advantage of it. We hope that the same
habits of industry, faithfulness, and kindness learned in the house will
help to fit many girls for being the
good household helpers who are so ardently desired and warmly welcomed on
this side of the Atlantic. And I earnestly hope that this work will
increase yet more and more, and that our children and their descendants
will long be known as a seed whom the Lord has blessed in the maritime
provinces, not to mention the States, where some of
our young men and women are prospering abundantly. I
trust that long after my work for children is over, they will be known as
heads of godly, righteous, and sober families.
I hope that God’s people will
consider the case of many poor
children who are orphans, or worse, by reason of the cruelty of their
parents. No doubt all are not suitable cases for emigration, but
many are. Competent judges say the need is as great as ever in our large
cities, yea, even all over the country. I, for one, dare
not contradict them.
Much has been done, but much
yet remains, and therefore I
desire to open the doors of these Homes at
Hillfoot Farm, N.S., as wide as possible to every
destitute child.
READER, WILL YOU NOT HELP ME?
For this I cry to God day and night,
for this I have given my life, and I know
that in
this work the Lord has blessed me so I hope by His help
still to save many, body and soul, to bring sunshine and hope into many a
poor child’s life, and to lead the active steps of many young men and
maidens into safe and pleasant paths. Truly, "we are not sufficient of
ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of
God." Truly has the word been verified in our experience : "The lame shall
take the prey." So we go on from day to day, hoping, praying, "in the work
of the Lord, knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord." |
