The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1872-05-14 00:00:00

TEE DORSET MILITIA.

Tbe formal opi.ning of the Recreation mom t 3 the
r.giment took place ou Timaday evening, 7th llay,when
there was a good ettendiutou of the mon. At six
o'clock the bend of the regituont, uudor Mr Cerro:, ter.
formed a solortion of iou.ie Ia the room, and their
inspiriting strains gave a lin ly tone to the proceedings.
Meanwhile the nice emote theme-Ives very happy
(though they did not get hilatious)on the tea and coffee
so cheeply dispensed. with the more satisfying items of
bread „oo aemer, bread and cheese, and plum take •
the games of bagatelle. frog, draughts. he., interested
other', while rending books or papers from the library,
or writing Wises to their friends 0000 pied the atten-
tion of a few.-everywhere they hail pleasant oseepation
mmordine to their wilL Then Mrs. Bingham's Baring.
Bank did a brisk budems, many of the men having a
keen appresdation of the hendeome lot, rent Mr..
Bingham gives to encourage their savings; and, after
bank hours, the singing of hymn., Mrs. Binehatu play.
log the hennoaltun, &fiords agreeable occupation for •
large number, and they attic the old familia hymns
with evident delight. At eeven o'clock the ordinary
Proceedings were stopped that the men might listen to
an address from the Rev. E. W. Years. M.A.. the &titer
of the parish in which the room is situated, and •
gentleman who has taken a great deal of interest in the
work underhthea by Mrs. Rioshate for the good of the
regiment. Oolemal Binghem and Mrs. Binebsin were
presoak with Mrs. Tech, II- Hellen, Miss Olive, Mn., and
Mist Vaisey, Mr. M. C. Weston, Ice. After staging
" Oft in deem, oft in woe," Mr. Yttne addressed the
man am follows :
Soldiers of the Dorset Mattis.— elthough many of
those whom I addressed on the first opening of this
room, have left the regiment, and there places have
been supplied hp others, yet I have been permitted to
welootne Foul ea a regiment, to Dorchester, so
frt quently, that L cannot help speaking to you as old
sequaintanees, and feeling every year a deeper interest
iii tour real welfare, and In the SOOOSsi I this room.
I 114.ited that I should have to address you toaiight
for the last lime, hut iv.sa parhape, If my his is apared.
I way iflee; you again for @owe few )ww, nor, it a
slight testlmoey to the sue,.eas of Mrs. Bingham's el:forte
f. r your good, that when it wag feared that you would
i.tio,ved to anothet t .ati for your annual traitine,
an deputetoni ot Dorcheeter men us tad
upoh the War Ministir to ',quest that you mLht uot
be reaueved. Now I al., taink that if this room lat not
been opehed, and if the regiment bad been left to itself
as ru ruler yeas, he removal would, to say the halst
of it, not have caused much regret; but now you see
one advantage of good cooduct —you gain Ile respect of
these, who perhaps have never entered this room, and
the people of Dorobester are glad to see you hare, end
can't bear to think of parting with yon. This lean
additional resets why you should be doubly eyeful
this year, that those gentlemen may me that you
deserve the honour that has been paid you.
And here I would place before you serials feats,
which Mn. Biegham wish.s you to know. During the
pert month 87 recruits have placed in the bank kV.
Of souse when there were eomparatively few men Mrs.
Bingham was able to become better acquainted with
them than she mold have done it the whole regiment
had been out. BIN teepee however that in the owed of
old /toads, she will not lose sight of the young ones,
but that they will come to her for ac) thing in whiou
she can help them.
And now as to the assembling of the regiment yester-
day : Well shoat some things "the least said, the
soonest needed," sad I trust that there are few men in
Dorchester as ill ooadiuoned and dishonest, as to make
a whole regiment atreountsble for the folly and hoar*
of s few aWy boys. But of other things it is element&
to speak: some might forget what was due to
themselves end their commanding case and their
Queen, whites uniform they were about to put on, theta
were many who were wiser and better; and this room
was filled from merging to night with man who have
learnt that there is a higher happiness than that which
sin and vies sod folly min give: who have learnt that
It is better to abstain from driakiag into:leasing liquor
altogether, then ruin their health and strength a 1 ri
ohmmeter, and bring thecoseltes to poverty and me-
mos. And if we may judge from yesterday, by oom-
panng the met who were here, with those who were
elsewhere, the working tean's way t 3 proeperity is the
way of tempering*. I should add that yesterday after-
noon above £7 lfis 91 was paid into the bank.
But you muse remember that all this provision for your
comfort and well-being is not made without greet
labour sad selfdeniel ; and that labour is greedy
increased sad outdo more wearisome when they, for
whom It is Incurred, thew themselves unworthy of it;
for illitSaat, you have every convenience for writes(
letter,: cbeerfully provided for you, and all free of
expense. Now II you abuse that provision and turn it I
to a bed or foolish purpose: U, instead of writing bones
to your [Heeds, you write foolish andlinproper letters,
which you ought not to write at all, you tempt your
beet friends to give up all their endeavours for your
good. And if they were not animated by a higher
motive than any earthly consideration, they would give
It up es a hopeless teak. But the love which animates
Christiana in all their labour for your good. as the
reflection of that love which their heavenly Master has
Shown to them; it is pure, patient, and indexing; and
I would have you think of this while you enjoy your
leisure time et these table. lasted of being abut spin
a crowded lodging or stiff ng tap-room; when yoa go
up to pleas your lumey to the Beni, to receive it
again with interest at the end of the training, Mewed
of being tempted to wrote it in fol y, or being rorwated
out of it' when you end tee and °offs% oak- sod briar
sed batter, all provided for you. through Mrs.
Bingham's thought!.! kindness, and self-denying labour,
Meta agar night, without any trouble to yourselves;
when you gather round the Ammonium and join in
singing Christian hymn., lvateml of having your ears
pohnted by foolish and ribald songs; or take a book
from the library and reel eithnut bang interrupted by
vain and had language; and lasi of all, but not least,
when you find Mr. Dam ever ready to speak to you
from God's weed, and encourage you in what is right,
and before you separate at night, to lead you to God
In prayer through Christ Jesus ; I would have you see
In this the klemerlases and the fruit of real love to God,
from • mass of His love to us.
Bat how shall I set before youths wonderful love of
God our Saviour to no poor sinners? A poor unhappy
soldier, Ira thus of rebellion and war, bang reproved is
the gentlest meaner by his Commanding Officer for
drunkenness and insubordination, loathe I of submitting
to the reproof, give* way to Sager SOU sullen resent-
ment, and delerrothes to desert to the yummy; and he
not only carrion his evil purpose into effect, but in the
act of desertion Ares upon and wounds his captain. Of
course he is esesived by his new oompanions with groat
satisfaction, and toe a while rejobies in the mows of
his untsithfulasse • but before long the hour of battle
oomes and he flals himself engaged with his former
pommies, sad being taken prisoner is tried and con-
demned, and seat without hope of reprieve or pardon to
the prison cell, there to await the punishment he bee
so well deserved. As he lice upon his millet in sullen
despair, resolutely 'nutting out any feeling of remorse
that may seise in his Smirk and hardening himself
against the *Ming' of his souscieoes, his roll door is
quietly opened and hi. °Moss who. be had demoted
and warted's& Maeda before him. What are you some
here for? be sagely exelsarna ; art thou come to
torment me bolero my time? I am to die to-morrow,
and I want to be NA alone till then. You are to die
to-morrow, le the reply, but are you prepared to die?
Yea, I a.' and you will se that I eirrH die without
flinching. Yes: hat that deriond death! ere you pre-
pared for that? I don't believe there is any second
death! Yee, you do; and lain come to tell you how
you may Neaps is: But you don't love me? Of
wane I don't? Are not you the cause of my beiug
here? Was it not your reproof that drove me to reek.
leather and deserMon ? No. I was not the cause, but
your own bliadermsead evil temper; but we won't speak
of that now, I want you to love me: all my soldiers
love me, and so will you when you know nie. her.,
get up from your bed, and I will tell you how to Nolen
from that death which otherwise awaits you on the
morrow. Hew son I comps when every door is [as.
timed and the gaud is on duty outside? You can't
and the way, bet I lan chew it to you. Here, change
dresses with me: take my uniform, and I will take your
rebel diem; here are the keys which will open every
door, and go forth and look me in your cell; er,,d when 1
you are free, and remember what I have done for you, !
I know you will love me then. You may be sure that
the poor soldier readily accepted the offer, and with
selfish joy put on his Captain's dress and got out of the
prison. But he bad not got far when who sboul I meet
him but his Captain again. Full of wonder he exclaim.,
What you here? I thought you were in the prison
coedit Bo I was I I pieced myself there as a brother
that! might save you, and now I stand before you ours
MOTO as your Cerain, and fall me do your love me
now? The poor allow, full of wonder and gratitude,
shrinks back at first, remembering the wound he bad
Inflicted at the time of his desertion; but hid good
Captain, reading his thoughts, says, Dan't Dalai any
more aboat that vi have forgiven you, and all I want
Is that you should swept my forgiveness a. tulle and
1111 freely as It is offered, and uenoeforth tom me Whet
could the poor man do? lie falls at hie feet and says,
I do love you, and if you will only give me ono° more
my old uniform and arms, you wall see that I will
hereafter serve you faithfully, and Lever deaort you
more.
That is a strange story, Is it not But I have •
stranger story to tell you : we are all by module God's
'moldier, and serventa ; and you and I have deserted and
rebelled whist Him, and wounded His dear eon, for
our shit nailed Him to the Cross, and oohs* sr, are
reconciled to Him, here in this abort If,, we ere in pri-
son, only awaiting the everlasting death which is the
due reward of onr deed& Amid He spinet whom you
have rebelled, tomes to you this night, Si Jcsii of
Narsareth, year brother, and offers you this blurt a full
dmieerance from death and hell. But, you ask, Hoe
are we to move? He says to you, here chaos.. wit
rue; rake my righteous:ma., and give me your ales; I
will satisfy the demands of juetice, leave me Mere, nava
you go free: and when you find yourselves' free for ever
from sin, the law, from the fear of death and hell, and
remember bow I came to you in mercy end I
will you not love me? What answer do your
'treks to-night? This is the Gospel, a-id the
ascii of that Gespel is "faith only by love." li-ieve
what Jesus bee done for you, and your whole life will
show that you "love iiim, because He first loved you."
And don't think that such earnest love for Christ will
towhee with your duties as men or soldier& Geo.
Havelook was the most devout soldier in the army for
years before be was recognised u the beg soldier, As
noon as he Weed the 13th Light Infantry he began to
gather his roan together for Bible reading and prayer.
When on salve service
cat Rangoon, in Burmatt, he got
oil a large Pagoda, or idol temple as • place
Christina.ership. One day an raw'ug
Dear heard the seam of gigging, as anyone passing as
the street might just now have heard you, and on
mitering he bead above a hundred soldiers seated round
young Haveleek. who was sating as their manieter.
About that thee the general he command culled out a
Immediate serves, but found that
riti,Cutrier =end amid not be trusted to take •
aaas of mama mid importation. lie then sold "Turn
oei naoshogre insa ; be Is always reedy, and his men
are Dover &salt." After hosoarable servile of some 33
ware Ito begin his last campaign that was tom de..
r. Negates sartiesses, sad few things sea inset,
We sight days beesemet LIMA to Cewspoge,eya Twang
tear victoria In Whose many day; his tent& "Irides
across the mon legion, blistered by the heats olin
Indian hie eamessioa of rigid and over.
megassiire allmg diem did be wee the In*