The War Romance of the Salvation ArmyHill, Grace Livingston
History
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Hill, Grace Livingston
World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Salvation Army
The criminal sat crouched on his hard bench, chained hand and foot. He
did not look up. He was a dreadful sight, his brutal face haggard,
unshaven, his eyes bloodshot, his whole appearance almost like some low
animal. Through the shadowy prison darkness the Little Major crept to
those chains, those symbols of the man’s degradation; and still the man
did not look up.
“You must be in great trouble, brother. Can I help you any?” asked the
Little Major with a wonderful Christ-like compassion in his voice.
The man lifted his bleared eyes under the shock of unkempt hair, and
spoke, startled:
“You call me brother! You know what I’m here for and you call me
brother! Why?”
The Little Major’s voice was steady and sweet as he replied without
hesitation:
“Because I know a great deal about the suffering of Christ on the
Cross, all because He loved you so! Because I know He said He was
wounded for your transgressions, He was bruised for your iniquities!
Because I know He said, ’Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be
as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as
wool!’ So why shouldn’t I call you brother?”
“Oh,” said the man with a groan of agony and big tears rolling down his
face. “Could I be made a better man?”
Then they went down on their knees together beside the hard bench, the
man in chains and the man of God, and the Little Major prayed such a
wonderful prayer, taking the poor soul right to the foot of the Throne;
and in a few minutes the man was confessing his sin to God. Then he
suddenly looked up and exclaimed:
“It’s true, what you said! Christ has pardoned me! Now I can die like a
man!”
With that great pardon written across his heart he actually went to his
death with a smile upon his face. When the Chaplain asked him if he had
anything to say he publicly thanked the military authorities and the
Salvation Army for what they had done for him.
The Colonel, greatly surprised at the change in the man, sent to find
out how it came about and later sent to thank the Little Major. Two
days later Major Roosevelt came in person to thank him:
“I knew that someone who knew how to deal with men had got hold of
him,” he said, “but I almost doubted the evidence of my own eyes when I
saw how cheerfully he went to his death, it all seemed too wonderful!”
The little Major was with this battalion in all of its engagements, and
on several occasions went over the top with the men and devoted himself
to first aid to the wounded and to bringing the men back to the
dressing station on stretchers. Between the times of active
engagements, the Major gave himself to supplying the needs of the men
and made daily trips out of the trenches to obtain newspapers, writing
material, and to perform errands which they could not do for
themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account