A., who held services three times a week
throughout the voyage, and whose loving and earnest addresses had a
powerful influence upon his hearers.

Tons of literature of all descriptions were put upon the troopships at
the port of embarkation. Mr. Punter, the Wesleyan Scripture reader,
himself distributed six tons at Southampton. One society seemed to vie
with another in thus ministering to the wants of the men. The Soldier's
Testament proved a boon to many, and as our lads return from the front,
many of them show with pride their Testaments, safely brought back
through many a fierce fight.

In the evenings, on many of the ships, large numbers met and sang hymns.
A soldier never tires of singing, and his 'Sankey' is an unfailing
friend. Many a lad had thus brought back to memory days of long ago, and
gave himself to his mother's God.

But, after all, the great Christian events of the voyage were the parade
services. If there were chaplains on board, they naturally conducted the
services. If not, the officers in some cases performed that duty, and we
read in one soldier's letter that on the Braemar Castle Prince
Christian Victor conducted a service, perhaps a somewhat unusual
occupation for a prince!

=Parade Services on a Troopship.=

But men in the ranks conducted parade services also. The commanding
officer would send for some godly non-commissioned officer or private,
and make him for the time being the 'padre' for the ship. Nor were these
devoted Christians unduly exalted by the position in which they found
themselves. It was no slight acknowledgment of worth that, all
untrained, they found themselves for the time being Acting-Chaplains to
Her Majesty's forces. Godly Methodists like Sergt.-Major Foote or
Sergeant Oates, for instance, were not the men to be spoilt by such a
position. Sergeant Oates tells how the men pointed him out as the
'Wesleyan Parson,' but he tells also that being provost-sergeant he had
an empty cell under his charge and that there he used to go to be alone
with God. From such communings he came out a strong man--strong to
resist temptation and to win men for Christ. And as for Sergt.-Major
Foote, he was simply bubbling over with Christian enthusiasm--enthusiasm
that did not lead him astray because it was united with a well-balanced
judgment.

The best pictures we get of such parade services at sea are however from
the pens of our chaplains. The Rev. E.P. Lowry gives us a vivid picture