True Stories of the Great War, Volume 6 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
History
True Stories of the Great War, Volume 6 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
The deepest note on this day was struck when we came to a little town
filled with British troops, a very large number of whom had been
recently engaged in heavy fighting. The Chaplain had sent a notice
throughout one Division that the Bishop would hold a short service in
the evening for officers, and that this would be followed by a service
for non-commissioned officers and men. As he entered the large hall
which is used for a church in that town, he found at least five hundred
officers, including many Generals, waiting in silence. They had come,
some of them, from considerable distances, and almost every officer
who was off duty in that district must have been present. It was only
a bare, whitewashed building, with a hard stone floor, and a little
platform at the end, but in it were gathered together some of the
flower of the British Army.
There were Generals kneeling side by side with subalterns--men who had
faced together the terrible ordeal of battle. Those who were present
will surely never forget the silence and reverence of that service.
IV--THE CANADIANS--AND A BENEDICTION
After so long a day the Bishop was naturally beginning to feel tired,
and his voice began to show signs of the great tax which frequent
speaking in the open air had placed upon it. But there was one more
gathering at which he was to be present, and in many ways this was the
most striking and memorable of the whole Mission.
The Canadians were there, and they wished to see him. That was quite
enough for the Bishop. His two visits to the Dominion have made Canada
very dear to his heart, and to Canada he will always give of his best.
It was not far to go to the large open square in the town where the
Canadians were waiting for him. The square was packed with men, and in
the center was a statue or fountain--I really could not distinguish
which, so completely was it concealed by the men sitting and standing
upon it.
The last rays of the sun came across the old tiled roofs, and lent a
touch of color to the scene. On one side of the square was the Town
Hall, and the Bishop stood in the balcony, surrounded by the General
and staff officers. It was a moving sight to look down from the balcony
of this old French Town Hall upon this great gathering of men who had
come so many thousands of miles from their homes to fight for the
honor of the Empire. There was no opportunity for an ordinary service.
The gathering darkness would have made it impossible for the men to
read, and, even if it had been lighter, the men were so closely packed
together that hymn-sheets could not have been held.
It is always difficult to estimate numbers, but someone said that
nearly ten thousand men must have been present. When the Bishop
appeared on the balcony there was a Canadian cheer. He is well known in
the Dominion, and the volume of sound left no doubt as to the warmth of
feeling with which he is regarded there.
"This is a sight," he began, "which reminds me of Montreal and
Toronto."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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