250 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



" Oh, to encourage them," was the reply. 



" Any result ? " 



" Very little." 



Sir Evelyn Wood also tells a story about a sermon Father 

 Brindle preached in the desert during Lent. Addressing the 

 men, he said : 



" Now, my men, I cannot ask you while here on service to 

 abstain, but you might do something which would be pleasing 

 to the Almighty and will gratify me— abstain from using bad 

 language." 



Looking into the upturned faces, he hoped from their 

 sympathetic expressions that he had effected some good. 



When the parade was over he stood talking for a few minutes 

 to some officers, and then while walking behind two of his 

 recent congregation, who had evidently not heard his footsteps 

 in the sand, he overheard one man say to the other, " I say, 

 Bill, that was a b -y fine sermon the Father gave us ! " 



Which reminds me of a Padre in Flanders not long ago who 

 likewise had been trying to stop his men from using bad and 

 disgusting language, without much result. But one day when 

 standing amidst a group of men who had been offending by their 

 language, he looked up at a Taube overhead, pointed to it and 

 said, " My God, look at that b— — y Taube." 



The men were struck dumb, and instead of looking up at the 

 Taube stood staring at the Padre, open-mouthed with surprise 

 and horror. 



" Now, my men," said the Padre, " you know what I feel 

 like when you use profane and disgusting language." 



The lesson had a marvellous effect. 



In 1886 Father Brindle was present at the battle of Ginnis, 

 after which he came home and worked for ten years at Col- 

 chester and Aldershot amongst the soldiers. When, however, 

 Lord Kitchener organised his expedition to Dongola, he re- 

 quested Father Brindle to join the expeditionary force ; this he 

 was delighted to do, and distinguished himself by his devotion 

 to the sick during the terrible outbreak of cholera that year, and 

 during the long wait at Sarras. 



At Dongola he successfully took a gun-boat into action. 



It was during this expedition that he won his D.S.O. Our 

 troops came under the fire of some of our own guns, so that it 



