South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-18

for passage all the way across
the Atlantic and all they have to do
Is 10 give me an hours notice and
I shall be ready 20 co."
Doctor Enjoys Work.
have enjoyed my weeks mission
and the opportunity Of meeting the
men i'm this great camp. Each day
/ have preached or lectured once.
tW.ce or three times 10 audiences of
men who have crowded every place
where i have gone We had hoped
20 hold before leaving Gievres. a SER
vice in every one OF the sixteen Y.
NJ. g. a. huts. but nave found this
impossible, as the men in some huts
where we went the first part Of our
week compelled us to yield to an
invitation TO return the later part
of the week for a second song serv-
ice followed by sermon or lecture.
Whether IL is song service. sermon
or lecture. We have 10 record that
the men show the keerest apprecia-
ton. Again and yet again. have we
witnessed during the past few days.
three hundred or more men rise to
their feet or come forward TO the
platform in response 20 a Gospel ap-
peal that they dedicate themselves
TO Christ.
The other evening 1 had a unique
. experience. ] held "A service i'm a
huge hut near which are camped
900 cOlorod soldiers. most of them
being from the south. J looked out
over the greatest sea of black faces
that l have ever gazed upon. The
colOred secretary in introducing me
and calling the meeting to order
/ said Now. boys, / want you to take
off your hats and stop smoking as
we are going TO have a religious
service We have with US tonight
two very honorable and distinguish
ed gentlemen, DR.. Rittenhouse, sin
ger from Virginia and DR.. Gardiner,
preacher from Indiana. These two
gentlemen will now entertain US"
Soldiers Sing Well.
DR.. Ritsenhouse led them in sing
ing a few songs as When he Roll
is Called Up Yonder. I'll Be There, "
and they lid sing and sing well.
Then upon invitation the colored
secretary, who has a fine tenor
Voice. led without any instrument
accompaniment, that great throng Of
black men in singing a song ! had
never heard before. entitled when
the World is on Fire" and they
surely sang as if they believed it was
now on fire.
Then the tune was changed and
the fine tenor voice Of the colored
secretary started 10 sing that beauti-
ful old Negro melody. Swing Low
Sweet Chariot" in which every black
man heartily Joined Picture that
scene if you can. Those hundreds of
cOlOred men had just received the
word that soon they were TO start
for the land of their birth, the land
where ever since their childhood
they had heard that tuneful and
soulful old song. And now with the
thought of home and homeland
upon them, they, without a book,
without accompaniment sang, per
haps with more fervor than they
had ever sung before
swing low. sweet cnariot.
Comm a fore to carry me
home.
looked ober Jordan, and what
did 1 see
COMM fore to carry me
home
A band Of angels a-comin after
me.
Comin-a for to carry me
home"
have heard minstrel and jubilee
companies sing that enchanting old
southern melody. but not as that sea
of black men sang it that night
shall never forget the look on their
faces. Had they been whit folks 1
would say that their countenances
lishted up with a marvellous hallow.
/ shall, therefore, not say that but
we do aver that the eyes of those
black men sparkled and glowed in
the dim light of that great hut.
Lost Spiritual Meeting.
Nor do i believe that the mass OF
them were thinking of the spiritual
meaning Of the song. To them the
angels" were Uncle Sans great
ships Jordan" was the Atlantic
ocean and house" was not the
Fathers house of many mansions.
but the dear ola southland, where
they would be welcomed by their
| loved ones.
And with the spell OF home upon
them. I brought 10 them "a message
of home, Of country and of God.
on Wednesday evening at Z
O'Clock held a service at hut 10 in
the air section. When ] was intro
duSed by the secretary as coming
from South Bend Indiana. the great
crowd broke out i'm singing India
ma" From the volume of singing
we were almost led 20 believe that
every man IN that big isut was from
the Hoosier statf, A test made, how.
ever. did reveal the fact that over
twenty-five per Cenl. came from Cur
great state. They evidently had
taught their fellow soldiers how to
sing and appreciate the song In
diana"
I regretted much that I had 10
leave this hut Immediately after the
service 10 go TO hut ., where I was
due 20 speak az $50. as il did not