12 WORK IN AMERICA
Chapter 12
WORK IN AMERICA
DR. PHILLIPS was not to remain idle for any length of time in America. He had not landed a fortnight, when, on January 5th, 1886, he was urged to accept a unanimous call asking him to become pastor of a church at Auburn, Rhode Island. This invitation he decided to accept, and on April 3rd he wrote from his new sphere of work —
" Three delightful months have passed away in this suburban town, with these dear friends and their little ones. I have had most charming afternoon meetings with the children at my own house. Ten or eleven boys prayed today. Our Sunday School is flourishing, and we have organized a society for the purpose of helping one another. As we could not agree upon any English name for it, we have decided to call it ’ Upakarak,’ a very expressive Bengali word for ’ helper.’ I enjoy attending the ministers’ meetings in Providence, and do so very regularly." The next letter gives us the first intimation of a work of an entirely different description, in which he was to engage with considerable success, and once more to prove the many-sided qualities of his character.
"July 24:th, 1886. — Mr. J. Pendleton of Westerly called in the morning, and wishes me to take up the post of chaplain to the State Prison and Charitable and Penal Institutions of Rhode Island. This will be downright missionary work, and just what my heart longs for. There are seven institutions in all — a prison, two houses of correction, two reformatory schools, a lunatic asylum, and a poor house, containing about 2000 souls. All the buildings are situated on a farm bought for this purpose in Cranston. But I cannot decide today." On October 26 th the triennial conference of the denomination with which Dr. Phillips was associated met at Marion, Ohio, and, to his immense astonishment, he was elected Moderator at the opening session, an honour which was as well deserved as it was unexpected. He remained two months longer in charge of the congregation at Auburn, which was forever afterwards a source of tender memories, his work amongst the children having been especially successful. But a wider and more difficult work lay before him. In December he commenced his work as chaplain of the Rhode Island Charitable and Penal Institutions.
" The big moving wagon took all our earthly effects in two loads from Auburn, and dumped them down in the old Brayton House, near Sackanossett railway station. There is no abiding city for us. The call to these poor creatures in prison was so clear, that I have left my beloved church and the dear children at Auburn, and have accepted the chaplaincy which was offered me five months ago." The new year saw him absorbed in his new sphere of labours, and his diaries and letters are filled with narratives and descriptions of the most pathetic character.
" Oh for courage and strength to work well this new year! I preached in the prison-house on Sunday morning after an hour’s prayer meeting. The men pay capital attention. I tried to cheer them up by pointing them to Christ. At half-past two I speak at the alms house, and an hour later to the boys. I really enjoy visiting the boys of the reformatory school. Some of them seem very lonely. I found one down in the old engine-house fast asleep, and cuddled in his arms lay our little kitten, which was lost weeks ago.
" The day before he said to our little Johnny, ’ Johnny, did you ever have a very pretty plump little kitten, with shiny black and white fur ? ’ ’ Yes ; where is it ? ’ asked Johnny. ’ Oh, I was going by your house and just took it up in my arms, and brought it home with me, and I thought I would keep it a day or two, for it felt so nice and warm ; and do you know I keep it here in this old boiler-house with me, and I give it part of my breakfast and dinner. It sleeps in my arms, and it is the only thing on earth I love, or that loves me. Now, Johnny, do you want your kitten back again? ’ Of course Johnny could not take the little fellow’s only treasure from him."
One serious case with which Dr. Phillips had to deal in his capacity as chaplain was that of Emily and Maria Dorsey, who were accomplices with Maria’s husband in murdering their father for the sake of his money. The chaplain’s notes in his private diary of this and other notorious cases are painful reading, and, if their publication were advisable, would point many a moral, and would contribute not a little to our knowledge of the causes of moral declension. But there were pleasanter sides to Dr. Phillips’ work in Rhode Island.
" From the prison I went to the alms houses, where the poor old creatures are delighted to see me. One old man, on the very border of eternity, is continually praying for the proud, wicked son who turned him out of doors, because he did not want an old man in his home to serve as a check to his life of gaiety and vanity. None of my people take my hand so tenderly as does a poor imbecile lad. He has written some verses about heaven, which brought the tears to my eyes ; and after he had read them to me he said : ’ Chaplain, I do not know things here ; shall I know them up there ? Oh, chaplain, will God let me know when He takes me from here, and lets me stay with Him ? Shall I know ? ’ I tried to comfort him, and then hurried away to our usual prayer meeting with the women, where Mother Graham’s cracked voice seemed tuned by the angels to-day. How she did sing her good old Methodist hymns ! She will leave us soon, and then what a vacancy there will be in the women’s ward ! My next visit was to the lunatic asylum, where one of the most violent patients is Gappy Smith. He thinks I am a member of Congress, and inquires about affairs at Washington every time I go. Today there was a terrible disturbance in his ward, and I said, ’ Look here. Gappy, we wish to sing and pray now, so call the house to order.’ Instantly he sprang upon a bench, and told every mother’s son of them to keep still while the chaplain prayed ; and instantly the falling of a pin might have been heard. Cappy’s unique but successful method considerably disconcerted me, but the patients remained very quiet till the end."
Shortly afterwards. Dr. Phillips attended a National Prison Congress at Toronto, where he took a prominent part in the discussions. A retired medical officer from India was present, and was asked by the president to give some account of prison management in British India. Having done so, he was asked what he thought of the reformed prisoner, and he promptly replied, " I think of the reformed prisoner as I do of the converted heathen. I think they both are myths." Dr. Phillips, commenting on the subject, wrote — " Well, I had been hoping that men of that stamp were pretty nearly extinct. If twenty years in India fails to open our eyes, we may well resume our efforts when such men get back to India or America. The genial doctor and I were stopping at the same hotel, and I was glad to find that he knew several worthy missionaries in India, although he had never seen a convert from heathenism. It was a painful yet pleasant duty to undeceive him, to tell him what our converts have done, and are doing for their own country ; to recite the story of those who so bravely suffered, and cheerfully gave their lives for Christ’s sake during the dark days of the Sepoy rebellion in 1857, and to recount the names of noble men I have known in Her Majesty’s medical service in India who have been hearty supporters of Christian missions and fast friends of the native converts. Here let me say that every missionary ought to do his best to inform and interest all Europeans and Americans residing in his district in the work he is carrying on. No mock modesty should deter him from supplying his neighbors with full reports of the educational, medical, literary, and evangelistic efforts being made for the good of the pagan and Mohammedan people. Every foreign resident should be requested to aid in conducting and increasing our missionary enterprises. I believe we have justly incurred blame in some instances through failing in this duty. Thank God for the many noble friends we have among the Government officers of India, whether civil, military, or medical ! "
Dr. Phillips was keenly alive to the duty of ministering to the temporal as well as to the spiritual needs of the prisoners, and his diaries show how constantly he used his influence to obtain honest work for them when their time expired.
"June, 11th, 1887. — Went into Providence at 6 am., and got back at 3 pm. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, helped me nobly ; but so many Christians take no interest whatever in these poor creatures." A few other entries from the diary for this year will indicate some of the multifarious occupations of the Rhode Island chaplain.
"September 10th. — In the morning I attended a warders’ meeting at the Normal School Theater, and learned a new French system, invented by M. Alphouse Bertillon, for identifying criminals by means of accurate measurements of the head, foot, fingers," etc.
" Saturday, September 11th {Toronto, Canada). — At 9 am. went to the women’s reformatory, where I addressed the Sunday teachers, and afterwards 100 poor women, and 50 girls with a screen between them. At 10 am. visited the central prison, and addressed 300 men. At 11 am. heard the Bishop of Huron preach an excellent sermon on prison reform from Isaiah 6:11. At 3 pm. addressed the Peace Society at the pavilion in the Horticultural Hall.
" Took tea with Dr. Rosebrugh, and met Dr. Lovell of the Kingston Prison. In the evening I heard Dr. Kellogg preach from Hebrews 9:27. At 9 pm. I addressed the Y.M.C.A. in their new hall."
Shortly after the National Prison Congress, Dr. Phillips returned to Rhode Island, where he entered with his customary vigour upon a temperance campaign. He was compelled to take a very prominent part in temperance work, because his curious parish was mainly composed of victims of drink. Much might be written of his labours on behalf of the inmates in seeking to find employment for them when they should be discharged. The scenes in the great audience hall at Rhode Island could never be forgotten. The prisoners used to walk up and down the long aisle with their chains clanking at every step, and sat with wild hungry eyes riveted on him while he spoke to them of a Heavenly Redeemer, and of a home where all fetters are broken, and all captives released. Every one of them learned sooner or later to regard him as a friend who really cared for their welfare, both spiritual and temporal. This work had continued for eighteen months, when a sudden invitation came to him from Philadelphia, asking him to undertake the general secretaryship of the Evangelical Alliance there, and to superintend the home mission work in that great city. He looked upon this as a larger opportunity for service, and the prospect of wider usefulness was always one which had great attraction for him. The malarial climate of Howard, Rhode Island, had considerably lowered his health, and several times he had been temporarily disabled by sharp attacks of fever, so that the prospect of a change was additionally welcome. But it was with deep regret that he left his parish of prisoners, lunatics, and paupers of all ages. When he bade them good-bye, there were tears of genuine sorrow in eyes unaccustomed to weeping. Eighteen months had been spent as chaplain of these charitable and penal institutions, and now the opening days of 1889 found him in his new work.
"January 1st, 1889 {Philadelphia). — Preached here at 4.30 pm., and met the Executive Committee of the Evangelical Alliance at 1224 Chestnut Street for a season of prayer, which was most refreshing. Thank God for all ! "
He now found himself pleading with learned ministers of aristocratic churches to save the degraded masses in the city, whose very name spoke continually of brotherly love. The ease with which he stepped from the very lowest to the very highest places in society was a marvel to all his friends, but he never seemed to forget that he was a " child of a King," born for royal service. In April Dr. Phillips was able to announce that in nineteen out of the twenty districts into which Philadelphia was divided, branch alliances had been organized. The preliminary work being accomplished, he was very anxious to begin, and to vigorously push on a systematic house-to-house visitation. The summer was approaching, but he urged that much might be effected before the extreme heat was upon them. Not for a moment could he agree to postpone his efforts for reaching non-churchgoers till autumn. He advised that the active co-operation of the congregations of all the denominations should be secured in the prompt appointment of visitors. In a circular on the subject he wrote — " It would give me great joy to meet these visitors, and instruct them in relation to their important work, and I should seek an early opportunity of doing this by arranging with the secretary for a meeting. If there be any serious obstacles in the way of beginning this house-to-house visitation at once, be good enough to inform me, and let us see whether these cannot be removed or overcome by prayer and planning. I shall be happy to confer with you at this office any day between 2 and 3 pm., or elsewhere at another hour if you wish. I would humbly and earnestly implore you to join hands with us in feeding the hungry multitude with the bread that Christ has blessed. Co-operation is the remedy for competition, which is one of the greatest obstacles in the way of Christian workers. When non-churchgoers are led to think that churches are competing for attendance and members, as business houses compete for customers, they infer that the churches are selfish, and that outsiders are wanted, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of the churches. Thus the force of the invitation is largely lost. If churches co-operate in extending it their disinterestedness would appear, and the invitation would be far more effective. Co-operation will result in increased mutual acquaintance, and hence in increased Christian confidence and fellowship, and then unity of spirit and purpose will afford the world that evidence of the divinity of Christ’s religion of which He spoke when He prayed that His followers might be one, that the world might know that the Father had sent Him. Such co-operative work will quicken the religious life of the community, will raise the spiritual temperature of churches, and will strengthen each." The work of Dr. Phillips as secretary of the Philadelphia Evangelical Alliance was necessarily largely composed of office routine. Writing letters, arranging meetings, stimulating the various churches and congregations to actively assist in city work, and the constant and wearisome collecting of various funds — these constituted the principal occupations of the secretary. True, he preached much on Sundays, and occasionally lectured on his much-loved Indian work ; but the entries in his diaries seem to indicate that although he fulfilled the various duties of his new office faithfully and patiently, he often found it an irksome and uncongenial task. His diaries contain but the briefest outline of each day’s engagements, and very rarely indeed does the writer indulge in description or anecdote. Of the year 1889 there is, therefore, very little to tell, for a bare recital of meetings held and business transacted would prove but dull and uninteresting reading. A few extracts must, therefore, serve to indicate the work of the year —
" May 7th. — Called on half a dozen people, but found all ’ out,’ save one old lady rich and ripe for the grave, who calmly answered that she was ’ too full now,’ and sent me away without a penny for the Evangelical Alliance."
"May 20th. — The monthly meeting of the Executive Committee at 4 pm. Two hours of mere talk ; not one man on the Committee volunteering to raise or even try to raise a dollar! Lord send us light in this darkness. Make Thy way straight before my face."
"May 21st. — No money comes in. Is the Lord teaching us to trust Him alone? At 4 pm. we had our Citizens’ Committee at the office, which was cheering, save for the general wail for money. The door seems shutting against us on all sides."
"May 21th. — The prospect looks dark, but the Lord reigns, and all is well.Php 4:6 has been a great comfort to me today. Oh for more faith ; but this has been a very dark day,"
"May 28th. — Thank God for answering my prayer, and sending me a token of good today. Our good friends have sent in 265 dollars for our Alliance today."
" June 14th. — Called at ___’s through the kindness of Mr. Morton, to whom Dr. Hoffman gave me a note of introduction, but the rich man shook his head and walked off to his desk. When will our rich learn that it pays to preach the Gospel to the poor? When shall we succeed in convincing them that the surest and speediest solution of the labour question, and all other questions in America, lies in the thorough evangelisation of the masses? "
"July 21st {Sunday, Harrisburg, Pa). — In the morning I preached in the Free Baptist Church from Acts 15:3, talking about the Santals. In the afternoon we read the Bible and the Missionary Review. At 5.30 pm. I attended a Y.M.C.A., and helped with the singing of Gospel hymns. A Methodist Episcopal minister gave an address, a brief and sharp one, but too loud and high. In the evening Mr. Burkholder and I attended the Pine Street Presbyterian Church, and heard Dr. Chambers preach a fine missionary sermon. Thank God for this day of rest ! "
’’July 28th {Sunday). — Went to the Eastern Penitentiary at 9 am., and preached to the eight sections of solitary prisoners in their cells, whom I could not see, not one of them."
" July 31st. — Office duty from noon to 3 pm. ; but it is dull work in these dull days, when all our workers are out of town. Lord grant me faith to wait."
" Aug. 18th (Sunday). — I went to the Moyamensing Prison at 9 am., where I was asked to preach. I spoke a few minutes from Matthew 9:2. I could see a part of the faces of two of the men only, the prisoners being in their cells with the door but partly opened. What a farce is this way of conducting a religious service! An old man, very quaint in his way, addressed the women prisoners by themselves afterwards."
’’Sept. 30th. — Finished my paper for the Philadelphia Ministerial Union, on the Evangelical Alliance methods, and read it to the ministers at the Baptist Public Rooms at 11 am. Several stirring speeches followed, and I hope we have gained a point or two. But these Philadelphia friends are so slow. At 3 pm.a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Evangelical Alliance, in the Y.M.C.A. pparlor and at 4 ppm.a Citizens’ Meeting, for the election of officers, at the Y.M.C.A. lecture room. In the evening a public anniversary meeting of the Evangelical Alliance was held at the Y.M.C.A. Hall. Grand speeches by Dodge, Parkhurst, and Hubert, but only a hundred people there to hear them ! God help us ! "
"Nov. 5th. — At 3.30 p.m. attended a meeting of branch three, at the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, and after two hours of spirited discussion the good brethren organized for work. Thank God, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians prayed and planned together for His glory, and I hope this central branch of our Alliance will get to work in hearty earnest soon."
During this year Dr. Phillips preached seventy-two sermons, and delivered 228 addresses and speeches. In accordance with his usual practice, the closing pages of his diary contain carefully tabulated lists of these sermons and speeches, with particulars of dates, places, and texts. The opening weeks of 1890 found Dr. Phillips still busily engaged in seeking to advance the interests of the Philadelphia Evangelical Alliance, but it was with a sense of intense relief that the long strain of disappointed hopes, and of apparently fruitless efforts, were well-nigh at an end. A new call had come to him, and his heart was bright with the expectation of engaging once more in Indian mission work. How the call came must form the subject of a new chapter, and the story of his work in Philadelphia practically ends with the entry in his diary for February 3rd, 1890—
" Dr. Webb called at the office, and I made over the Evangelical Alliance papers, etc., to him."