In proposing at once to deal with the problem of lifting out of the jaws
of starvation India's poorest and darkest however impossible it may look
to some, we have the immense advantage and encouragement which arises
from the fact that General Booth's scheme (which I have followed as
closely as the widely differing conditions of Indian society would
admit) has already received the all but universal approval of the best
and ablest in Europe from the Queen downwards. It has in fact so
commended itself to the general public that men of all shades of
religious belief, men of no belief at all, men of every political party,
and from every rank of society have not only heartily approved but
contributed already L100,000 for the carrying out of the project.
Moreover, some of its most important details have already had applied to
them both in England and Australia the valuable test of experience.

There is one question which may start up in the mind of the reader and
that is, granted that the scheme is sure to prove successful in England,
is it not still probable that, owing to the complex arrangements of
caste and religion in India any such scheme would meet with failure. To
this I answer in the first place, that all will be helped, irrespective
of their creed, and any change of opinions on their part will be purely
voluntary, since no compulsion, beyond that of love and moral suasion,
is intended to be used. Moreover, drowning men are not too particular as
to the means available for their rescue. They would rather be dragged
out of the water by the hair of their heads than left to drown, or would
rather be lifted out feet foremost than left to be devoured by
alligators. If it be true that starving men are driven by hunger to
commit theft solely that they may be sent to jail where at least they
will get food and be saved for a time from the hunger-wolf, how can we
doubt but that thousands will hail with gladness a deliverance which is
not only a deliverance from want and starvation, but the opening out of
a brighter path for their whole future.

The blessed example set by hundreds of men and women in our ranks who
have given up friends, parents, home, prospects and everything they
possess to walk barefooted beneath India's burning sun in order to seek
the weal of its people cannot fail I believe to stir up the rich and
well-to-do, nay _all_ but those too poor to help,--to make some
sacrifice to heal the unutterable woes, and to s