History of the Carlile family

7o HISTORY OF THE CARLILE FAMILY.
and the Church Army, by Edgar Rowan (London : H odder &
Stoughton, 1905 ; reissued, 1907), with a portrait. He is
essentially a man of action rather than a man of books, but he
has found time to compile and write the following : — 1882,
Church Army Songs; also The Church and Conversion. 1885,
Spiritual Difficulties. 1891, What is the Church Army Social
Scheme for Darkest England? 1906, The Continental Outcast
(jointly with his son ; see Carlile, Victor Wilson). A visitor
at the church of St. Mary -at- Hill writes: — "I could see in
front of me .... two huge white sheets. . . . One was used
for the purpose of showing living pictures by means of the
cinematograph, and the other for views from an electric lantern.
These were of all sorts, and dealt with all kinds of subjects,
from little children playing on the beach of a seaside resort,
to coloured pictures illustrating the life of our Lord. One of
the Church Army captains stood at the side of the screen, and,
in a few clear and concise sentences, told the story of which
each picture was an illustration. This entertainment lasted
probably an hour, and, after the singing of a hymn, the ordinary
evening prayers were proceeded with. After the singing of the
anthem, the Rev. W. Carlile, having by this time had one of
the white screens removed, mounted the steps of the pulpit
with the vivacious eagerness of a young man. ... It was an
excellent sermon, excellently delivered. . . . The preacher left
the pulpit, the church's Communion rail formed a penitent form,
and the service became a meeting of prayer and testimony,
conducted, however, with a certain dignity. . . . After such an
evening's experience of the work of the Church Army, there
can be little doubt that .... Mr. Carlile's is a work that is
deserving of encouragement and support in the efforts to
reclaim people who would not be reached by ordinary Church
methods."
What leisure he has is spent in cycling and open air
preaching. On 19 February, 1870, he married, at Twickenham