In this year a new and most important work was begun, one which has eminently received the blessing of "Him who is the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are afar off upon the sea."
Miss Child, one like-minded with Miss Macpherson inter zeal for souls, and her longing to save them from the curse of drink; had been residing in the Home of Industry, and visiting public-houses in Ratcliff Highway. To those who have never seen the open parade of sin in that part, (long notorious for every evil), it is hard to describe the scene, where even in broad daylight the unhappy captives of Satan seem to glory in their shame. Miss Child's heart yearned over the sailors who crowd the public-houses, escaped from the perils of the sea only to fall into worse dangers. She longed for some means of helping them. Miss Macpherson appealed to him whose burning words in the City of London Theatre in 1861 had so stirred her own heart Mr. Reginald Radcliffe had lately opened a Strangers' Rest in Liverpool, and only longed to see the same established in every port in the world. In answer to the call, he came up to London and addressed Christian workers assembled at the Home of Industry, stirring them up to undertake a new form of attack on the strongholds of the enemy. Mr. James E. Matheson took the deepest interest in this work, and a house was secured in Ratcliff Highway, the appearance of which was made to contrast very strongly with all around. Gospel texts in many languages appeared in all the windows, and invitations to sailors to enter and write their letters, materials provided free of cost. This work needed many helpers. Preachers were required for the different nationalities. Such were found, and willing listeners, so that soon a larger house was necessary. Notwithstanding the many calls on her time and strength, Miss Macpherson was frequently to be found here, delighting in seeking to save among a class hitherto difficult to reach. Many other sisters in the Lord were, called on to help—some to play the harmoniums provided in each room, and lead the singing in varied languages—others in writing letters for those who could not use a pen themselves, and whose hearts were softened by kindness shown in this way—others in filling, bags with books and tracts. The blessing which has followed these cannot be reckoned; none can tell what these silent messengers, so often despised on shore, have been to sailors when read far away from home and friends. Many of these bags have been made by Christian invalids, and are followed by their prayers that the contents may ever be blessed.
As yet, however, nothing had been done for the women in Katcliff Highway, and Miss Macpherson, when visiting that neighbourhood where Satan reigns so openly, longed to save some of her poor lost sisters. On one occasion a young woman said most piteously to her: "Why don't you speak to us as you do to the sailors, and we would be converted and be happy too?" This led to the first decided effort being made, and the following year a small mission room for their use alone was opened. Tea-meetings and Gospel addresses-were given here. Miss Macpherson's long-tried helper, Miss May, added this work to her many other burdens for the Lord, and other kind friends joined her in visiting and seeking out the lost.
Although, in Miss May's words, "humanly speaking all things were against us,"—for in this neighbourhood the wages of iniquity are high, yet encouragement was met with, and it was felt that the mission room was not sufficient, but some shelter must be taken wherein to receive' poor applicants until they could be removed to a safer locality. A tiny three-roomed house was secured and opened with, much prayer, and has fulfilled the promise of the name given to it, "The Bridge of Hope." The Lord blessed Miss Macpherson in the choice of a helper, Miss Underdown, the brave pioneer who volunteered to remain here alone, ready to welcome the poor wanderer at any hour of the day or night. She is now working among sailors at Cape Town; but the Lord has proved in this instance, as in many others, that when His summons to a distant land is obeyed, the work at home will not be suffered to languish. Another devoted sister in the Lord, Miss Steer, has given up home ties and home comforts, counting it all joy to rescue those most deeply sunk in guilt and misery. The work has doubled and trebled in importance, more than a hundred having been drawn out of this whirlpool of sin and infamy, and brought under the sound of the Gospel within the walls of the larger Refuge, since opened for them. More than once we have had to praise God for the help given by Christian sailors; their watchful eyes have noticed in the "Highway" some who were evidently strangers to the haunts of vice, and have brought them here for safety, and even borne part of the expense of their journey homewards. The house originally taken for the Strangers' Rest having been found inadequate for the accommodation of the crowds who frequented it, a larger house was taken, but it was felt that after the many hallowed associations of the first house opened, where Miss Macpherson and Miss Child had often rejoiced with the angels of God over repenting sinners, it was impossible to relinquish it for ordinary uses,—it might be in that neighbourhood for some direct work of Satan. To Miss Macpherson's great joy her faithful, co-worker, Miss Child, determined on opening it as a Temperance Coffee House, or "Welcome Home" for the sailors, and thenceforth made this place her abode, and the work of God has never ceased.
In the spring of this year Miss Macpherson had contemplated starting with a party for Canada, but as the time drew near she was so much worn out by the continued strain of "holding the fort" at Spitalfields for the last two years, that some of her friends almost feared she would be unable to take the charge. She would not suffer her bodily weakness to hinder her, and on May the 8th started on her twenty-first voyage in the "Sardinian," accompanied by her brother-in-law, Mr. Merry, with a party of fifty children, and two young men who had gone out with her in 1870, and had returned to see their friends, and were on their way back with her to the land of their adoption. So many thousand miles had been traversed by land and sea, and hitherto thanksgivings had gone up for preservation from even alarm of danger. Now a deeper thanksgiving was to be called forth, for the Lord's preserving care in a scene which brought all face to face with eternity. On the Monday before she left Miss Macpherson remarked to some friends, "The Word is full of Deliverance, both individual deliverance and otherwise," little dreaming how soon she would be called to realise this truth.
The following letter, which appeared in the "Times," tells of the strength given in time of need:—
"May 14, 1878.
"Captain Grills, of the Liverpool Mercantile Marine Service Association, going to Derry upon a pleasure trip, was upon the bridge of the 'Sardinian' when the accident occurred, and speaks in high terms of the discipline of officers and crew under the trying circumstances. He says:—'I was on the bridge with Captain Dutton, looking for the approach of the tender, when in a moment an explosion occurred down in the fore-hold, where a quantity of coal was stored, and blew into the air thousands of fragments of wood. Immediately afterwards people came shrieking up the companion ways, many, of them cut, bruised, and blackened. The scene was indescribable. A great deal of confusion was caused by the separation of children from parents and husbands from wives. One poor woman begged me to go and find her baby, which was torn from her arms. The Captain, on hearing the explosion and seeing the smoke, sprang from the bridge, ordered the hose to be instantly applied, and by dint of extraordinary exertions on the part of himself, the officers, and crew, succeeded in saving several people who were in the midst of the debris. The hold was flooded with water from the hose, but the smoke continued to pour out in dense volumes, and ultimately they had to abandon all hope of saving the ship except by opening the sluices and letting the water in. Before doing this the vessel was taken into five fathoms of water, so that when she settled down her decks would be above water, and she might the more easily be pumped out and raised. While these orders were being executed, the whole of the saloon passengers, assisted by many of the crew, were engaged in transferring the emigrants to the mail tender which had just come alongside. About 300 or 400 soon crowded her decks, and she landed them at Moville pier, after which she returned for orders. Subsequently the second tender took off most of the saloon passengers, many wounded, and a large quantity of baggage. The boats were lowered in order to save the baggage. The mail tender returned and took the rest of the people, and I went with them, and we reached Derry about nine o'clock that night. I cannot refrain from referring to the heroic conduct of one lady, [Footnote: Miss Catherine Ellis of Tryon House] a saloon passenger, who, while partially dressed, rescued a baby that was fearfully burnt, at considerable risk to herself; the mother had proceeded to Derry, thinking she had lost her child for ever. The promptitude and energy displayed by Captain Button was in every way admirable, and his orders were executed with great decision. Miss Macpherson and her little band of Canadian emigrants showed no small amount of true fortitude and heroism. Most of the children behaved nobly under the trying circumstances, and exhibited much of the fruit of their careful training. They kept repeating to one another many of the sayings they had heard from Miss Macpherson about being patient, and brave, and good; I visited the infirmary before leaving on Saturday, and spoke to each of the nine patients, who are all suffering seriously, but I am hopeful of the recovery of some.'"
Miss Macpherson's own account follows:—
"Sunday morning.