You will recollect that Mrs. Mumford fostered this ‘heart’ and love in her little girl; and you will remember how keenly Katie felt, blazing up into wrath at any story of wrong or injury, and ready to sacrifice her life for those she loved. This spirit grew with her. She could not help caring and struggling to help all who needed her. The General often told her in later years that she was killing herself by carrying every one’s burdens. Then she would try to leave off for a little, but her heart was too strong, and she could not hold it back.
When but a child, running down the road with her hoop and stick, she saw a drunkard being dragged off to prison by a policeman. All the people were jeering and mocking at the poor friendless wretch. Instantly Katie’s pity and love fired up. She dashed across the street, and marched along close by the man’s side, so that he might feel that at least one little heart cared for him, and wanted to help him.
To the end of her life she carried this deep, tender pity wherever she went. She loved the poor. ‘With all their faults,’ she said, ’they have larger hearts than the rich’; and she loved them for it.
Where any one had a warm heart, she could forgive and overlook many mistakes; but with cold, narrow, ‘fishy’ souls, she had neither sympathy nor patience.
Our Army Mother’s help was practical. She did not only give money or pity, but she–so to speak–rolled up her sleeves and helped the suffering herself.
Every sort of suffering and need appealed to her. If an animal was wounded or in pain, she stopped, and herself relieved it as best she could; and to the last, if she saw a horse or any creature being ill-treated, she would not hesitate to rush out and stop the driver, or in some way force him to leave off his cruelty.
She was not only kind and helpful to those she liked, but every living thing that suffered had a claim upon her, and the greater the need the more tender and ready was her help.
Mrs. Booth was a people’s woman, and she was never weary of scheming and planning how to help the poor in the most practical way.
‘When I see people going wrong,’ she said, when but a girl of twelve, ’I must tell the poor things how to manage.’
Dirt and sin, and drink and misery, could not quench this love; it was a part of her very nature. Long, long before Slum Sisters were ever thought of, Mrs. Booth did their work herself, just because she so loved the poor, and longed to help them. You shall read the story in her own words:–