Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-23

Il
advisor therefor. But how could one
man hold close spiritual touch with
$500 others? The bugle blows for
| church every Sunday morning and the
chaplain breaches a little sermon to
empty benches usually instead OF
soldiers. That Is about all there is to
it.
There Is in a certain infantry regt-
ment 4 rough old captain an impetu-
GUS, erratic, do-it-now kind OF chap;
but with q heart as big as his head,
man so big and brave and generous
I than any one Of his $50 men would
give their right arms for him any
minute.
This lack Of religious influence has
been worrying him for some time and
he determined a few weeks ago to try
his hand at getting his men interested
in their spiritual welfare.
Last Sunday morning without con-
sulting anybody in advance he in
structcd his sergeant in charge OF the
company street to go down the line OF
tents, pull all the men out Of bed and
require them to come to the company
mess hall, for church." as he put 1t.
The sergeant in charge "a big rough
| Irishman) was amazed. He had been
In that company for two years and
nothing like II had ever occurred be-
fore. No reveille was observed last
Sunday morning and consequently
many fellows were lying on their cots
at s o'clock in the morning serene In
their confidence of a mornings extra
sleep.
Being Il good soldier and knowing
that il was his business to obey orders
without question, the big Mick started
down the line Sunday morning to get
'em out, and he did:
| "Be-gosh, git up and out o tn hay
the shippers turned preacher and Is
| gointcr tell you -- NUTS about
| YOU cussedness this mawnin'." he In
formed each squad as he entered the
tents and turned cots and occupants
wrong side up.
The men Of that company didn't
know what to make Of It. They were
| yexed of course but the fact that the
| captain was going to preach was
something so entirely new that they
| wouldn't have missed 1t for anything
and the captain -parson had a full
| congregation. even the COOKS ana
kitchen police knocking or long
enough to listen to what was going on
It wasn't any ilowery talk that the
"aptain made to them. He didn't talk
very long but on the other hand II was
brief and to the piont.
you men don't know it," he said'
"but I have had letters from the
mothers of most Of you asking that l
see to 1t that you go to church every
Sunday.
There isn't but one way for me
| 10 see to 1t and that Is to do little
preaching myself to you and l am
/ going to do it from now on.
II
"Some of these days you are goins
into the melee over there and its
time you were getting close TO your
God. Many OF you are so careless ana
thoughtlcss you never would do 1t un-
less YOU were forced to do so, ana
am going to do just that to you.
ANY Of you who say you don't De-
lieve in God Almighty is a - liar
and know it and you know it.
"All right, that is about all nave 10
say this time: Sergeant -, II you
haven't forgot 1t; lead in singing the
23rd psalm.
"I am not going to call on any OF
YOU men to pray this morning b: l
will do so next Sunday.
And by the way, the soldier that
Is caught in bed next Sunday morning
at o'clock is going to get weeks $
confinement to quarters.
II am going to look after you lei-
lows as your mothers have asked me
to do. I am Jas. ~ "riS''