Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-11-22

ho"eiJ udHQS anu ora IaSnlOne0 ma
chinery. 1t may have more to do with
you than you think possible.
The Chaplain, like every one beside,
soon falls into some routine. At tpicket,
at camps, in tent and hospital, on the
march and at rest, there is round of
duties which are not tasks because he
loves with the intensity Of 4 comrade
his noble parish. Such stalwart, manly
soldiers he did not expect to find Then
they are so orderly, SO respectful, so
generous. so earnest. that he wishes TO
Know each one, and tell them how much
he would do for them Sometimes he
watches the Captains almost with feel
ing Of lodging to lead those brave men
into the battle, and win for them and
with them name. He would love to
show the sincerity of his devotion and
the warm impulse of his affection, and
prays that he may be so resolute and
strong in the day of trial, that men may
know that if he endures some things
they would resent and does not rail at
his isaecusers, "a man'sa man fora that. :"
A gentIemanly Christian soldier is the
bravest, noblest man on the earth, is his
constant watchword But with the
present he is satisfied. with his unseen
'bors in the camp st:e,;s, in the guard
tent. and hospital. His pen, too, must
not grow rusty, or his ink very dry. for
anxious mothers send by nearly every
mail affectionate secret inquiries. Then
he is deli GIFTED to send home good news.
hat Henry is not in the hospital. that
John does not gamble. and that little
Willie, the drummer, has found his
knapsack. He Will be happy to 90 for
tt e mail, and feel so proud a. the intel
ligenre Of ''his boys that the seven
hundred letters they send, and the sixty
pounds of mail matter they receive, grow
light. For what iuducement should IA
hapny home and quiet study with maya
zines, and the clean white note paper be
forsaken, or why the delights of travel
and the intercourse with congenial
spirits be denied ,ne's self, that all
alone through the dark woods the STUN
bling horse may carry his burden, and
the great rAai bag he held on the front
of the saddle with both hands, nness
there is Il hiY her aim and il more exaI-
ted calling, to which this is but the
smallest shadow.
Then Sabbath comes To day the
Chaplain is not more busy or more use
!ul than yesterday, but it is in another
way The regiment march out into
some quiet place. 1t may be the hill
side, or some valley over which the
trees swing their hou"hs, and the
crickets respond in the tre e-tops to the
singers, like some old cathedral service
Then, as all repeat the Lords Prayer,
nr the baud play the opening voluntary.
it seems like worShiping God indeed
sitting by companies OH the grass. like
the disciples beyond Jordan. They
ORR three sides uf square or cone, in
C user groups about the two drums which
;nrm the desk, as they gathered about
Hhrysostom in the ulden time There
IS simplicity IL ,out it not inappropri
ate to the occasion. No one is com
PEELED to attend. much less to listen; but
their eyes cling to the speaker, or. half
ashamed to betray any interest, and half
I" "'1'h dp 'hSIi uCn pCSItioi, ihCy tuI u
the attentive ear and gaze vacautIy out
over the fed, All! they have the old
feeling OF home. when in the days of
childhood they sat in the old-faShioned
church listening to the drnwsy hum OF
the bees, and the song OF the birds in
The summer afternoon, coming in
through the opened window. Then
,ha l,ct ,p,rtl. M E;u,1ua.. .nj ,I,,;,a
are lemembered-the plain admonition
sinks deeply. How they have changed
since then! But now they 90 back to
their tent more thoughtful, and the
prayer Of childhood goes up silently,
when the head falls ON the knapsack
and the blanket lies on the hard ground
Where are the gentle hands that used
t, tuck in the clothes SO kindly? But
there is another hand less nelr, but still
full of sympathy, which has cast the
branch of peace into the March Of their
trials
My good friend, if you think of be-
coming a chaplain, do not regard the po-
silion as bark with which you may
glide smoothly and dreamily down the
stream of time; but as "a field of combat
for which you must forge on tn anvil
Of patience the armor Of stole, and
temper it with Christian resignation. la
boriug all day long earnestly, soberIy
and faithfully, assured that if the place
seems idle to some, and discouraying to
others. and full of thorns to others, yet.
in this fuInance Of trial. heated seven
times hotter than usual, to faith, hope
and charity a fourth will be present,
even the Master Then hope for your
reward in the grateful look Of the sick,
as their eyes follow you about the hos
pital, in the light which rekindles at
your coming in the eyes of the dying, in
the pray Of mothers whose sons YOU
50 much love, and, more than all, in the
silent benedictions Of him who knows
your laborS of faith. your Influence, your
zeal for your Off err, your governments
and your God-beueulctions which fall
as qHtetly AS the approval OF the Publ
eau from the rauks OF the shining ones,
through the arches OF the temple.
wniie the more powerful Phlrisee heard
nothing sne the sighs and confessions.
Then you will think yourselves the
hapl lest OF men and the songs in the
night of your comfort will not be de
Protundis, but "uloria in Excelsis;
and all day long, in your labors, will
sound the quiet words, Sick and in
prison, and ye visited me-
Ie cloister shades and scholastic cells!
ye wise teachers, sitting in the Acropo-
lis OF our New England schools, send
only your noblest to wreste with IL
Captains labors. Comprised by SO
great a cloud Of witness, pressed by so
many enemies, how shall the angel of
peace leave his blessing, if one fail in