The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-06-20

CONSIDERED by the war department. II
/ measure up TO the physical require
ments, / shall, / am sure, receive this
appointment, But if / fail in this,
then I shall follow the other course;
that is, grant the request of the war
council of the Y. M. c. A. to 60 soon
to France as a secretary of the Y.
M. c. A. So you see, if either course
is followed, my relations with you as
pastor viii be severed. | have chosen
the ehaplaincy first because l feel
that some one who would be just as
competent, if not more so, to become
a Y M. C. A. worker could not be-
come chaplain, perhaps. AS a
chaplain | feel that : caa render my
country my best service.
| thought it but fair to you, my
dear friends and fellow-workers that
/ this morning make known to you
my plans, in order that you may at
once begin to meet the conditions
which are going to arise when my
work as your pastor is finished. As
hard as it is for me to make the re-
quest, | nevertheless make it, that
you may see proper to release me as
soon after the first of next month
as possible-perhaps after the first
Sunday. | have agreed to hold some
meetings during the month of July,
and it is my wish to fill these en-
gagements if not called into actual
service before that time. If you do
not feel that you wish to take final
action upon my resignation this
morning, the matter might be con-
sidered later. have done at least
what / thought it was my duty to
do; that is, to let YOU know my plans,
and to let you all know about them
at the same time and in meeting as
sembled.
/ realize, of course, that the work
of the preacher is a most important
one indeed during these trying times,
and that the enthusiasm of the church
or churches to which he ministers
should be kept at the highest point
possible. Verify, there is something
for the preacher to do at home. His
burdens are a hundred times heavier
now than before the war But per-
haps some preacher who cannot pos
sibly enter the service as / am plan
ming to do, can fill my place here as
well as |, if not better,
Many wonderful tomorrows have
faced the world Of ours as it has
moved, many times heart-broken and
sad, along the varied course of the
centuries. But it seems to me that
the tomorrow which is facing the
world now is unlike any into whose
great, deep bosom of mystery this
world has ever gazed We know not
what tomorrow may bring forth. We
walk by fai,n. A new world is no
doubt in the making; and we all
trust that out Of all the horror and
oloodshed of this present time there
may come new order, that there may
burst upon this disturbed world
The healing glow Of a renewed civ
glow so tender and pure
that all the tears may be melted away
from the eyes Of those who remain,
and all the heartaches of those who
nave suffered may be forever forgot
zen. | am ready to plunge into the
debris Of all the uncertainty and
leath; am ready to enter the valley
If war, to suffer, to serve my fell
ows and make them stronger of
soul; / am ready to do my part to
1rirG to its fullest realization the civ
lization for which the world bleeds--
! now endangered civilization, if you
please.
what are you doing there ?" asked
/ visitor of workman who was as
'isting in the erection Of a great
II am working for two
and a half dollars day." the work
nan replied. To another the visitor
asked the same question, to which |
ie replied: Il am trying to cut this
stone so it will fit the blue print
here" And to a third workman the
yisitor asked the same question. The |
'eply of this workman was: ri am
.rying to do my part to help build |
hat great building there" / want
% do my part in the establishment |
# the new order; ! want to do some
hing toward the defense of our en-
langered civilization.
am happy in this decision. Myl
'oul finds a sweet satisfaction. III
count not my life dear unto myself. |
Ny heart, my life, my all are given
% my country and to my God. II
AN follow no other course.
Very sincerely, your pastor,
CHARLES r. WAUFORD