GIPSY SMITH.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1917, Page 8

GIPSY SMITH.

AN EVANGELIST'S EXPERIENCE AT THE FRONT. "Never in mv life," writes Gypsy Smith the famous evangelist, after an extended visit to the western front, "have I found men more ready for a sane orientation of the Gospel." There is r.j'panic; they are as cool about their religion as they are about the war. The criticisms of those who say that while the Y.'M.O.A. is doing a great social work it is doing very little spiritual, is not fair. Wherever I went I had the right of way. The workers everywhere were most, sympathetic and keen. They were constantly engaged in spiritual work as everything they are doing is a means to the end. Indeed, the Association has accomplished a far bigger spiritual work than we dreamed. To begin with, the men have confidence in the lied Triangle. They don't stop fo ask what you are. They don't, know what 1 am, whether Church of England. Roman Catholic, Baptist or Metliodis* If a man has a message they are ready to listen to liirn.

For a week 1 had been speaking to a regiment made up mostly of Roman Catholic men. I did not' attack their denomination. At (lie end one of them came up to me and said: "Sure, yir ri\ 'rence, ve're a yintleinan." "How do you know?" said. I "I feel it here." said lie. "Well," I answered, "you can have it all at the same price, as I had it." "But, begorra." said he, ye'll be asking me to give up my religion." "Do vou think I should be such a fool-;" said 1. "Whatever you have that is good. ke.tp. "Well," he said, "what have I to give up?" "Nothing at all," said I," "'mil your sin." "Sure," he said, "ye're a gintleman." Of course, f kept, to essentials and kept oil' everything that would look like or sound like dividing lines. The chaplains are a fine lot. They all work together, and the churches all come together in the Association -'hut." I found other work lo do than preaching—and that was the best preaching I did. One night at a wayside railroad station where there was an Association buffet for the cold, tired men in the train, I had been speaking to the men for half an hour and J saw what a rush there was at the counter, so I put in a couple of hours serving bread and butter. Soon they were saying. "Hello, look at that. See who is' serving us." So I sold them (wist, candles, matches, tobacco—all that was to sell I sold, and why not? It put me in touch wit> i. In-iii. Every nigh! for three weeks I spoke to (he men cleric up to the front, in a dilapidated room seating perhaps 200. ' I never spoke there without hearing the crash of (he shells and the falling of the i i lie!, while frequently bits of wreckere shaken down upon us !>y tlie vibration of (he firing. It was so cold that, mv moustache froze to the blanket in which I slept. The price I pa id. however, was a small one for the privilege of serving, and I am going out again for LUlOthrv ycill'."