Now, this leaven of truer thought about religion was leading society all through the South; the Southern men and boys everywhere were feeling its influence, and it was having most remarkable effects. The increase in the number of men, who after the war were brought into the church by the direct influence of the returned soldiers, "who had found their souls" through the experiences of their army life, was tremendous. Those soldiers did a bigger service to the men of their race by bringing back religion to them than they did in fighting for them during the war. Just after the war, in the far harder trials and soul agony of the Reconstruction days, I think that the wonderful patience, and courage which resisted humiliation, and won back the control of their States, and rebuilt their shattered fortunes and pulled their country triumphantly up out of indescribable disaster, can only be thus really explained--that those men were "strong and of a good courage" because "their minds were staked on God." The history of the Southern people during that epoch is unmatched by the history of any people in all time. The result they achieved, this was the reason--beneath the superb "grit" of the Southern people lay deep the conviction "God is our refuge and strength" and "The God whom we serve. He will deliver us." It was the spiritual vision of the men of the South that saved it when it was ready to perish--and let the men of the South never forget it! Let them give unceasing recognition and thanks to God, for that great deliverance. If I have made clear my thought--the connection of the religious revival in the army with the fortunes of our people at home after the war--I am glad! If I haven't, I am sorry! I can't say any fairer than that, and I can only make the plea that was stuck up in a church in the West, in the old rough days, when a dissatisfied auditor of the sermon, or the organist, was likely to express his disapproval with a gun. The notice up in front of the choir read like this: "Please don't shoot the musician, he's doing his level best"--I make the same request. But, to return to our muttons! Let us get back to the winter camp at Morton's Ford. =Spring Sprouts and a "Tar Heel" Story=