,,the ,,comrade ,,in ,,white   ,by ,the 
,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,leathem1 ,m4 ,a4         
,introduction ,by ,hugh ,black     ,i   
shall not fear the battle   ,if ,thou   
art by my side4    #aiaf                
,,introduction  ,the ,great ,war has put
 a strain on the resources of human     
nature1 as well as on material          
resources4 ,men who have come through   
the hell of the trenches have discovered
 some of the secrets of life and death4 
,many of them have known a reinforcement
 of spiritual power4 ,it is quite       
natural that this fact should often be  
described in emotional form as direct   
interposition of angels and other       
supernatural agencies4 ,among these the 
most beautiful and tender stories are   
those of ,the ,comrade in ,white4 ,in   
essence they are all testimony to the   
perennial fount of strength and comfort 
of religion--the human need which in all
 generations has looked up and found    
,god a present help in times of trouble4
  ,the origin of the many stories       

brought back to ,england from the battle
 fronts by her soldiers is that to the  
average ,briton this a religious        
crusade1 and men have gone with an      
exaltation of soul1 willing to make the 
ultimate sacrifice1 willing to die that 
the world might live4 ,men and women are
 face to face with eternal realities1   
and are driven by the needs of their    
hearts to the eternal refuge4 ,unless we
 see this we miss the most potent fact  
in the whole situation4  ,the tender    
stories in this little volume are a     
reflex of the great religious stirring  
of the nation4 ,they describe in a      
gracious and pathetic way the various   
abysmal needs of this tragic time1 and  
they indicate how many human souls are  
finding comfort and healing and         
strength4 ,they are finding peace as of 
old1 through the assurance that earth   
has no sorrows1 that heaven cannot heal4
  ,,hugh ,,black4  ,,new ,,york4        
,,the ,,white ,,comrade   ,i     ,when  
soldiers of the ,cross waged ,holy ,war1

   ,with courage high1 and hearts that  
did not quail   ,before the foe1 in     
olden times they saw   ,the blessed     
vision of the ,holy ,grail4   ,tho'     
,christ was gone1 ,his pledge was with  
them yet1   ,for1 borne on wings of     
angels1 from the skies1   ,they saw the 
chalice that once held the wine   ,as   
emblem of the ,saviour's sacrifice      
,for men1 and knew that still the       
,master met1   ,with ,his own friends1  
in fellowship divine4   ,,ii     ,christ
 has ,his soldiers now4   ,though years 
have rolled   ,away1 the warriors of the
 ,cross are strong   ,to fight ,his     
battles1 as the saints of old1          
,against oppression1 tyranny1 and wrong4
   ,and still amid the conflict1 they   
can trace   ,the ,saviour's influence4  
,not the ,holy ,grail   ,which once as  
,his remembrance was adored1   ,but     
,christ ,himself is with them4 ,for a   
veil   ,is lifted from their eyes1 and1 
face to face   ,they meet the presence  
of the risen ,lord4   ,,iii     ,o      

blessed vision6 ,after all the years1   
,thou'rt with us yet4 ,to-day1 as       
heretofore1   ,men see ,thee still and  
they cast off their fears1   ,and take  
fresh courage to press on once more4    
,the soldiers1 bearing from the         
desperate fight   ,a wounded brother1   
see ,thee1 in the way1   ,and know ,thee
 for the ,saviour1 ,healer1 ,friend1    
,for once again1 ,thy loved ones hear   
,thee say   7,o ,christ6 ,white         
,comrade1 in their stand for right67    
,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 to the end4  
,fidei ,defensor4     ,,contents   ,i4  
,,in ,,the ,,trenches  ,,ii4       ,,the
 ,,messenger  ,,iii4      ,,maimed ,,or 
,,perfected8  ,,iv4       ,,the ,,prayer
 ,,circle      ,i4 ,,in ,,the ,,trenches
    ,and immediately ,he talked with    
them1 and   saith unto them1 ',be of    
good cheer2 it is ,i2 be   not afraid4' 
--,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to       
,,makk1 chap1 vi3 #ej4    ,and ,his     
raiment was white as snow4    --,,the   
,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,matthew1    

chap4 xvii3 #b4  ,the ,battle of ,mons1 
which saved the ,british ,army from     
annihilation1 was1 for the most of those
 who fought with the angels1 a          
sepulchre4 ,they saved the ,british     
,army1 but they saved it at fearful     
cost4 ,no 'great host' withdrew from    
that field of destruction2 the great    
host strewed the ground with their      
bodies4 ,only a remnant of those who    
stood in the actual furnace of ,mons    
escaped with their lives 444 ,let those 
who mourn1 take encouragement from these
 stories of visions on the battlefield1 
quietly and with a child's confidence1  
cultivate within themselves a waiting1  
receptive and desiring spirit4 ,let them
 empty themselves of prejudice and      
self4444 ,let them detach themselves    
more and more from the obsessions of    
worldly life4 ,serenity is the path by  
which the thoughts of ,god travel to us2
 and ,faith is the invitation which     
brings them to the table of our souls4  
--,,on ,,the ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,angels4

    ,,in ,,the ,,trenches  ,strange     
tales reached us in the trenches4       
,rumours raced up and down that         
three-hundred-mile line from            
,switzerland to the sea4 ,we knew       
neither the source of them nor the truth
 of them4 ,they came quickly1 and they  
went quickly4 ,yet somehow ,i remember  
the very hour when ,george ,casey turned
 to me with a queer look in his blue    
eyes1 and asked if ,i had seen the      
,friend of the ,wounded4  ,and then he  
told me all he knew4 ,after many a hot  
engagement a man in white had been seen 
bending over the wounded4 ,snipers      
sniped at him4 ,shells fell all around4 
,nothing had power to touch him4 ,he was
 either heroic beyond all heroes1 or he 
was something greater still4 ,this      
mysterious one1 whom the ,french called 
,the ,comrade in ,white1 seemed to be   
everywhere at once4 ,at ,nancy1 in the  
,argonne1 at ,soissons and ,ypres1      
everywhere men were talking of him with 
hushed voices4  ,but some laughed and   

said the trenches were telling on men's 
nerves4 ,i1 who was often reckless      
enough in my talk1 exclaimed that for me
 seeing was believing1 and that ,i      
didn't expect any help but an enemy's   
knife if ,i was found lying out there   
wounded4  ,it was the next day that     
things got lively on this bit of the    
front4 ,our big guns roared from sunrise
 to sunset1 and began again in the      
morning4 ,at noon we got word to take   
the trenches in front of us4 ,they were 
two hundred yards away1 and we weren't  
well started till we knew that the big  
guns had failed in their work of        
preparation4 ,it needed a stout heart to
 go on1 but not a man wavered4 ,we had  
advanced one hundred and fifty yards    
when we found it was no good4 ,our      
,captain called to us to take cover1 and
 just then ,i was shot through both     
legs4 ,by ,god's mercy ,i fell into a   
hole of some sort4 ,i suppose ,i        
fainted1 for when ,i opened my eyes ,i  
was all alone4 ,the pain was horrible1  

but ,i didn't dare to move lest the     
enemy should see me1 for they were only 
fifty yards away1 and ,i did not expect 
mercy4 ,i was glad when the twilight    
came4 ,there were men in my own company 
who would run any risk in the darkness  
if they thought a comrade was still     
alive4  ,the night fell1 and soon ,i    
heard a step1 not stealthy1 as ,i       
expected1 but quiet and firm1 as if     
neither darkness nor death could check  
those untroubled feet4 ,so little did ,i
 guess what was coming that1 even when  
,i saw the gleam of white in the        
darkness1 ,i thought it was a peasant in
 a white smock1 or perhaps a woman      
deranged4 ,suddenly1 with a little      
shiver of joy or of fear1 ,i don't know 
which1 ,i guessed that it was ,the      
,comrade in ,white4 ,and at that very   
moment the enemy's rifles began to      
shoot4 ,the bullets could scarcely miss 
such a target1 for he flung out his arms
 as though in entreaty1 and then drew   
them hack till he stood like one of     

those wayside crosses that we saw so    
often as we marched through ,france4    
,and he spoke4 ,the words sounded       
familiar1 but all ,i remember was the   
beginning4 ,if thou hadst known1 and the
 ending1 but now they are hid from thine
 eyes4 ,and then he stooped and gathered
 me into his arms--me1 the biggest man  
in the regiment--and carried me as if ,i
 had been a child4  ,i must have fainted
 again1 for ,i woke to consciousness in 
a little cave by a stream1 and ,the     
,comrade in ,white was washing my wounds
 and binding them up4 ,it seems foolish 
to say it1 for ,i was in terrible pain1 
but ,i was happier at that moment than  
ever ,i remember to have been in all my 
life before4 ,i can't explain it1 but it
 seemed as if all my days ,i had been   
waiting for this without knowing it4 ,as
 long as that hand touched me and those 
eyes pitied me1 ,i did not seem to care 
any more about sickness or health1 about
 life or death4 ,and while he swiftly   
removed every trace of blood and mire ,i

 felt as if my whole nature were being  
washed1 as if all the grime and soil of 
sin were going1 and as if ,i were once  
more a little child4  ,i suppose ,i     
slept1 for when ,i awoke this feeling   
was gone4 ,i was a man1 and ,i wanted to
 know what ,i could do for my friend to 
help him or to serve him4 ,he was       
looking towards the stream1 and his     
hands were clasped in prayer2 and then  
,i saw that he too had been wounded4 ,i 
could see1 as it were1 a shot-wound in  
his hand1 and as he prayed a drop of    
blood gathered and fell to the ground4  
,i cried out4 ,i could not help it1 for 
that wound of his seemed to me a more   
awful thing than any that bitter war had
 shown me4 ,you are wounded too1 ,i said
 faintly4 ,perhaps he heard me1 perhaps 
it was the look on my face1 but he      
answered gently1 ,this is an old wound1 
but it has troubled me of late4 ,and    
then ,i noticed sorrowfully that the    
same cruel mark was on his feet4 ,you   
will wonder that ,i did not know sooner4

 ,i wonder myself4 ,but it was only when
 ,i saw ,his feet that ,i knew ,him4    
,the ,living ,christ--,i had heard the  
,chaplain speak of ,him a few weeks     
before1 but now ,i knew that ,he had    
come to me--to me who had put ,him out  
of my life in the hot fever of my youth4
 ,i was longing to speak and to thank   
,him1 but no words came4 ,and then ,he  
rose swiftly and said1 ,lie here to-day 
by the water4 ,i will come for you      
tomorrow4 ,i have work for you to do1   
and you will do it for me4  ,in a moment
 ,he was gone4 ,and while ,i wait for   
,him ,i write this down that ,i may not 
lose the memory of it4 ,i feel weak and 
lonely and my pain increases1 but ,i    
have ,his promise4 ,i know that ,he will
 come for me to-morrow4     ,,ii4 ,,the 
,,messenger    ,and as they thus spake1 
,jesus himself stood   in the midst of  
them1 and saith unto them1 ,peace   be  
unto you4    --,,the ,,gospel           
,,according ,,to ,,luke1 chap4 xxiv3    
#cf4  ,the ,war has powerfully changed  

the 'psychological atmosphere1' and the 
thoughts of a great multitude are turned
 towards the spiritual aspect of        
existence4 ,in this vast but connected  
universe we are not the only            
self-conscious beings4 ,life is working 
here as elsewhere1 for some sublime     
purpose4 ,the day is at hand when we    
shall turn from the child-like          
amusements and excitements of physical  
science to the unimaginable adventures  
of super-physical discovery2 and in that
 day we shall not only flash our        
messages to the stars1 but hold         
communion with our dead4  --,,harold    
,,begbie4    ,,the ,,messenger  ,the    
,parish ,church stood high perched in   
the ,glen1 and through its clear windows
 we could see the white1 winding road   
that was our one link with the great    
world beyond the mountains4 ,perhaps our
 eyes strayed from the preacher's face  
more than was seemly1 and in spring time
 we had this excuse1 that the fresh     
green of the larches against the dark   

rocks made a picture fairer to the eye  
than our plain old ,church and its high 
pulpit4  ,but that ,sunday in the spring
 of the ,great ,war the minister had us 
all1 even the young and thoughtless1 in 
the hollow of his hand4 ,it was the     
#ahth chapter of ,second ,samuel that he
 had read earlier in the ,service1 and  
now he was opening its meaning to us    
with deep-felt realisation of those     
great dramatic episodes4  ,we saw the   
young man ,absalom die4 ,we saw ,cushi  
start to bear his tidings to the king4  
,we watched ,ahimaaz swift on his track4
 ,we marked the king's anxious waiting1 
and the fixed gaze of the watchman on   
the city walls4 ,we strained in the long
 strain of the runners4 ,we fainted with
 the fears of a father's heart4 ,we saw 
,ahimaaz outrun his rival yet falter in 
his message4 ,and we heard the blow upon
 ,david's heart of ,cushi's stroke4 ,and
 the king said unto ,cushi1 ,is the     
young man ,absalom safe8 ,and ,cushi    
answered1 ,the enemies of my lord the   

king1 and all that rise against thee to 
do thee hurt1 be as that young man is4  
,there were tears in the women's eyes as
 the preacher called us to see the      
stricken and weeping king climbing with 
weary step to the chamber over the gate4
 ,and in a solemn hush we heard the cry 
of his anguish --,o my son ,absalom6 my 
son1 my son ,absalom6 would ,god ,i had 
died for thee4 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my  
son6  ,we had anxious fathers and       
mothers and wives and sisters in the    
,church that day1 and it was as though  
our own sorrows were all gathered up    
into the old1 unhappy1 far-off things of
 which the preacher spoke4 ,i had a dear
 one to be concerned for1 but ,i was    
thinking now of some one else4 ,for     
,widow ,mc,donald was there1 and the    
days had grown into weeks since last she
 had tidings of ,john--and he was her   
only boy4  ,suddenly she rose and       
slipped out4 ,i followed her1 for there 
was an odd1 silent friendship between   
us1 and ,i thought that ,i might help4  

,to my surprise she did not turn        
homewards1 but down the ,glen1 and there
 ,i saw that some one was waiting for   
her by the pine wood4 ,i saw your sign1 
sir1 she said1 and ,i guessed you       
brought news of ,john4 ,oh1 sir1 tell me
 quick1 is he safe8  ,he is safe1 the   
stranger answered4 ,i could not see ,his
 face1 but ,he seemed weary and         
far-travelled4 ,it was ,his voice that  
made me wonder4 ,for as ,he said safe1  
it was as a new word to me1 so full of  
healing and of peace that it laid to    
rest every fear of my unquiet heart4    
,and will he be home soon8 ,it was the  
mother who was speaking now4  ,i have   
taken the dear lad home1 answered the   
stranger4 ,his room has been long       
prepared for him in my ,father's house4 
,he has fought a good fight4 ,he was    
wounded1 but his wounds are healed4 ,he 
was weary1 but he has found rest4 ,and  
so speaking ,he looked at us1 and as the
 mother clasped my hand ,i knew that the
 truth was breaking on her too4  ,he is 

dead1 she sobbed4  ,no1 said the        
stranger1 he is alive1 for he has laid  
down his life that he might take it     
again4  ,there was silence then1 and the
 stranger turned to leave us4 ,even in  
her grief the mourner was mindful of    
what was due to ,him who had taken upon 
,himself the burden of sorrowful        
tidings4  ,come back with us1 and break 
bread1 and rest a while1 she said1 for1 
sir1 you seem spent1 and it is out of a 
kind heart that you have spoken4  ,i may
 not tarry1 ,he made answer1 for there  
are many who need me1 and ,i must go to 
them1 but for thy comfort thou shalt    
first know who hath brought thee tidings
 of thy son's passage through death to  
life4  ,i dare not try to tell what     
happened then under the shadow of the   
pines1 but somehow we knew our eyes     
looked into the face of the soldiers'   
,the ,comrade in ,white2 and we knew    
,him4 ,and then ,his hand was lifted in 
blessing1 and we heard this word1 that  
is now as the music of our daily lives3 

,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i   
give unto you3 not as the world giveth1 
give ,i unto you4 ,let not your heart be
 troubled1 neither let it be afraid4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,we walked in a strange1 calm silence to
 the widow's cottage1 and then as we    
parted she turned to me a face filled   
with heavenly peace--,my dear boy lives1
 she said4     ,,iii4 ,,maimed ,,or     
,,perfected8    ,now no chastening for  
the present seemeth   to be joyous but  
grievous3 nevertheless1 afterward1   it 
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of         
righteousness   unto them which are     
exercised thereby4    --,,hebrews       
xii3#aa4  ,six months passed within the 
danger zone1 produces a subtle but      
marked change4 ,bright lads become men1 
who bear all the marks of having passed 
through a solemn purification by fire4  
,and the subtle influence1 as thus      
depicted1 is communicated to us4444 ,to 
say that the horrors of war have subdued
 and overawed them is but part of the   

explanation4 ,it seems nearer to the    
truth to add1 that these harrowing      
experiences1 whatever they may have     
been1 have only helped to make our young
 men susceptible to spiritual influences
 of the highest quality4 ,in fine1 they 
have been following in the footsteps of 
,him who is ,the ,great ,sacrifice1 and 
even amid the bursting shells have      
caught a glimpse of wounds that         
transform and consecrate their own4     
--,the ,great ,sacrifices1 ,,john       
,,adams4    ,,maimed ,,or ,,perfected8  
,my heart grew bitter in me when the    
news came of ,harry's operation4 ,i had 
been half relieved when ,i heard that he
 was wounded1 and that the wound was not
 dangerous4 ,for the grim alternative   
was seldom out of my thoughts1 and at   
least his dear life was safe4 ,now ,i   
was crushed by the brave1 pathetic      
letter in which he told me that his     
right leg had been amputated1 and that  
he was lucky to get off so easily4 ,that
 made me rebellious and very1 very      

bitter4 ,and it was against ,god that ,i
 felt worst--,god who had allowed this  
unthinkable thing to be4  ,harry a      
cripple6 ,harry of all people6 ,i could 
not imagine it1 nor accept it1 nor even 
face the truth of it4 ,and away at the  
bottom of my heart lurked the thought   
that it had been better for himself that
 he had died in the strength and beauty 
of his manhood4 ,why should his spirit  
be doomed to live on in a ruined home8  
,harry is my only brother1 and he has   
been my hero always4 ,manliness1        
strength1 courage1 unselfishness--,i    
know what these things mean2 they mean  
,harry4 ,and of course ,i was proud when
 he got his double blue at ,cambridge4  
,cricket and football were more than    
pastimes to him4 ,he put his heart and  
soul into them1 and when he made #ajf   
not out against ,oxford he was as happy 
as if he had found a new continent4 ,and
 now the great athlete1 the pride of his
 ,college1 the big clean-limbed giant   
was a cripple4 ,i could not weep for it1

 because ,i could not believe it4 ,i    
took the thought and flung it from me4  
,and then ,i picked it up again1 and    
gazed at it with hard1 unseeing eyes4   
,it was at that time ,i stopped praying4
 ,what was prayer but a mockery1 if     
,harry was maimed8  ,harry was at       
,cairo1 and ,i could not go to him4 ,and
 though that made me feel helpless1 and 
almost mad with inaction1 yet in my     
heart ,i dreaded meeting him1 seeing    
him1 taking in the bitterness of it     
through the eyes4 ,i was a coward1 you  
see1 and my love for him a poor thing at
 the best4 ,but there are some who will 
understand how ,i felt1 and will forgive
 me4  ,his letters were all right1 not a
 word of complaint1 for ,harry never    
grumbled1 and many a good story of the  
hospital and its patients and its staff4
 ,but there was something else1 a kind  
of gentle seriousness as if life were   
different now4 ,and ,i read my own      
misery into that1 and pictured him a man
 devoured by a secret despair1 while he 

smiled his brave undefeated smile in the
 face of all the world4  ,the weeks     
passed1 and ,i braced myself for the    
coming ordeal4 ,then everything came    
with a rush at the last1 and there ,i   
was at the docks giving my brave soldier
 his welcome home4 ,it was not any      
easier than ,i expected4 ,i tried my    
hardest1 as you may guess1 to be all joy
 and brightness1 but when we were alone 
in the motor together my eyes were full 
of tears1 and ,i broke down utterly4    
,poor ,harry1 poor ,harry1 why are      
physical calamities so awful and so     
irrevocable8  ,he let me cry1 and then  
he said suddenly1 ,come1 ,mary1 look at 
the real 'me1' don't bother about that  
old leg1 but look into my face1 and tell
 me what you see4 ,there is something   
good for you to see if you will look for
 it4  ,he said it so strangely that ,i  
was myself in a moment1 and doing what  
he told me just as in the good old days 
before the war4 ,and then ,i saw that   
,harry was a new ,harry altogether1 and 

that he was radiantly happy4 ,his face  
was pale and thin1 but his eyes were    
ablaze with something mysterious and    
wonderful4 ,don't ask me anything now1  
he said2 wait till we are in my old den1
 and then ,i will tell you everything4  
,and by this time ,i was so comforted   
that ,i was content to lie back and     
watch that dear1 happy face of his4  ,i 
shall never forget the talk we had      
afterwards4 ,mary1 he said1 in his      
straight1 direct way1 ,i've come back a 
better man4 ,i have been all my life a  
healthy1 happy pagan4 ,we were brought  
up1 you and ,i1 on the theory of a      
healthy mind in a healthy body1 and1 of 
course1 it's a good theory so far as it 
goes4 ,but it did for me what it does   
for many a fellow4 ,it made me forget my
 soul4 ,sport did a lot for me1 ,i know1
 but sport became my world4 ,the life ,i
 lived there was wholesome enough1 but  
at the best what a poor1 contracted1    
limited thing is the body1 and its joy4 
,and what a big1 splendid world ,i've   

found the door to now4  ,how did it come
 about1 ,harry8 ,i said1 and the frost  
and the bitterness and the anger against
 ,god were all gone out of my heart and 
voice4  ,well1 ,i don't quite know4     
,that's the queer thing about it4 ,i    
don't deny ,i was a bit savage at first 
at what had happened4 ,and ,i often     
wished ,i were dead1 for ,i saw my old  
self wasn't much good for this new life 
,i was up against4 ,then one ,sunday the
 padre1 who was a very decent sort1 gave
 us a straight talk that opened my eyes 
a bit4 ,he was speaking about ,paul and 
the difference ,christ made in his life4
 ,paul was a splendid fellow1 and as    
good as good could be1 and just like    
many a man to-day who seems all right   
without ,christ4 ,but what a difference 
,christ made in him for all that6 ,and  
how ,he made the old ,saul of ,tarsus   
seem a poor thing in comparison with    
,paul the apostle6 ,there was something1
 too1 about ,paul's thorn in the flesh1 
but ,i forget that bit4 ,anyhow ,i did  

some furious thinking that ,sunday in   
,cairo1 though ,i saw nothing clearly1  
and didn't lay much store by my own     
future4  ,that night the strange thing  
happened4 ,i woke up in the early hours 
when no one was astir1 and ,i saw a man 
come in by the door and walk down the   
ward4 ,he gave a sort of understanding1 
tender look at every face as he passed1 
and when he saw that ,i was awake he    
came close beside me and held my hand   
for a moment4 ,then he said1 ',will you 
let me help you with this burden of     
yours8' ,i thought at first it was the  
new doctor we were expecting4 ,then ,i  
knew quite suddenly that it was ,the    
,comrade in ,white1 and that ,he wanted 
me very much to say ',yes4' ,and as ,i  
said it ,i felt the first real happiness
 that ,i had known since ,i was wounded4
 ,and then ,he smiled and went away4  ,i
 told myself next day that it was a     
dream1 and perhaps it was1 but that     
strange1 odd happiness has never left me
 since4 ,i wouldn't be back again in the

 old way1 not for all the world could   
give me1 not even to have my leg        
restored4  ,and is ,he really helping   
you with your burden8 ,i whispered4     
,why1 ,mary child1 can't you see1 he    
exclaimed1 with his merry laugh2 can't  
you see that ,he has carried my burden  
quite away8 ,i was but half a man       
before4 ,he has made me whole4     ,,iv4
 ,,the ,,prayer ,,circle      444 ,more 
things are wrought by prayer   ,than    
this world dreams of4 ,wherefore1 let   
thy voice   ,rise like a fountain for me
 night and day4   ,for what are men     
better than sheep or goats   ,that      
nourish a blind life within the brain1  
,if1 knowing ,god1 they lift not hands  
of prayer   ,both for themselves and    
those who call them friend8   ,for so   
the whole round earth is every way      
,bound by gold chains about the feet of 
,god4     --,the ,passing of ,arthur1   
,,alfred1 ,,lord ,,tennyson4     ,fight 
the good fight with all thy might1      
,christ is thy strength1 and ,christ thy

 right1   ,lay hold on life1 and it     
shall be   ,thy joy and crown eternally4
         99       99       99       99  
99    ,faint not1 nor fear1 ,his arms   
are near1   ,he changeth not1 and thou  
art dear3   ,only believe1 and thou     
shalt see   ,that ,christ is all in all 
to thee4    --,j4,s4,b4 ,,monsell4      
,,the ,,prayer ,,circle  ,lieutenant    
,roger ,fenton had a lump in his throat 
when he said good-bye to his boys4      
,there they were in a bunch on the      
station platform1 the ten wayward lads  
into whom he had sought to instil the   
fear of ,god on ,tuesday evenings in    
winter1 and with whom he had rambled and
 played cricket every ,saturday         
afternoon in summer4 ,boys of fourteen  
to seventeen are a tough proposition1   
and though ,fenton would answer for     
their bowling and batting he wasn't over
 sanguine about their religion4 ,but    
they had filled a big place in his      
lonely life in the dull little country  
town1 and now he had to leave them and  

lose them4 ,for the great call had      
reached him1 and he bore the ,king's    
commission1 and in his heart of hearts  
he had the feeling that he would never  
come back4  ,now the chaff and the      
parting words of good luck were over1   
and the train was panting to be off4    
,boys1 he cried suddenly1 ,i want you to
 do something for me1 something hard4   
,anything you like1 sir1 they answered  
eagerly4 ,but their faces fell when they
 heard their teacher's word4 ,look here1
 he said1 it's this4 ,you'll meet in the
 old place every ,tuesday evening for a 
few minutes and pray for me that ,i may 
do my duty1 and1 if it please ,god1 that
 ,i may come back to you all4 ,and ,i'll
 pray for you at the same time even if  
,i'm in the thick of battle4 ,is it a   
bargain8  ,i wish you had seen the      
dismay on those ten faces4 ,it was any  
odds on their blurting out a shamefaced 
refusal1 but ,ted ,harper1 their        
acknowledged chief1 pulled himself      
together just in time1 and called out as

 the train began to move3--,we'll do it1
 sir4 ,i don't know how we'll manage it1
 but we'll do our best4 ,we'll not go   
back on you4  ,as ,fenton sank into his 
corner he was aware of the mocking looks
 of his brother officers4 ,i say1 said  
one of them1 you don't really think     
those chaps are going to hold a         
prayer-meeting for you every week1 and  
if they did you can't believe it would  
stop an enemy's bullet or turn an       
enemy's shell4 ,it's all very well to be
 pious1 but that's a bit too thick4     
,fenton flushed1 but he took it in good 
part4 ,prayer's a big bit of our        
religion1 he said1 and ,i've a notion   
these prayers will help me4 ,anyhow ,i'm
 sure my lads will do their part4 ,where
 ,ted ,harper leads1 they follow4  ,and 
sure enough the boys did their part4 ,it
 was fine to see them starting out in   
the wrong direction1 and twisting and   
doubling through the crooked lanes till 
they worked round to the ,mission ,hall1
 and then in with a rush and a scuttle1 

that as few as possible might see4 ,the 
doings of the ,fenton crowd1 as they    
were known locally1 were the talk of the
 town in those first days after ,roger  
departed4 ,would they meet8 ,would they 
keep it up8 ,would they bear the        
ridicule of the other boys of their own 
age8 ,and how in the world would they   
pray8  ,time answered all these         
questions except the last4 ,they met1   
they continued to meet1 they faced      
ridicule like heroes4 ,but how did they 
pray8 ,that mystery was as deep and     
insoluble as before1 for whatever awful 
oath of secrecy bound them to silence   
not a whisper of the doings of those    
,tuesday evenings was divulged to the   
outside world4  ,i was the only one who 
ever knew1 and ,i found out by chance4  
,ted ,harper had borrowed ,fights for   
the ,flag from me1 and when ,i got it   
back there was a soiled piece of paper  
in it with something written in ,ted's  
ungainly hand4 ,i thought he had been   
copying a passage1 and anxious to see   

what had struck him1 ,i opened the sheet
 out and read these words3--,o ,god1    
it's a hard business praying4 ,but      
,roger made me promise4 ,and you know   
how decent he's been to me and the      
crowd4 ,listen to us now1 and excuse the
 wrong words1 and bring him back safe4  
,and1 ,o ,god1 make him the bravest     
soldier that ever was1 and give him the 
,v4,c4 ,that's what we all want for him4
 ,and don't let the war be long1 for    
,christ's sake4 ,amen4  ,i felt a good  
deal ashamed of myself when ,i came to  
the end of this artless prayer4 ,i had  
got their secret4 ,i could see them     
kneeling round the ,mission forms1 two  
or three with crumpled papers in their  
hands4 ,they were unutterably shy of    
religious expression1 and to read was   
their only chance4 ,the boys on whom the
 fatal lot fell the previous ,tuesday   
were bound to appear with their written 
devotions a week later4 ,this war has   
given us back the supernatural1 but no  
miracle seems more wonderful to me than 

those ten lads and their ill-written    
prayers4 ,and1 remember1 that liturgical
 service lasted six months1 and never a 
break in the ,tuesday meeting4 ,what a  
grand thing a boy's heart is1 when you  
capture its loyalty and its affection6  
,it was a black day when the news came4 
,the local ,territorials had advanced   
too far on the wing of a great          
offensive1 and had been almost          
annihilated4 ,the few survivors had dug 
themselves in1 and held on till that    
bitter ,tuesday faded into darkness and 
night4 ,when relief came1 one man was   
left alive4 ,he was wounded in four     
places1 but he was still loading and    
firing1 and he wept when they picked him
 up and carried him away for first aid4 
,that solitary hero1 absolutely the only
 survivor of our local regiment1 was    
,lieutenant ,roger ,fenton1 ,v4,c4      
,when his wounds were healed1 and the   
,king had done the needful bit of       
decoration1 we got him home4 ,we did not
 make the fuss they did in some places4 

,our disaster was too awful1 and the    
pathos of that solitary survivor too    
piercing4 ,but some of us were at the   
station1 and there in the front row were
 the ten men of prayer4 ,poor ,roger    
quite broke down when he saw them4 ,and 
he could find no words to thank them4   
,but he wrung their hands till they     
winced with the pain of that iron grip4 
,that night ,i got a chance of a talk   
with him alone4 ,he was too modest to   
tell me anything of his own great       
exploit4 ,but there was evidently       
something he wanted to say1 and it was  
as if he did not know how to begin4 ,at 
last he said1 ,i have a story to tell   
that not one in fifty would listen to4  
,that ,tuesday evening when ,i was left 
alone1 and had given up all hope1 ,i    
remembered it was the hour of the old   
meeting1 and ,i kept my promise and     
prayed for the boys of my ,class4 ,then 
everything around me faded from my mind1
 and ,i saw the dear lads in the        
,mission ,room at prayer4 ,i don't mean 

that ,i went back in memory4 ,i knew    
with an absolute certainty that ,i was  
there invisible in that night's meeting4
 ,whether in the body or out of the     
body1 ,i cannot say1 but there ,i was1  
watching and listening4  ,how wonderful6
 ,i said4  ,that's not all1 there's     
something stranger still1 he went on4   
,they were kneeling on the floor1 and   
,ted ,harper was reading a prayer1 and  
when it was done they said ',amen' as   
with one voice4 ,i counted to see if    
they were all there4 ,i got to ten right
 enough1 but ,i did not stop there4 ,i  
counted again1 and this is the odd      
thing--there were eleven of them6 ,in my
 dream or vision or trance1 call it what
 you will1 ,i was vaguely troubled by   
this unexpected number4 ,i saw the ten  
troop out in their old familiar way1 and
 ,i turned back to find the eleventh1   
,the ,comrade in ,white1 and to speak to
 ,him4 ,i felt ,his presence still1 and 
was glad of it1 for the trouble and     
perplexity were all gone and in their   

place a great expectation4 ,i seemed to 
know the very place where ,he had been  
kneeling1 and ,i hurried forward4 ,but  
there was nothing to be seen1 nothing   
but the well-remembered text staring    
down at me from the wall--',for where   
two or three are gathered together in my
 name1 there am ,i in the midst of      
them4' ,i remembered no more1 till ,i   
found myself in the base hospital4 ,but 
of course ,i knew then how ,i had been  
saved1 and what my boys had done for me4
  ,it makes a man feel strange to have  
his life given back to him like that2   
it's as if ,god would expect a great    
deal in return4 ,but there's a stronger 
feeling still in my heart4 ,i believe   
the lads got their answer not for my    
sake but for their own4 ,think what it  
means to them4 ,they've got their feet  
now on the rock of prayer4 ,they know   
the truth of ,god4 ,i'm not sure1 but ,i
 don't think ,i'll ever tell them that  
,i saw ,christ in their midst4 ,they    
know it in their own way1 and perhaps   

their own way is best4  ,and as he said 
it1 ,i saw that ,lieutenant ,roger      
,fenton was prouder of his boys than of 
his ,victoria ,cross4