reminds me of what He did for me--not this little bit of metal,
but what it means."
I said, "Have you ever prayed?"
He replied, "No, sir. I've wept over this little crucifix--is that prayer?"
"That's prayer of the best sort," I said. "Every tear contained volumes
you could not utter, and God read every word. He knows all about it."
I pulled out a little khaki Testament. "Would you like it?" I said. "Would
you read it?"
He answered, "Yes," and signed the decision in the cover.
When I shook hands with him there was a light in his eyes. Have you ever
seen the light break over the cliff-tops of some high mountain peak? Have
you ever watched the sun kiss a landscape into beauty? Have you ever seen
the earth dance with gladness as the sun bathed it with radiance and
warmth? Oh, it's a great sight; but there's no sight like seeing the light
from Calvary kiss a human face as it fills the heart with the assurance of
Divine forgiveness.
* * * * *
One hundred and fifty-two thousand cups of tea and coffee are given away
monthly at one railway-station. I once happened to be at a railway-station
on the main lines of communication. There are women working there, women
of position and means, working at their own expense. I have seen rough
fellows go up to a British woman behind a counter--the first time they have
seen a British woman for months--and I have heard them say, "Madam, will
you shake hands with me?" I saw an Australian do that. He got her hand--and
his was like a leg of mutton--and he thought of his mother and his
home-folk. He forgot his tea. It was a benediction to have that woman
there.
Well, on this occasion two of these ladies said to me, "Gipsy, we're
having a relief train pass through to-morrow, and one comes through up and
one comes through down."
"I'll be there," I said.
The train that was coming from the front we could hear before we could see
it. And it wasn't the engine that we heard, because that came so slowly,
but I could hear the boys singing as they came round the curve,
"Blighty, Blighty is the place for me."
We served them with tea and coffee, French bread a yard long, and candles
and matches and "Woodbines," and then we got that crowd off--still singing
"Blighty."
They had been gone about five minutes when the other train _from_ Blighty
came in. We couldn't hear them singing. They were quiet and subdued. We
served them with co
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