The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-09

/ Soui silile III way tIldl SueS 10 goIi
/ heart
My service on Sunday night was in the
Gospel tent" al the quarters of the First
{ Maine and the Fifty-secoud Wisconsin. Il
/ was enough to thrill any preachers soul
( 20 look into The faces of that large consre-
( cation of stalwart, manly fellows They
/ sang with the heartiness Of college boys.
/ And when the quartet Of the Fifty-second
| Wisconsin stood up together 10 sing Rock
/ Of Ages" l said to myself. while tears
I filed my eyes: There is not; there cannot
/ be. in any city church such ravishingiy
/ sweet music as these dear fellows are max
4 ing There was enough light in the tent
| to see how many strong faces were fixed
i IN silent attention while the sermon was IN
/ progress And all around the big pavilion,
l could catch glmpSes of many more who
could not get in. And when the lasI word
had been said, great company of them
/ came forward to say kind things about the
/ services and to receive with smiles and
! tears a few words of affecuonate counsel.
! Mr.. Editor, if any hearts are fainuug be-
/ cause OF the awful decisions from evan
! geiical faith which show themselves IN
! high places, lei them come TO the young
! men who are giving their all TO the service
/ of their country, and they will soon see
| that ii is the old Gospel" pure and simple
! that can satisfy and comfort.
! The announcement of my connection with
/ the University of Georgia having been
/ made by one Of the secretaries Of the
| Young Mems Christian Association, sever
| al college men in the ranks came up 10
/ claim fellowship on that ground. one fine,
/ manly fellow, who looked as though he
| might have been center rush on the foot
! ban team, whispered with evident pleas
/ ure: My diploma from the University Of
/ Maine has been sent 10 me since l came to
Camp Thomas l was told of a college
! professor in a neighborng regiment who
/ had shouldered his rife; and in another a
! Presbyterian minister is serving in a com
! pany commanded by the barber who at
/ home was wont TO shave him Surely, after
| such day strange thoughts kept buzzing
! through the preachers brain, especially
| when he recalled the familiar scenes of the
civil war when men of this sort were pitted
against one another in mortal combat.
! Last night, 1 was sent in the place of
! Maj. White who is not at all well TO the
| First Georgia, the colonel of which is
near kinsman of my family, and the chap
/ lain a distant kinsman. A number of the
officers and privates were at one time pu-
| pills of mine in the university. The service
! was greatly blessed. Many noble fellows
/ stood up to acknowledge Christ as their
Savior. Not few asked for an interest in
| the prayers of Chris tians. 1t was deeply
moving to observe how the pious soldiers
would take these inquirers by the hand 10
express affectionate sympathy and in some
| instances where the ties of friendship seem
ed very strong manly arms were thrown
around the dear fellows and tender words
I We're whispered. 1t was a beautiful sight.
| Would that the eyes of the whole country
| could witness it. Tonight l am to speak
to the First South Carolina, and thus L
! shall be speaking no doubt to the sons of
! the old veterans who served with me in
| the Confederate army.
Having thus given you facts as they
have fallen under my own observation,
which seem to show what a boundless field
| of Christian effort God is opening TO His
people, let me ask your consideration Of the
| part taken in this work by the Young
| Mems Christian Association, acting with
| ana through the Army and Navy Chris
| tan Commission. There are now hfty-five
| men on duty in Camp Thomas. There are
| twenty-five Gospel tents" with a seating
/ capacity varying from two to five nun
dred, all over the vast camp among the
/ regiments and brigades. Besides answering
| as places of worship, these paviliOns are
| furnished with writing tables pens, ink,
| paper, and envelopes, to be freely used by
| the men. Postage stamps are kept for sale
| and when the man has no money they, too,
are given to him. Any old soldier who
chances to read these lines can appreciate
| what a comfort these Gospel tents" prove
to the men; and ne alone can fully under
| stand 1t. He has tried TO keep writing pa
per and ink in his knapsack. And he has
/ difficulties. His paper was crushed and
stained. The mucilage on the envelopes
| would become moist and glued. And when
! he tried TO write, what a time he had,
crouched down on the ground and using
/ his knapsack as writing desk. Now all this
| Is changed. The soldier is cordially well
coined into this large tent. He sits down at
a table. Writing materials are set before
him as if he were in some good hotel. In
| this way about sixty thousand sheets of
writing paper are given away every week
| by the Young Mems Christian Associa ton
and the Army and Navy Christian Com
| mission, with 5000 envelopes. l speak of
Camp Thomas alone. Besides the great
comfort to the soldiers and their families
| who receive 5000 letters a week in this
| way, 1900 Gospel Hymn Books have been
! given away at the gospel tents and in the
! hospitals, with thousands of Testaments.
/ colportage library books, tracts, religious
/ newspa pers, etc.
Arrangements are now being perfected
to furnish at the tents free OF cost iced
| water. If your readers could know what
! a luxury this cool water will be TO our
dear boys they would bless the Army and
| Navy Commission for this sweet gift
All day long and far into the night these
! patient fellows may be seen trudging
/ along the roads, ankle deep in the dust
| that rises in dense clouds over the tree
tops, carefully balancing the bucket, or
| perchance loaded like pack-horse with
| cauteens that rattle at every step. If
/ say, good people cou.d see and hear this
as l now See il. they would send nelp by
I the tens Of thousands to Frederick g.
| Schenck, treasurer, West Twenty
| ninth street, New York
Let me not close without making men,
/ ton of the work which Is being done in
the large field hospitals. Five little com
| panies went out this morning each TO a
/ separate hospital 1t was a touching sight
10 see the poor fellows turning their faces
to receive our greetings. The surgeon was
very kind to Us. and sent che hospital
/ steward to introduce us 10 the nurses and
/ patients The SICK men were tender4y as
sured of the sympathy and prayers Of mil
! lions of good peOp.e all over our country
I They were pointed TO The pity ana love Of
1 Cod A brief prayer was offered in every
tent ana we withdrew, leaving a religious
| panor or tract for each man. 1t would
I repay you for coming all the way from
New York to mis- parched and dusty camp.
just to see the grateful looks on their faces
al