The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-07
CHRISTIAN WORK IN THE ARMY.
some Incidents in the Experiences of
Y. Nc. A. Secro.

9""ie incidents in the ExDcrience oF
y VI. c. a. Secretary.
EDITOR Morning News: Perhaps II win
De OF interest to the readers of vour na-
per 10 know little of the work thar was
done among the soldier boys at the vari-
Gus I. NJ c. A. tents among the regi-
ments camped here ana elsewhere bv the
christian workers. About Aug. 1 was
teleSraphed to come to New York bv The
international committee Of the Y. NJ G
A, and was at once sent to Camp Wlkoff.
at Montauk Point where l remained til
the boys were sent from there to Hunts
Vliie' Ala. The personal experience of the
lew weeks there 1 shall never forget. and
1t VIII not be till the dark and mysterious
clouds of earth have developed in the
grandeur and splendor of that New Jeru-
salem, toward which we are all looking.
that we will know the full extent of this
Wohdertul soul-saving work When we
shaIl see face to face those with whom
we nave spent hours of prayer and Md
hlsht meditation, when they as il were
on the very verge of despair being
Drought to full realization OF their help
less condition, have, through the
efforts of the Christian workers, been
Drought within the reach of the saving
Po"gI Oh coos tender love, and have gone
on their way rejoicing.
shall never forget my first nights ex-
perlence at Camp Wikoff, and the first dav
there, which was a Sabbath. reached
Mohtauk Point at night, and had two
mlle walk out through the sand I'm tbA
darkness to the camp reaching there
ABOUT midnight, and not knowing a living
SOU on the island. l soon found tent
"here one of the Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries
was nearly TO the top round of sleepy
ladder, but gladly came down and exten1
ed to me the hand of Christian felowsbin
remarking at the same, "Bless The
Lord, you are here at last We have bean
looking for you for four days" After
spending my first night in the little tent
of camp life, ] arose the next nornino
and for the first time cast my ewes unon
the camp OF 5000 men. The feeling. that
came over me then ] shall never forget
l reported to headquarters tent ana ,va.
told that as it was Sunday they vonI1
give me the day to rest and get refrosbod
FOR the work, as l had then been ON the
road two days and nights. AT 10 o'clocl,
however ] was instructed to take the bove
OF the Eighth Infantry and 20 from toni
to tent and invite them to the Y. M @
tent TO hear DR.. Dixon of New York ,nd
at the same time to give out to the bows
books with which | was loaded down
started on my mission, and had only
reached the fourth tent In line when +
heard the sobs and weeping voice of one
of the boys. 1 pulled back the side Of The
tent and there on the ground Law one Of
the soldiers weeping as if his heart wolIld
break. My own heart went out for bino
and sitting down by his side I asked the
poor fellow what was the matter with
him With burned cheeks he Looked
up in my face and told me he was sick
and wanted to see his mother. did an 7
could to comfort and cheer him. Affar
trying to cheer him / left him to await
the arrival of some pen TO whom I re-
ported the matter, and he was taken to The
hospital, and on the following Thursday
he was sleeping In that little graveyard
out on the hill back of the hospital but
not until your humble servant had plead-
ed with him at a throne OF grace, and lad
pointed him to his mothers God.
Following on along the row Of tents 7
came to one where / found another of the
boys very sick, lying on the bottom of tho
cent with pair Of shoes and some small
blocks of wood in a bag for pillow for
his fever-burning head to rest upon
went back to the Y. NJ. c. A. tent ana got
an armful of small pillows the kind-heart-
ed ladies had made to give to the sick
boys, and gave him two of them and tried
to cheer him as best l could. After prav-
ing with him l went on my way. Thus INV
first day Of camp life was spent and these
are only two of the little acts OF kind
ness the workers of the Army Y. M. c. A.
are and have been doing from the first
In the evening I was called upon TO sneak
10 a thronged tent full OF eager men. and
after presenting the gospel TO them IN a
plain, simple way as the spirit directed.
sixty-seven men arose and asked us 10
pray for them. Many and many a night
have I stood in the tents and seen from
fifty to 100 men standing and requesting
prayer, and many poor fellow have I
knelt with hand in hand, while the burning
tears of repentance blinded his eyes. and
prayed that God would just, there and
then, make him a new creature in Christ.
This, my dear friends, has been nv OK
perience during the past five months. and
it is the experience of every secretary
whose heart has been in the work in the
Army Y. NJ. c. A. Let me say, in clos
ing, that God has laid up in His bounte-
Gus storehouse of grace the very richest
blessing by it to be bestowed upon the
good and noble Christian ladies of Savan-
nah for the untiring efforts and willing
way they have helped TO make the stay
Of the boys here one never to be forgotten.
and God himself viii richly reward Them.
II. A. Howell,
Army Secretary /. M. c. A.