many really religious
people looked upon it as an "un-English" sort of thing, "American" in
its ideas and in its style of action. When it was beginning in Scotland,
many said that it might be tolerated amidst the godless masses across
the border, but that its free style of worship especially "on the Lord's
Day" could not but be "a scandal" in the land of Sabbath stillness;
whilst as to Ireland, we were assured that our outdoor proceedings must
needs lead to bloodshed.

When, however, The General resolved to send Officers to America, there
was hardly a voice in either Church or Press which did not ridicule the
idea of our being of use there. And in the case of almost every other
country the same prejudice against English people having "the
presumption to think" that they can give lessons in true religion to any
other nation has made itself more or less felt, even to this day.

But, happily, The General never took counsel with flesh and blood upon
such questions. He knew that, whatever differences might exist between
one race and another, there was everywhere the one sad similarity when
it came to neglect of God and the soul. That The Army must adapt itself
to each new population he had always taught; but that it would
ultimately succeed wherever there were masses of godless people, he
never doubted.

Really the first extension to the United States came about, however, by
no planning of his. A family belonging to one of the home Corps
emigrated, in 1879, to Philadelphia, where they commenced to hold
Meetings there, meeting with such rapid success that two Corps were
raised before the Officers for whom they pleaded could be sent to them.

When The General paid his first visit to America, in 1886, we had
already 238 Corps in the Union, under the leadership of 569 Officers,
mostly Americans. Ten years later there came that terrible blow to him
and to the Work, when his second son, who had been entrusted with its
direction for a term, left The Army, and founded a separate
organisation. Notwithstanding the misunderstanding which followed, and
the check to our progress that was necessarily involved, The Army went
steadily forward, and The General visited the country from time to time,
receiving on each occasion a very remarkable welcome.

The appreciation of his leadership was always of the more value in the
United States, because the disinclination of the American people to
accept anything like direction, let alone comma