The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-23

" ~cSNkoaJ WuCA iiC tdihCu tO iuO aDOat our boys lover there.a Gypsy Smith, the world renowned evangelist, whom the British government has sent to us with ringing. stirring message Gypsy Smith, who for the past three years has given his heart and soul
 to the work of spreading joy and cheer among our men in the trenches.
 Standing his sturdy height, in his khaki
 uniform, rugged. optimistic, buoyant, he
 presents striking exponent of the type
 Mems Christian association desires ito
 work with this big organization with our
 soldiers s.over there"
 His face wears the furnished livery
 of the Indian sun; his eyes beneath
 heavy eyebrows rove with tender, kindly
 sympathy searching the fieart of man
 with a terrible power--but with heal
 ing, never wounding touch-just IS
 you and I have heard him from the plat
 form lay bare the soul But you do not
 shudder at the revelation hardly are you ashamed--only 1t seems that the se- ,cret has vanished with the light, and that you are whole. Aye, lays bare the
 secret of the soul with that matchless voice of his-a golden voice of rare range and beauty of tone, that never passes into mawkish sentiment on the one hand or hysterical excess on the. other-the perfect instrument of tenn perament both sensitive and reflective.
 A PERFECT WONDER MAN
 Talking with this wonder man--who is more legend than a man, legend uni- versal in appeal--you realize that he owes his great influence not only to an cleo tric personality, but an indisputable ge- nius His presence gives a sense of se- ctirity and power. There IS something about him that makes the men feel brave-if not brave, at least strong.
 Gypsy Smith has the magic that I fancy Napoleon must have had over the minds of men, although in different way; the apocalyptic fervor with which Cromwell fired them. and the swift in- stinct by which Charles XII assured them of victory.
 Gypsy Smith carries with him the sun shine of Gods presence; the south wind and the breath of flowers; no matter what the role, with him, it is always May; the world is young and sweet; the dew is on the blossom-the lark is carol ling above
 It is not surprising that this wonder man mas GdFIltu lO oui Ndiidht ooitiSA boys lover there, glad tidings of good and joy to the hearts of the discouraged and oftimes down. hearted men in the trenches; for, added to his arresting personality IS another quality seldom meta marvellous talent nay. genius-for friendship; simple in and tastes, happy in the low Hest company or ready to give out his treasu to the most classic. Gentle ha Chain the IaZV on wid a stick" but he has "the way l wid him''-the winning comradeship that l would make even 8 rebulse irresistible!
 And to those soldier men ''over there Gypsy Smith has carried q very precious | healing touch of the | spirit that ministers to the mind-that | sense of ..the large experience of life | sven in the midst of wars grim havoc. 1
 GYPSY SMITHS POWER
 And how does he do this? I'll tell you: | Joh,a stuart Mill said, somewhere, One | ,erson with a belief Is a social power ,auaI to 99 persons who have only in crest There, again, is the secret of | 5ypsv Smiths influence; the conscious f of unseen help; the Mosaic light of the Invisible, which IS tnet strength of the religious character, giv- ng him steadfastness of purpose and ] dignity of bearing which no stress | Ntf~ 
 Gypsy Smith, brilliantly as he preach $. is the man of action simply, sol ier--a fighter---who loves notRing bet CT than to be in the firing line, in he battles either of war or peace, and shen the records are made of this Ioody Strife now hanging OCT all the world, his name will be written big in Il he hearts of many a soldier lad lover ; here" e"--because he carried to them the ne supreme need of the hour--cour- 
 And this is the burden of his song to s--a song sung by a voice speaking ut of the shadows
 A voice far up beside the sun l.
 Where sound and warmth and glory
 Are melted all in one.- mich bids us know, that in these dire avs there is no place for pettiness or ( cerbities or wranglings or little per- ( only for tenderness and ( entleness and cheer for our boys in ( haki lover there"
 Listen to what he says: le
 "Within three months 1 took my is message to American mothers, travel ' nE 10000 miles, visiting Fl states, 56 [ ities and speaking to over 100000 peo- s le my audiences averaging something Ike s.253 persons In my travels l hap T ened to be in Cincinnati on a Liber- [ y Loan day, and while that city had | one over the top, still at d meeting [ hat evening the mayor decided that z ney ought to do more. The gentleman Q 'ho introduced me said he'd give 50,000; some one else gave large | um and then some one said: I'll give 8 2500 is Gypsy Smith will sing us a | ong.' I arose and replied that l never I ,ng for less than $1O,oo0; it was fl romptly given and I sang three verses, hich brought $12.500."
 MESSAGES OF CHEER T plead with American mothers to spd message of happiness and cheer" : g continued, ito their boys and now what l am talking about; I have : cen there with them and I know their E eeds; the blackest depths of hell could ! ardly be worse than what they live . rough and nothing but sweetness !. louad be wafted to them"
 1T Americah mothers feel that their ! ! oss IS heavy and hard to bear,n Gypsy 1 ? nith continued, ''let them think for 2 ie moment of the mothers of Britain, h rance, Serbia. Belgium Italy and Mon ' negro. On last Friday the American s lsuaities up to date were 2,UvO and 1 1 Q ank God they are no more; the British 1 g sualties since the war began are y0O.uU0 t more than one boy to every home And D en let us think of the poor Russian 1 S others-their boys given and then be- i. ayed by traitors and sold for filthy cre. Ii. You know some people are never t