200 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



that she had brought fourteen children into the world and the 

 churchyard had been no friend to her ; from which it might be 

 imagined that she had buried some of them. But it was only her 

 quaint way of expressing herself ; what she meant was all her 

 children had been spared to her, so the churchyard had not been 

 called upon to befriend her. 



In 1899 Mr. Inglis was appointed rector of Frittenden, in 

 Kent, from where the guns could be heard that were to end his 

 earthly career. 



At first the Frittendens and their rector did not entirely agree 

 in matters ecclesiastical, and there were little storms in teacups, 

 but when, in 1915, their shepherd left them to join the troops as 

 army chaplain, none were left behind who bore him any ill-will. 

 One old lady said, " I don't mind my son going now, for Mr. 

 Inglis will look after him." 



The rector of Frittenden said he always regretted having 

 devoted so much of his time in his youthful days to games 

 and sport, as it had prevented him reading as much as he ought 

 to have done ; but he made up for it later, and perhaps in his 

 last days he may have ceased the regret when he found what a 

 passport it was to the soldiers' hearts ; how a chat in hospital 

 with the wounded over cricket, football, boxing, shooting, or 

 whatever it might be, helped them to forget their pain, and what 

 was in many cases worse than physical pain, the lying thinking, 

 and trying to solve the problem of life with limbs gone, eyesight, 

 or possibly paralysed for life. A man may be gloriously brave 

 physically in the excitement and heat of battle, with a collective 

 courage in him, but great spiritual bravery is needed to face life 

 maimed and nerve-shattered. I think Mr. Inglis felt this, and 

 spent every spare moment with the wounded trying to cheer 

 them and help them to be brave. He had a great admiration 

 and love for the British soldier, and understood him, never 

 under-estimating his difficulties, and by never appearing shocked 

 gained their confidence. Being blessed with a certain amount 

 of worldly goods he had the happiness of ministering to their 

 material needs as well as their spiritual. 



