CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 12

CHURCH AND WAR

A THRILLING SERMON "IMMORTAL DEEDS BY THE GAY GORDONS." Tho Aberdeen "Evening Express" of March 12 publishes, under the title "Immortal Deeds by the Gay Gordons," a thrilling and moving discourse by tho Rev. A. M. Maclean, 8.D., C.M.G., of Paisley Abbey. A correspondent writes to the "British Weekly" as follows:—"It would be difficult to convey any idea of tho effect produced by Mr. Maclean's ■n'ords as they were spoken." Mr. Maclean describes what is known as tho Battle of Loos, pointing out that this is a wrong title, for it was an: attack ranging from Switzerland to the sea. Tho real point of the British attack was at Loos, and of tho French in Champagne. "Sitting his horse in tho midst of his glorious men, Colonel Percy Browne, of tii» Gordons, told them what they had to do in brief, stern words, and bade them 'remember tho name of the regiment.'' Liko a greyhound straining at the leash they answered him with ringing cheers, an(l so they went into battle carrying their' head's high and with the steel glint in their eyes." He goes on to tell how like a living torrent, C'oloncl\Duncan and his men rusned upon tho German trenches and held them. On the. left flank of the Ith the Ist Gordons hurled themselves impetuously forward, and one company, and part of .another reached their objective abreast of tho Territorials and the Royal Scots. 'But there the tragedy began. For some reason the maze of barbed lviro in front of the remaining company and a half of the Gordons and of the English'' regiment on their left had escaped the pulverising artillery fire and was intact. The Englishmen reached the wire and, finding it insuperable, wisely retired to their trenches. Not. so the Gordons. On to the wire they surged, tried to get over it, to get through it, and there oil the wire- thev died, but they n-ould not. go back. Tlieir heroic leader, Capt-ain Mentcith, was shot in the arm as lie cleared the parapet. He bound up the -wound and went 6n. Ho was shot through the thigh, crawled >«ck to the trench, and was bound up again. For the third time he went out, reached tho wire, and there he, too, died. When at night a search party went out to recover his body they found only a yawning shellhole. All honour to our glorious dead! NO GLOOM IN THE TRENCHES. ' Now and agWn an insight is given into tha minds of the men who aru fighting for us, and some idea is gathered as to the past memory of Sundays spent in the fchurches in pro-war times, and sermons heard then aro playing in keeping up their faith and spirits. A young sergeant, writing in the "llichmond Hill (Bournemouth) Magazine," writes: 'T look eagerly forward to tho return of Sunday as I used to know it and revcrciice it, but I have a. store of half-romenibered sermons which 1 preach to myself at times! For instance, there, is one of Dr. Jones's on 'The Upward' Calling,' and another on 'The Children of Israel being led into Canaan'—not throug'n the land of the Philistines, although that was near, but by way of the wilderness and tho Ked Sea; and there is one of Dr. J. A. Hatton's on Paul's Exhortation to Timothy, 'Take thy siiaro of hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.' " The writer goes on to refer to the spirit of gloom he found in England when on leave, and says: "There is no gloom out hero, but, on the contrary, everyone abounds in hopefulness and confidencp. We see the unmistakable,evidences that the tide is slowly but surely turning in our favour, imd if only tho woeful whimperings of the journalists could be eliminated the people at home would take a different view of tilings. However., tlmo will correct their outlo&k, so we must ; w,ait." ; - . A BRAVE. SEMINARIST. 11l the "Soinaino Religicuse" of Albi is an account of a young religious be'longuig to the Lozero district, ivlio "after joining the Zouaves was with his 'division for five months, at-the end of . which time he was badly wounded by a shell in Artois. His officer, who one day told liini "I like you very much, not because you aro a seminarist, but because you* are an, amazing fellow," has related ifiany instances of his bravery and readiness to volunteer for any service. But there were limits to his complacency, as the following instance shows:—

.One Jay boforc the fierce struggles in Artois tlio Commandant, who is also from Lozere, asked him to be his secretary. Acceptance- would have placed him out'of roach of bullets and shells, would have ended long hours oh guard in tho trenches, for the _ Commandant was president of tho divisional Council of War; it might even have meant stripes of promotion. But all these advantages, wero promptly refused. "I prefer to remain with my company," was his simple answer. When he fell wounded and the major - ordered a stretcher-bearer to remove, him immediately, he expostulated, saying: "Please don't; it is not my turn; ta'ko those who ivero wounded before I was."