L’ENVOI
It is all over now, yet often I think of those wonderful days; of long
night marches; of long days of weary waiting; of quiet resting-places,
with their rows and rows of “little green tents” and small white
crosses, landmarks of our warfare in France and Flanders. Sometimes I
think of all those lads who answered so quickly the final roll-call;
and my thoughts go back to those nights in France where such great
numbers knelt to ask pardon of God, and to become fortified with the
Bread of the Strong. Many of those lads I ushered up to the gates of
heaven, which swung open to them so soon after they had left me. Now
“they are numbered amongst the children of God and their lot is with
the saints.”
They do not forget me. Sometimes, when the force of circumstances
presses greatly and the way along which I must walk seems exceptionally
hard, I call on them to stand by. I ask them simply to remember Arras,
Amiens, Cherisy Valley, Canal du Nord and Cambrai, then--I feel those
lads are praying for me.
And sometimes “when thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a pall
over my spirit,” a thought most comforting comes to my mind. I see in
imagination the street of heaven and, coming marching towards me, great
hosts, their faces lighted with the Vision of God. I see them turned
towards me, as I have seen them so often on battlefield and in hospital
ward. That look of loving trust is there--only so many times glorified!
They look at me, who am a little dismayed, a little afraid. Then I hear
their voices: “Come, Father, your billet is ready!”
Then I feel very confident, for I know that my warfare is over, that I
am going back to rest--back to Eternal Rest.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber and is
entered into the public domain.