Manila, Luzon Island – Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Manila
Our four sailors departed. They left this morning before either myself or the Owens were out of bed, evidently & went out to the U.S. transport “Hancock”. They lodged in our house from May 19th to date. I spent on their account for food when they first came under my roof $4.40 Mex. Mrs. Owens cooked for them. She was also given the priviledge to use my bacon and sugar for them. Cooking however entailed much trouble in addition to the labor as their hours for home coming were very uncertain. May 26th Rev. Owens gave $5 Mex and I donated an equal amount & turned the $10 over to Peter Weigner with instructions to purchase meals in eating houses. Mrs. Turner, the wife of the Ecclesia mission worker cooked for them. Thence per deim for her own family & twice for them, making five meals, rather hard for a woman with two small children. My outlay including food has been all of $10. The bill of food I bought recently for them they did not need. Today I stored some in my bedroom & left a box of crackers & 9 lbs sugar in Mrs. Owens dining room.
This morning finished reading Numbers & commenced Deuteronomy. Prayed. Cooked breakfast: oatmeal mush, fried bacon & coffee constituted my bill of fare.
Wrote & copied 2 letters (1) ex-Capt. John Sharpless, addressed to Honolulu, c/a S.A. with request to forward; (2) Capt. Post. S. F. request to send Mr. Rob. Gardiner, Cavite P.I. the Cry or Crys containing life of ex-Capt. Robt. Gardiner.
Letters written I handed a Calle Jolo card & paid $4 cents Mex for a ride to Quiapo Dist. Called at No. 20 Calle Barbosa, Imperial Photograph gallery to get 6 pictures of No. 2 as same of the troops want them. Gave me ½ doz. (the number ordered) for nothing. Remarked that I spent considerable money with him. Was so pleased with the gift that I spent $2.80 Mex. for miscellaneous pictures. These I can use for illustrating my articles & for stereopticon purposes. The Spanish proprietor requested me to try him again with Kodak films. Will give his personal attention to the next lot.
Returning from the photographer’s called at the post office. Mailed 2 letters & rec’d several War Crys, foreign. A report from Lloyd printed in the Toronto War Cry notices my visit to the Montana regiment. Returned home & glance over the papers. Remained in the house all afternoon, reading & making initials in this diary for several days entries.
Cooked supper of oatmeal, bacon & cocoa.
Heavy shower accompanied by thunder & lightning. Is raining now at the time of writing.
God bless me in my soul last night. God is good to me.
My thoughts revert almost everyday to what I think is the great trouble in the United States wing of the Salvation Army. Major Pebbles’ letter & the one received from Adjutant Wilfred Bourne led me to expect trouble that will not only effect the Republic but he felt in S.A. circles the world over. Oh, may God direct events in the Army! It is far from my desire to see strife in our organization, but if the Brothers cease to do right, trouble cannot be avoided. Self-sacrificing men & women will sacrifice themselves for the glory of God & the good of humanity at large, but not for the glory of a self-seeking family. The loss of confidence in the General & his children has greatly weakened my hands & discouraged me & others in this work. Dear Major Ashley Pebbles, one of the best & most devoted officers in our ranks, wrote me that the only way he kept his balance, was to go ahead doing his own work & closing his eyes to the misdeeds of others – in high places of trust.
I sometimes wish I could think now as I did I the days of yore – when I was a private marching the streets of San Francisco for dear Jesus’ sake, or a humble field captain toiling, enduring & sacrificing without a murmur. My enthusiasm was at fever-heat in those happy, blessed years. I had the most implicit confidence in Gen. Booth, the members of his family & the leading lights of the S.A. then, but now there is almost no confidence left – in the Booths. I still think they were all good then but I do not think so now – to my sorrow.