290 sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



" In a borrowed piano left intact by the Germans we pos- 

 sessed the very pivot of the ring. In the rush of talent to the 

 programme one soldier volunteered to sing ' Annie Laurie.' 

 ' If the pianist would kindly give the note and then vamp I shall 

 commence,' he announced. After receiving the note, with 

 difficulty he commenced his solo. He certainly possessed a 

 powerful voice, but oh ! his ear was never tuned to the song of 

 angels, for he pitched his song, in spite of frantic efforts of the 

 pianist, in such a key as to first put the piano out of action and 

 then lose poor Annie Laurie. After a desperate effort at 

 recovery, in which cold and hot sweat was teeming from his 

 noble brow and tears of laughter from the eyes of the audience, 

 he found himself wandering ' on the bonny, bonny banks of 

 Loch Lomond,' with all the fellows joining in the closing bars 

 of the popular song. 



" Thinking the applause was in appreciation, he insisted on 

 giving a demonstration of his ability as a dancer in response. 

 This unfortunately ended in disaster, for his dancing was so 

 thunderous and energetic that the thin boards of the temporary 

 platform gave way, affording a most undignified flourish of arms 

 and legs prior to complete collapse. The whole scene was such 

 a piece of unexpected comedy that apart from some really 

 splendid items it was pronounced the gem of the evening." 



No doubt there are persons who regard all this kind of thing 

 as quite outside the province of a chaplain, whose main business 

 is to win men's souls to God ; but who shall say this is not one 

 of the wisest ways of winning them ? I wish more people 

 realised that God gave us this beautiful world and health to 

 enjoy it, and that He loves us to be happy. Long faces and 

 cant do not win souls. Surely many things that in times of 

 peace seemed of supreme importance, now, in time of war, when 

 so many are standing on the edge of the Great Beyond, appear 

 very trivial. 



Soldiers want reality and brevity. The Rev. T. Tattersall, 

 of the Free Church, understands this and understands soldiers 

 and their worth. He says, " Their instincts are deeply rooted, 

 and the foolish wayfaring man with a shibboleth on his lips 

 might easily miss them. There is no parade of religion in the 

 army. A soldier is a man of action, he has scant respect for 



