home and home-ties, though now 4,000 miles at sea, and to them the singing of such hymns would inevitably be wakeful of all hallowed memories, and more helpful than any sermon.

’Nevertheless, I ventured to speak to them solemnly, yet cheerily, of the mobilisation order that Joshua issued to the Hebrew host on the eve of battle, when he commanded them as the one supremely essential thing to sanctify themselves.  The men were reminded that character tells, above all, on the field of battle, as Cromwell’s troopers proved, and that since, of all work, war is the most appallingly responsible and perilous, every soldier is doubly called to be a saint.  Such was “Stonewall” Jackson, America’s most victorious general, and as in his case, so in theirs, grace would not rob them of grit, but increase their store.  That grace they all might find in Christ.

’We also all seemed to feel it a consoling thing to bow in prayer on that rolling lower deck for Queen and country, for comrades already at the seat of war, and for “the old folk at home,” so, in our humble measure making ourselves one with that innumerable host who thus seek “to bind the whole round earth by golden chains about the feet of God.”  Not a man seemed unmoved, and the memory of that first full and official parade will be helpful to me for many days to come.

     ’The Roman Catholics were also mustered; but as there was no priest
     on board, associated worship was for them quite impossible, and
     they were accordingly at once dismissed.

’In the absence of an Anglican chaplain, Surgeon-Colonel McGill, the principal medical officer, read prayers with the men of the Royal Army Medical Corps.  The captains of the various regimental companies did the same for their Church of England men; while in the main saloon the ship’s captain conducted worship with as many of the naval and military officers as found it convenient to attend.  At the harmonium presided Bandsman Harrison, of the Northamptons, who for the last two years has helped ever so well at the Sunday afternoon services of sacred song in Aldershot.

’After church there was an excellent gathering in the guardroom for prayer and Bible reading, when we refreshed our hearts with the thought of the glories of the ascended Saviour who is indeed “The Almighty”; and although in this singular meeting-place we have never before ventured to indulge in song, to-day we could not refrain from an exultant voicing of the Doxology.

’At 6.30, just when loved ones at Aldershot were assembling for worship, our praying men met once more; this time on the upper deck, where there soon assembled a large and interested congregation, sitting on the bulwarks or lying about in every imaginable attitude on the deck.  Close by there were half a dozen strong horses that had not felt their feet for over a fortnight; every now and then piercing bugle calls broke