" and "O
God, our help in ages past." It is difficult to
say if the influence of the Y.M.C.A. is much
responsible for the remarkably even, and
considering all things, somewhat high moral code
of the Army out here. Rather, perhaps (Deo
gratias), it is an English heritage from the past.
Most emphatically one cannot help being struck by
the excellent moral lives that many of these men
live, when all things are considered. Of course,
to a large extent, there is the lack of occasions
of sin. Drunkenness, most possibly, is rare
because the authorities have greatly restricted,
and wisely, the hours of drinking, and the beer,
etc., available, even if taken in large
quantities, is rarely intoxicating. Frankly, it
appears that the good influence of the Y.M.C.A. is
derived from the temporal comforts and
conveniences it offers to the much-tried B.E.F.
men. I stood outside a Y.M.C.A. building one
night, in the worst of weather, weather as foul as
it can be in France in war time. Three rain-sodden
Canadian infantrymen trudged along towards the
place, and their ears caught the sound of some
execrable piano-strumming. "Holy Hell," said one,
"there's some music there; come on!" That is the
story, in epitome, of the Y.M.C.A. In the mercy of
God, it is a good one."

[Illustration: THE CENTRAL Y.M.C.A., BAGHDAD]

* * * * *

A young soldier sent to an English paper the following interesting
account of a Communion Service held in one of our huts at the Front:--

'The following Tuesday, just as our company was
going "up the line" to the trenches, a Communion
service was held in the rest-room of the Y.M.C.A.
hut. I attended it along with nine other men, and
the service was conducted by a well-known Scottish
Y.M.C.A. worker, who at the time was acting as the
leader of the hut. In that little room we ten men
in khaki were verily in the presence of the
Unseen. I never realised Christ to be so near as
when we handled the elements. For myself I can
truly say that, in the grey dawn of the following
morning, I went up to meet t