‘Are all soldiers in Jesus Christ’s army?’ asked Teddy as they walked away together.

The corporal shook his head sadly.  ‘Hardly any of them in my regiment,’ he said.  ’We’re nearly seven hundred strong, and only six men besides myself, as far as I can tell, belong to the Lord.  A year ago I was an awful blackguard myself:  I drank dreadfully, and couldn’t give the drink up; but that’s all a thing of the past.  Since I have belonged to the Lord He keeps me from it, and many other bad habits.  I’ll own I fairly dreaded coming to this bit of duty.  The sight and smell of the beer is very strong to a man that has been such a slave to it, and I must be quartered in public-houses the whole way along.’

‘You’ll have to fight like Mr. Upton told me to, won’t you?’ said Teddy.  ‘But if our Captain is with us, Mr. Upton says we shan’t be beaten.’

‘No,’ said the corporal, a light coming into his eyes.  ’We shall be more than conquerors.’

Then, after a pause, he said, ’It’s very considerate of your granny to ask me to tea; I was just wishing that something could be done in this village for the men coming after me, like we had last year when we marched through the country for the manoeuvres.  They gave us a free tea at several of the places we went through, and it kept so many from drinking.  There’s a man coming along here who I’m terrible anxious about.  He’s been an awful drunkard, and is quite an old soldier; but last New Year’s Day he signed the pledge, and he’s kept it ever since:  he’s just on the point of being converted, I hope.  We have yarns by the hour together, but if he’s billeted in the Hare and Hounds, or any other public-house, for that matter, I don’t know what he’ll do.  There’s nothing for them when they come in tired but to sit in the bar or tap-room and drink.  They can’t get away from it.’  Teddy’s brow was knitted with deep thought.

‘I didn’t know soldiers drank too much,’ he said.  ’I thought they never did anything wrong.’

The corporal smiled.  ‘It isn’t many that is of your opinion,’ he said.  ‘Most folks put us down as a bad lot.’

That evening remained in his memory for long after:  the sweet-scented garden, and the long low kitchen, with the happy family party gathered round the table; the clumsy efforts of the reticent farmer to make his guest feel at home; the short, pithy remarks made by Mrs. Platt, and the gentle, soft-voiced young mother, with the golden-haired boy, continually asking quaint questions about a soldier’s life—­all this came back to him with a keen sense of pleasure in after years.  He was only a young fellow after all, and was touched and gratified by the kindness shown to him, for it made him think of his own mother in her village home; and when he took his leave he could hardly express his thanks.

Teddy had been allowed to sit up beyond his usual bedtime, and as he put his little hand into the big brown one of the young soldier he said, ’Do you mind telling me your name, corporal?’