Catherine Booth | Page 3

those days. She had very dark hair,
which curled naturally; black, flashing eyes, and such a warm heart,
and strong, impetuous nature that she could do nothing by halves.
Whatever it was, work or play, her whole soul had to be in it.
Since she was not at all strong, and had few girl friends, Katie did not
play rough or noisy games, but her love for her dolls made her quite a
little mother to them. She treated them almost like real children, and
would sew and toil, and never rest till she felt she had in every way

done her duty to them. She loved animals, too, especially dogs and
horses, and could not bear to see any one ill-treat them. Oh, how she
suffered one day, watching some poor sheep driven down the road! She
watched the man beat them--she could not stop him; and at last she tore
home, and flung herself down almost choking and speechless with
indignation and distress.
Her mother did not check Katie for feeling so keenly. She encouraged
her; for she knew that a hard, indifferent child, who can see suffering
and not care or be distressed over it, would make a hard woman; and
she wanted her Katie to be full of love and tenderness for all, and
especially for those needing help.
When Catherine was twelve years old she became very interested in the
drink question. She wrote letters about it, and sent them to different
newspapers, for there was no 'War Cry' nor 'Young Soldier' in those
days; and she also became the secretary of what was then called a
Juvenile Temperance Society, and did all she could to get boys and
girls to promise never to touch the drink.
Katie was also, like many of you, much interested in the heathen. She
would go round to all her friends collecting money to pay for preachers
to be sent to them; and in order to get more money she would deny
herself sugar and other small luxuries. No one told Katie to do this; but
you see our Army Mother herself taught us, by her example when only
a child, to keep our great Self-Denial Week.
Of course, most of Katie's time was taken up with her lessons, and, as
she loved to learn and study, they were no hardship to her. For two
years she went to a boarding-school, and here her companions soon
found out how straight and truthful she was. 'You'll never get her to tell
a lie,' the girls said, 'nor even to exaggerate, so it's no use trying.' Every
one knew also that Katie felt for the backward girls and those who were
slow and dull. She wanted them to succeed, and would help them
between school hours. That was her joy, you see--to help and care for
others; whether at school or at home she was the same.
But you must not think that Catherine was perfect. Oh, no, indeed!
Sometimes her schoolmates would tease her because she was so quiet,
and liked to read better than to play; and at such times, instead of being
patient, she would flare up into a passion, and say harsh, angry words.
When the storm was over she would be, however, Oh! so sorry, and

would beg her schoolfellows to forgive her.
When Katie had been at school two years, God sent her a very great
trial. Instead of being able to go on learning and keeping up with the
other girls, she had to return home, and for three long years to lie nearly
all the time on her back, often suffering very much. She had a serious
spinal complaint, and her friends sometimes doubted whether she
would ever walk again.
You wonder what she did in those three years? I will tell you. When the
pain would permit it, she would knit and sew. She could not, of course,
hold heavy needlework; but little things, like babies' socks and hoods,
pin-cushions, and so forth, she would make most beautifully, and then
they would be sold to help on the work of God.
Besides her sewing, Katie read a great deal. First, as I have already told
you, she read her Bible, and learnt to know God's thoughts about the
world and sin, and His wishes for His people. For seven months at one
time Catherine had to lie on her face on a special sort of couch made on
purpose for her; but she invented a contrivance by which, even then,
she could read her Bible, though still remaining in the position that the
doctors wished. Then, too, she would read good books--explanations of
the Bible, about Holiness, soul-saving, lives of those who have lived
and worked for God, and so on. When she had