I used to address the
men in the theatre between the acts of the play, and tell them that if
we threw out the conscription bill, it would go a long way to undo the
good of all they had done and destroy the value of the sacrifice our
dead comrades had made. Once I was invited to speak to a battalion of
the 4th Division during an entertainment which they were holding. When
I closed my address I told them that the last thing I wanted to do was
to influence their vote. All I asked of them when they went to the
polls was to make a cross in front of Borden's name. From the laughter
and cheers with which this statement was received, I think they
probably did. A few of the men told me that the thing which made them
hesitate about voting for conscription was that they could not bring
themselves to do anything which would force others to come and endure
the hellish life at the front. The great unionist victory at the polls
in Canada, which we heard of on December 18th, showed us that the
heart of the young country was sound, and this no doubt was noted by
the Germans.

One more, (and this was the last,) St. George's church was built for
me near the Chateau. Thus I was enabled to have a daily celebration of
the Holy Communion.

The arrival of one of the battalions of the 4th Division gave us the
first indication that we were to move. On December 20th we left once
more for Bruay. Here I found that my old billet was no longer
available, but I managed to find a home in a clean little cottage (p. 233)
in the same street, where I had a room downstairs for an office,
cheered by an open fire, and a large bare room upstairs in which I put
my bed. On the garden-gate I hung out my sign "St. George's Rectory."
Once again I found myself in the familiar neighbourhood with all the
beloved battalions round us as before. The theatre was filled night
after night, and there were the old gatherings of officers in the
hotel. We regarded it as a great stroke of luck that once more we were
going to spend Christmas out of the line.

On Christmas Eve, when I was preparing to go up to the midnight
Communion Service in the theatre, a new C. of E. Chaplain arrived and
came with me to assist. On the stage the altar was set as before, and
the dear old flag which now for three long years had been devoted to
the sacred purpose shone out as the frontal. The band played the
Christmas hymns and a large number of men attended. Some of them, but
not many, had