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 Scotch Major had a string of hospitals that he visited in addition
to his other regular duties. He knew that the men who are gassed lose
all their possessions when their clothes are ripped off from them. So
this Salvationist made a delightful all-the-year-round Santa Claus out
of himself: dressing up in old clothes, because of the mud and dirt
through which he must pass, he would sling a pack on his back that
would put to shame the one Old Santa used to carry. Shaving things and
soap and toothbrushes, handkerchiefs and chocolate and writing
materials. How they welcomed him wherever he came! Sick men,
Protestants, Jews, Catholics. He talked and prayed with them all, and
no one turned away from his kindly messages.
Six miles from Neufchauteul is Bazoilles, a mighty city of hospital
tents and buildings, acres and acres of them, lying in the valley.
Whenever this man heard the rumbling of guns and knew that something
was doing, he took his pack and started down to go the rounds, for
there were always men there needing him.
Then he would hold meetings in the wards, blessed meetings that the
wounded men enjoyed and begged for. They all joined in the singing,
even those who could not sing very well. And once it was a blind boy
who asked them to sing “Lead Kindly Light Amid the Encircling Gloom,
Lead Thou Me On.”
One Sunday afternoon two Salvation Army lassies had come with their
Major to hold their usual service in the hospital, but there were so
many wounded coming in and the place was so busy that it seemed as if
perhaps they ought to give up the service. The nurses were heavy-eyed
with fatigue and the doctors were almost worked to death. But when this
was suggested with one accord both doctors and nurses were against it.
“The boys would miss it so,” they said, “and we would miss it, too. It
rests us to hear you sing.”
After the Bible reading and prayer a lassie sang: “There Is Sunshine in
My Heart To-day,” and then came a talk that spoke of a spiritual
sunshine that would last all the year. The song and talk drifted out to
another little ward where a doctor sat beside a boy, and both listened.
As the physician rose to go the wounded boy asked if he might write a
letter.
The next day the doctor happened to meet the lassie who sang and told
her he had a letter that had been handed to him for censorship that he
thought she would like to see. He said the writer had asked him to show
it to her. This was the letter:
Dear Mother: You will be surprised to hear that I am in the hospital,
but I am getting well quickly and am having a good time. But best of
all, some Salvation Army people came and sang and talked about
sunshine, and while they were talking the sunshine came in through my
window—not into my room alone, but into my heart and life as well,
where it is going to stay. I know how happy this will make you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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