Pure, chaste, virgin daughters of Zion- that is the goal all of us parents have for the sweet little girls God has placed in our care. I like the title of one of the articles in this issue “Purity Starts in Little Girls”. There is a depth of meaning, and many points that fall under that title. It seems only fitting to me that we feature a godly Christian woman in the home histories this time. Also, from my perspective, it was a natural step to take from my studies of William and Catherine Booth, to write about Catherine’s home life. I crossed the path of her home history many times in my previous studies. Each time I crossed its path, I noted that this home is worthy of some meditation for our learning.
I want to share, as part of the introduction, a bit of my hidden motivation for writing these historical studies of godly homes. I am very burdened for our homes. I want each one of them to be all that God would have them be. How many ways can you say the same thing before it becomes commonplace and unnoticed? The Home Histories provide me with a valuable tool to say the same things over and over again in the framework of an interesting history of someone’s life.
I have stated before that we are not in agreement with all the doctrines of each person that we feature. Our desire and purpose is to study how they lived out godly principles in their homes. I don’t agree with some of the doctrines that the Puritans believed; however, many of them consistently had family devotions morning and evening.
This challenges me. I cannot bless everything that Catherine believed and practiced, but I will not gainsay the love and zeal that was placed in her by her mother through very effective means.
KATE’S MOTHER
I’m glad that every heritage is not perfect, because then that leaves room for people like you and me. Even with all our failures, God can raise up a godly seed out of sincere desire and determined obedience. Such was the case in Catherine’s life. All was not well at home. Kate’s mother, Miss Milward, was a faithful member of the Church of England. Although a very moral person, she was religiously lost. Like most people in this state, she was not aware of her desperate condition. In the midst of her blinded life, God who is rich in mercy, reached down to touch her and open her eyes.
There was a young man in her life who had asked for her hand in marriage. All seemed quite well with their courtship, and the wedding day was planned. On the eve of that very special day, some information came to her about her husband-to-be which verified unfaithfulness and lying on his part. Being a young woman of principle, she called off the wedding. This brought despair to his life, and that in turn brought despair to her life, but she would not compromise. The whole ordeal put Miss Milward into a bed of affliction for six weeks. This is such an example of how the spirit, soul, and body are so intimately connected.
Through this emotional and physical tragedy, she came under deep conviction of sin. The once blind and moral person now saw herself as poor and wretched. There was in the village where she lived one of those new, fanatical, Methodist churches. The news reached Miss Milward that many had received the forgiveness of sins, and her heart longed to attend the meetings. She had no strength to rise from her bed, so she made an appeal to her father to allow the minister to come and visit her. God had prepared the way, and soon after the minister left her, she believed God for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. As the Father healed her broken soul, her body was also healed, almost instantly. She rose from her bed, dressed herself, and entered back into the life of her house.
From that moment Catherine’s mother was totally changed, never to go back to her old worldly religious ways. Salvation penetrated every fiber of her being. It brought a revolution to every area of her life. She left off all worldly amusements. No more card playing, no more giddy dancing, and no more theatre; they were gone forever. She changed her apparel immediately. Her covering was stripped of adornment, and made like those the pious Methodist women wore. Her curly locks of hair were brought into subjection, and she took the scissors to her ballroom dresses. Off went the lace and extra frills. She set to work to please God in everything, and gladly took her place beside the despised Methodists of her day. This is Kate’s mother, so it shouldn’t surprise us that a dedicated Methodist preacher came to her father to ask for her hand in marriage soon after this.
KATE’S FATHER
John Mumford was a well known itinerate preacher of his day. He was a soul winner and a man of unceasing labors for the kingdom of God. After the initial rejection of a father who was a Church of England member, they did obtain his blessing on their union. Five children were born to them, Kate being the only girl. Three of the boys died in infancy, which seems to have been very common in those days. My, how times have changed. So few of our little ones die comparatively. There is not much written about John Mumford; he literally disappears from the records shortly after the children were born. In the early days of their marriage, he felt called of God to serve and preach. However, he resisted this call due to a desire to make money. Slowly his zeal began to cool, and eventually he gave up preaching altogether and then even his profession of religion. Mr. Mumford was at one time a strong temperance man, standing against drink in every way. With the cooling of his spiritual life, it soon became OK to drink a little wine to calm down from a heavy day of business. Then later, stronger drink was needed, and mother and daughter painfully watched him lose all power to control the hellish demon.
This is a great grief to my soul even as I read and study for this article. He walked away from a powerful life and ministry for a little money and what it would buy. Although this is a tragedy without question, let us take another look at these circumstances. It appears to me that the father never left the home, but continued to be somewhat of a dysfunctional father. I think we can gain some encouragement here. Kate’s mother raised the children on her own, with far less than the best situation. It can be done. He didn’t fight against what she was doing; he just didn’t do much on his part. It can be done. Don’t get discouraged because your home setting is not what it should be. Rise up in the spirit of Caleb and say, “I want that mountain”.
EARLY YEARS OF TRAINING
To see the flower when it is still an early bud is the secret of any visionary. To see a mighty oak tree when all you have is a small sapling is what motivates the doing, the caring, and the hours of constant training. Mrs. Mumford saw the seed of a dedicated servant of God in her little girl, and she began very early to fertilize it with care. The two became very close companions as the dedication of the mother was passed on to the daughter. Kate’s mother was strict, but full of tenderness and compassion. As I have been comparing many homes through these studies, it has become very clear to me that this combination has the most effect on the children. There were rules to follow, and right and wrong were defined at an early age. This approach, guided by a tender heart, produced a sensitive conscience, which is a precious gift to any child. There were many a bedtime confession with tears and prayers, as the little girl cleared her heart with her mama.
The Bible was the supreme Book of wisdom and learning in the home. It was read and expounded to the children on their level from their earliest memory. It was the main textbook for learning to read, and the main motivation for learning to read. Kate had literally hundreds of memories of standing at her mother’s side listening, reading, or reciting from the old Book. Before she was twelve years old, she had read through the Bible eight times. It should be no wonder that in later years she amazed many with her understanding of the God’s Word. No Bible School was necessary because her whole life as a child in the home was a seminary full of holy revelations.
Catherine was “a tree planted by the rivers of water”. Her mother never lost the zeal of her entrance into the kingdom of God. In fact, it seems to me that as her husband John began to cool and find other interest, her zeal increased. This was probably done to compensate for the lack that came from an absent father. This love and fervor, coupled with the prominence of the Bible, created an atmosphere of the Spirit in the home. As 1 Corinthians 7 says, the believing parent sanctifies the children, or makes them holy. In later years, Catherine Booth gave this testimony, “I cannot remember a time when I didn’t have intense yearnings after God.”
It was the 1830’s in England and people were moving into the cities in great numbers. The children played in the streets, and the influences were not good if a mother had higher goals for her children. Kate’s mother was one of the few in her day who said, “a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Worldliness and the sins that come from that world were not allowed. Kate had very few friends. There simply were no acceptable social companions available, so mother and daughter were the best of friends. They had to be, because there were no others. William Booth often said of his mother-in-law, “She was a woman of the sternest principle I have ever met.” She was of the Puritan type- right is right no matter what the cost. These strong views on separation from the world affected every area of their lives. It sounds like biblical separation to me. It should be this way. Do you suppose this had anything to do with the clear testimony of nonconformity that the Salvation Army had for many years?
A HOME SCHOOL FOR KATE
Because of her mother’s convictions about the great dangers of association with careless peers, schooling at home was the only option. These standards were passed on to Kate and she followed her mother’s example, training all of the eight Booth children at home. “A school is a little world,” she often said to others. Kate’s own schooling began before she was three, and according to her mother, Kate knew her letters and could read simple words shortly after she was three years old. Picture the little girl, not even five years old, standing on a footstool and reading out loud to her mother. This is home school at its best. Mrs. Mumford was the teacher for the first twelve years, followed by two years in a girl’s school with a very godly teacher. After this Kate’s health forced her back into the home school mode, and this stage of education was more theological than academic.
The curriculum was of utmost importance, for truth prevails to make a holy child, but error brings loose living and a child that casts off restraint. Kate’s mother was very selective when it came to the books the children read. She was so watchful that she would not allow the children to learn the French language, simply because many French writers were infidels. Because of her mother’s strong love for truth, Kate was not allowed to read anything that was fantasy, or make believe. Only the purest forms of truth were allowed. I’m sure she would not have been permitted to read the novels of today, and romance novels would have been absolutely taboo. History and Geography were studied together with lots of discussion about His Story and how it applied to that day. Biographies were also used to inspire and guide the students’ minds toward the right. Some lives studied were good and some bad. That was all right, because Mother was there to talk it out.
TRAGEDIES,
POWERFUL INFLUENCES
There were three major negative experiences that God used to mold the young soldier’s life during those formative years. Oh how our natural love wants to shelter our children from the hard times, and the pains that often come in life. But God will use them in deep meaningful ways if we will give good counsel through them. It was this way for Kate. Three of her brothers died in infancy. The little girl never forgot the solemn feelings that death brings to the one who looks on in amazement. Three times she looked upon a dead baby lying in her mother’s arms. Three times she looked upon her mother, with tears running down her face. God used these occasions to impart to her a deep sense of the surety of death, which lasted all her life.
The greatest pain in Kate’s years at home was undoubtedly when she watched her father slowly cool off spiritually, give up the ministry of preaching, and take up the cursed bottle of strong drink. She was much closer to her father and they spent more time together in the early years. Kate was more like her father than her mother. Oh the deep pain of watching a loved one lose their life to the world, right before your very eyes. Father had been a strong temperance advocate, holding many meetings right in his home. Tragedy? Yes, of course it was, but what was the result of this ongoing, painful experience? Mother doubled her efforts to train the children correctly. She became more earnest in prayer, and learned to know God in a sweet, intimate way. Mother and daughter drew very close to each other, and the spiritual bond was inseparable. Kate hated liquor all her days, and fought the devil for the degraded souls who were trapped by it.
The third major situation that could have destroyed the young lady’s life came when she was fourteen years old. After two beautiful years of regular school, Kate was struck with a severe spinal disease. She had to return to her home, and recline on the couch or in bed continually. Kate was a very active girl, and this was extremely difficult to bear. Through the direction of her mother, and her unquenchable desire to learn, she took up studies at home. Only this time, the subjects were chosen by her spiritual longings. Hours were spent in Bible study, theology, and church history. She picked up the writings of Wesley, Fletcher, and Finny. She also found great delight in meditations from Newton’s book on prophecy, and from Pilgrim’s Progress. These works and many others were devoured and digested at the age of fourteen. Composition followed, which helped her to formulate what she believed. God’s Bible School is always perfect. The school of Christ is the most effective school there is, and this is what Kate discovered.
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break,
With blessings on your head.Judge not the Lord with feeble sense,
But trust Him for the grace
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain.
God is His own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.William Cowper 1750
CHARACTER,
GODLY CHARACTER
Character, or moral and ethical qualities, was a high goal on Mother’s list of priorities for Kate. This pursuit was started at an early age. She trained into the children the priceless gift of an enlightened, sensitive conscience. They were taught to always tell the truth, and that honesty in everything was the way a Christian should live. The sweet sound of a little girl crying over a failure of the day was music to the mother’s ears. With persistence she began to mold the fresh new clay, which yielded easily now to Mother’s will. Mrs. Mumford believed that this was the calling of a mother. No one else will be given this awesome responsibility; no hireling could ever match a mother’s care. She left behind many a trivial activity to give herself to the molding of an eternal soul.
Catherine’s mother instilled in her many of those moral qualities that form a soul into an instrument that God can use. Kate hated anything that was evil, shuddering at times at the sights of degraded society. From her early childhood, compassion was a dominant part of her personality. This was developed in two ways. First, by helping her to be aware of the great needs of her fellow man around her. Secondly, by teaching her the gentle care of the animal kingdom. Chores were used to train her in diligence, which blessed her beyond measure all the days of her life. She was known for her unfailing diligence in all that she did. Humility was noticed in the twelve-year-old girl when she began to go to the formal school. She considered competition a dangerous thing, and was often found helping other girls get better grades than she. “Do right,” said Mother, “no matter what the cost,” and this quality was found many times as she interacted with other children of her age. She would not compromise. Ah, there are many more that we could look at, but the point is made. Let us actively pursue ways to develop character in our children, for the kingdom of our God.
HOLY CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES
We all know that the apprenticeship method of learning is the quickest, most effective way of learning. It is one thing to hear someone teach you, but it is a much deeper step when we put our own hands to the work and do something. The master knows that his student needs to hear how to do it, to see how it is done, and then lastly to rise up himself and do the work. This is the way our Lord and Master trained His servants, and this is the best way for our children. It seems that the mother we are examining knew this very well, because she filled Kate’s life with many hands-on activities. I would like to ponder a few of these for our learning. If we can grasp this principle and apply it, we will gain much ground in the area of child training.
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Table Talks
Those stimulating conversations that took place around the family table were used with purpose to stretch and educate the children. The subjects were lofty, and at times hard to understand. The younger children were encouraged to enter in to the debates and discussions. Kate was often found on a Sunday afternoon, sitting with the adults, discussing the issues of the day. We should encourage this with our children. If this is going to happen though, you will have to draw them in at first, and give attention to their thoughts when they speak.
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Playing House
Some would say that this is an insignificant point, but the world and the devil would not say so. Let us open our eyes and take note of the many ways in which the devil is using seemingly meaningless play to mold a generation of killers, harlots, and idle time wasters. Kate’s little family of baby dolls consumed much of her time as a little girl. She needed to feed them, dress them, pray with them, and put them to bed. They will need a spanking, and then, ah yes, we must sew their clothes for them. This went on day after day with order and determination. There is no question in my mind; God used this innocent play to train a mother of eight for a very busy life.
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Letters to the Editor
The temperance movement was in full swing when Kate was growing up, and she was encouraged to enter into the cause. She would sit and listen to the adults discuss it, then sit and read all the latest periodicals on the subject, and then sit down and write to the editors. Many evenings, she would steal away into her room and share the burden of her heart in a letter to the editor. Was this merely childish play? I think not. To develop the ability to express your heart on paper is a valuable asset in anyone’s life. Do you know how many times she wrote articles for the Salvation Army paper, The War Cry?
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Juvenile Temperance Society
Children want to be involved. They will find a way to be “doers and not hearers only.” She was the secretary of this little group of children at age twelve. Kate filled her time with arranging meetings, raising subscriptions for temperance magazines, and raising money for the cause. Others, Lord, yes, others; this seemed to be the focus of her formative years. The poor drunk on the street, the jobless, and even the lost in faraway heathendom, held her heart.
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Little-girl Missionary
Kate would sit in rapt attention as she listened to the stories of the great plight of the lost in distant lands. How could she raise some money for the cause? She denied herself many little extras and gave the money to missions. She renounced the eating of sweets, and gave to the cause. She went to others pleading the cause of the heathen, and was often surprised at the amount she was able to raise. How do you say no to a young girl with all this zeal and compassion?
CONCLUSION
As I look back over the many powerful child-training points in this article, I stand amazed. All this was done in a home where the father was not supportive. He did not fight against this determined mother, but simply lived his own carnal life. Yet, look what was done. Many times the parent who feels alone in his/her goals for the children just gives up. Others constantly nag and fight and preach to their unconcerned spouse. This only makes things worse, and infects the home with the spirit of bitterness, and the children are defiled. Let us take courage, and press forward in faith, saying like Caleb, “I want that mountain.” Let us fill our house with the spirit of betterness instead of bitterness.
