The Great War As I Saw It | Page 7

that because a man said "Damn",
it did not mean necessarily that he was going to hell. At the conclusion
of the address, we were allowed to ask questions, and one of our
number unadvisedly asked if he would be allowed to carry a revolver.
"No," said Sam with great firmness, "take a bottle of castor oil." We
didn't dare to be amused at the incident in the presence of the Chief, but
we had a good laugh over it when we got back to our tents.
Two Sundays before we left, the most remarkable church parade in the
history of the division was held, at which fully fifteen thousand men
were present. The Senior Chaplain asked me to preach. A large
platform had been erected, on which the chaplains stood, and on the
platform also were two signallers, whose duty it was to signal to the
battalions and bands the numbers of the hymns. On the chairs in front
of the platform were seated the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the
Princess Patricia, Sir Robert Borden, and other notables. Beyond them
were gathered the men in battalions. At one side were the massed bands.
It was a wonderful sight. The sun was shining. Autumn tints coloured
the maple trees on the sides of the ancient mountains. Here was Canada

quickening into national life and girding on the sword to take her place
among the independent nations of the world. It had been my privilege,
fifteen years before, to preach at the farewell service in Quebec
Cathedral for the Canadian Contingent going to the South African war.
It seemed to me then that never again should I have such an experience.
Yet on that occasion there were only a thousand men present, and here
were fifteen times that number. At that time (p. 023) the war was with a
small and half-civilized nation in Africa, now the war was with the
foremost nations of Europe. On that occasion I used the second
personal pronoun "you", now I was privileged to use the first personal
pronoun "we". Almost to the last I did not know what text to choose
and trusted to the inspiration of the moment what to say. My mind was
confused with the vastness of the outlook. At last the words came to me
which are the very foundation stone of human endeavour and human
progress, "He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it." I do not
know exactly what I said, and I do not suppose it mattered much, for it
was hard to make oneself heard. I was content if the words of the text
alone were audible. We sang that great hymn, "O God our help in ages
past," which came into such prominence as an imperial anthem during
the war. As we sang the words--
"Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame"--
I looked at the everlasting mountains around us, where the sound of our
worship died away, and thought how they had watched and waited for
this day to come, and how, in the ages that were to dawn upon
Canadian life and expansion, they would stand as monuments of the
consecration of Canada to the service of mankind.
Things began to move rapidly now. People from town told us that
already a fleet of liners was waiting in the harbour, ready to carry
overseas the thirty-three thousand men of the Canadian contingent.
At last the eventful day of our departure arrived. On September 28th,
with several other units, the 14th Battalion, to which I had been
attached, marched off to the entraining point. I took one last look at the
great camp which had now become a place of such absorbing interest
and I wondered if I should ever see again that huge amphitheatre with

its encompassing mountain witnesses. The men were in high spirits and
good humour prevailed.
We saw the three companies of Engineers moving off, each followed
by those mysterious pontoons which followed them wherever they
went and suggested the bridging of the Rhine and our advance to Berlin.
Someone called out, "What are those boats?" and a voice replied,
"That's the Canadian Navy." We had a pleasant trip in the train to
Quebec, enlivened by jokes and songs. On our arrival at the docks, we
were taken to the custom-house wharf and marched on board the fine (p.
024) Cunard liner "Andania", which now rests, her troubles over, at the
bottom of the Irish Sea. On the vessel, besides half of the 14th
Battalion, there was the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, chiefly
from Vancouver, and the Signal Company. Thus we had a ship full to
overflowing of some of the noblest young fellows to whom the world
has given birth. So ended our