2o8 sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



" We played Wellington yesterday at cricket and beat them 

 easily. Our opponents couldn't get back to town again owing 

 to a heavy south-easter that was blowing ; these winds cut us 

 off entirely from the mainland, as no boat can live in the sea. 



" I am settled down now in the Commissioner's office to 

 steady work, and could remain here to the end of the chapter, 

 but I think that I can do better work for our Lord in the 

 Church. 



" Many things attract me here, and I shall be very sorry 

 indeed to leave. It has been a home to me when I was friend- 

 less, but it has been more than that, it has been the place in 

 which I have truly found my God. For that reason alone it 

 will ever hold the very strongest place possible in my affections." 



At last the definite news came that the Theological College 

 would take him in spite of the past, and he came home after his 

 long absence to give himself up and face his court-martial. 



Father Engleheart, whose advice he was following, had 

 meanwhile, I think, been at work himself and got others to work 

 in Mr. Benton's favour. 



The much dreaded, yet anxiously looked forward to day 

 arrived for the court-martial, and speaking of that time, Benton 

 said : 



" When I went in to receive sentence the President held out 

 his hand and said, ' I congratulate you, Benton ; here is the 

 King's pardon,' and I was let off scot free. I believe that such 

 a thing has never happened before, and when my director heard 

 it he said, ' This is the finger of God, your way is clear.' " 



Benton then went to Lichfield Theological College for two 

 years, and was ordained by the Bishop of Lichfield in 1908. 



His first curacy was at Walsall, in Staffordshire, which was 

 the very place for him, being largely a slum parish providing 

 plenty of scope for his energies, and he felt, no doubt, that 

 whatever the drawbacks of his career it would at least enable 

 him to deal with the rough elements, as milder brands of curates 

 could scarcely hope to do. 



He found his vicar a very good man, but one who stood 

 somewhat aghast before the slums into which he had failed to 

 penetrate in the spiritual sense. It is easy to imagine how 

 Benton's enthusiasm was fired by this situation, so when his 



