The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1922-08-15
$50 A MONTH A LIVING wAcEg
BUT THEY WERE SOLDIERS

BUT THEY WE'RE SOLDIERS
He never did have any money. The
American soldier in the army during
the war, "A spendthrift," you will
say. You are wrong. How could a
fellow be spendthrift on thirty
three month and part of that GO
ing home each month for the wife
and Riddles? Wife and Riddles had
to live in spite of the war. And in
spite of the soaring war prices a
mere pittance from the government
plus half of the $33 a month must
keep soldiers family alive. They
we're relatives of our soldiers and
had lots of glory, but glory did not
buy food OF coal or pay the doctor
or pay the rent. Lots of noise and
parades and sweaters and Christmas
packages. but still that didn't make
$33 a month any more than 1913 a
month. There was many a heart
ache which was carried all through
the war hidden beneath the o. d.
blouse. The chaplain heard few
of these and his heart bled, but there
were thousands which he never did
hear Many little wife with set
smiling face knew the sleepless night,
fear for her man overseas and fear
for the children and the flu. But her
letters told of everything fine, but
we miss you" to the man waiting
for the letters in the trenches and
she smiled as she caught the falling
tears, for everything was not fine,
and she hoped against hope that her
man would not be wounded or killed
or disabled for life.
Thirty-three dollars a living wage?
No But they were soldiers.
The Northern Baptist convention
made a cut of rs per cent on all its
mission work for the coming year
and Southern Baptist brotherhood
forgets its promise to God and says, |
God, l promised you the $75,0OO,OOO
on a certain date, but ] must pay the |
grocer and the banker and all the !
rest and then six months later I'll
see if | can't pay you what owe |
you" And we sing: Like an army |
we are marching" And we are tell
ing these four million boys that they
are lost without Christ (and they
are) and a smile comes to the face
Of the soldier boy. He can't be the
Christ we saw in Flanders whom
these folks worship for that Christ
made us willing to fight at $33 a
month for a cause" They don't
know the first thing about sacrifice.
No, it's some other Christ or else
hey would be bigger. That Christ
was a big Christ" So the mind OF
The soldier speaks to the church
members of our country. A minister
gets a call to "a new field and the
irst question he asks: What is the
salary?" I'm one myself and have
heard them in my study and else
where. The graduating class at the
;eminaries ask: How much do you
oay?" That theological Hedging has
been most fortunate who pulls down
he biggest salary, Once again
know because ! was, too, in semi
nary not so many years ago. Never
4 question about how big an oppor-
unity does the field offer, except on
rare occasions Can l do the big
,est work for Christ here or there?
Is our religion big enough to chal-
enge the soldier? ! didn't ask If
Christ's religion is? OF course it is.
asked if our is. Let's not sing:
Onward, Christian Soldiers" Let's
urn and sing: Am ! a Soldier of the
CROSSE"
A soldier of Jesus Christ? Perhaps.
S33 a month living wage? No. But
hey were soldiers.-C. M. Thompson,
IT., Casper, Wyoming.