Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-11-01
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! THE ARMY CHAPLAIN !
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lie CAME up-country one day, when
the hot weather VS. beginning |
to take charge OF the souls Of some
GOO human beings.
He made a quaint figure as he stood
beside the river steamer in the cruel
binding heat, waiting for the Burman
coolies to take his baggage up the
sand bank to the transport cart. The
large white sun-helmet had ludicrous
effect above the thin, freckled face
and the short body; the loosely-ftting
duck suit seemed only to show ur
more clearly the slopng shoulders and
narrow chest. Certainly not man
to impress one favorably at first sight;
and it did not take the station long tc
agree that his social qualifications
were in keeping with his appearance.
He was the guest of the regiment on
the night of his arrival, and sat in the
place of honor on the coloneps right
The colonel heaved an obvious sigh OF
relief when we rose, and, the guest
was handed over TO be entertained by
us.
We tried for many nights to make
something Of him, for we were a regi'
ment with a reputation for giving a
happy home to strangers within our
gates, and we felt for once that we
were turning out a failure.
He was not a success in the pulpit
either; his best friends-if he ever had
any-could not have called him a bril-.
liant preacher. The sermons he read
certainly must have been his own, they
were so intensely uninteresting.
Tommy Atkins may not have strong
religious inclinations, but he is very
much a human being, and once he Is
your friend there are infinite possibili.
ties. On the strength of polite but
forcible hint, the padre made feeble
attempt to enter into barrack-room
life. The men bore it more or less pa
tiently for a time, but soon began to
shun him like the plague, or sham
sleep when he caught them In the
bungalow.
The hot weather had been worse
than usual, and had been sickly sea-
son; and in the middle of 1t cholera
had come to strain tense nerves to
breaking point, The men, ordinarily
so easy to deal with, were getting out
of hand, and acts Of insubordinatio
were cropping up daily, which neither
kindness nor punishment seemed able
to repress. 1t eventually eliminated
through the padre.
Private Loxton, of company c, had
been brought before the commanding
officer, and punished for disorderly
conduct in church. The following
Sunday, the padre, with culpsble want
of tact, leveled a portion of his SER
mon at the offender, who sat there sui
len from his punishment. Private
Loxton laughed out loud. There was
nothing for il but further punishment,
and Private Loxton went to the al
ready well-flled cells. On the day Of
his release, the color sergeant went,
with troubled untenance, to his cap
tain.
BEG y'r pardon, sir, don't quite
like the looks of things in the company.
There's Loxton, and Smithers, and
Brown, and one or two more, always
whispering together, and shutting up
when I go near. treat them as ten
DERBY as | can. sir, but it's no use; and
l think there's mischief brewing"
Merrall thought for minute.
'I'll tell you what, color sergeant;
send Loxton round to ny bungalow
with a note this evening, and I'll have
a quiet. friendly sort of chat with him,
and see what I can do. He used to be
a decent enough chap, III his rough
way, until lately
But Private Loxton had made his
own arrangements for that evening,
and had set off, with rife and ammu-
milton, to practice at the range. And
shortly afterward the padre started
for a Lonely evening stroll In the
jungle.
Before he had gone far he heard
the sound of some one running fast
behind him, and turned round, mildly
wondering how anyone could find en-
ergy enough to run. Private Dawkins
saluted, gasping and perspiring.
"The color sergeant saw you, sir, and
sent me to say as Private Loxton ave
took is rife for the range, but e 'asn't
gone to the ra ege, sir. 'E's gone some
where in that bit o. jungle, and e said
e was going to do for some O. the or
fcers, and ed do for you, too. I've got
to go for the adj'tant now"
Private Dawkins saluted again, and
was gone. Even in that sweltering
heat cold sweat broke out on the
padre. He walked off very quickly
after Private Dawkins; then he
stopped. hesitated, turned and walked
back again very slowly to the spot he
started from; then he stopped again,
and thought.
! To most men comes, some time, their
opportunity, and he recognized that
| his had come. Somewhere in the belt of
! Jungle. which seemed so much nearer
now, a man was waiting to go to per-
dition, body and soul; and not only
that. but he meant to hurry to judg-
ment other souls, no better prepared,
perhaps, than his own. The padre
pulled himself together with a little
SILVER, and, throwing back his narrow
shoulders, stepped out for the jungle
as firmly as he could. He had always
been a sensitive ugly duckling, and
that had been sufficient to make his
life miserable, without the girl at home
toming into it. He remembered, with
a sense OF shame, how she had only
laughed at him, and tried TO hide her
laughter. That was why he was out
in Burma and he wondered what she
would say when she heard ne was dead
so soon, and how he died. He wished,
with the first feeling of pride he had