_July 8th, 1915._

" ... How I long to be within the walls of our dear old
church! Some of the fellows can't realise or understand when
I tell them my church life and work are so much to me. I owe
all my happiness to God through my home and to the
associations and work at the church. I hope it will be His
Divine Will to spare me for fuller activities and to make up
for the sins of omission.

" ... Don't imagine for a minute we learn French out here.
We rarely see a civilian, and when we do we say, 'Avez vous
du pain?' and the reply is generally 'How many do you want?'
They know more English than we do French."

_Later._

"The fight for Hill 60 and the struggle with the Canadians
against the Hun at St. Julien has weakened our division, and
we are to be transferred further south to a quieter part of
the line.

"We are not sorry, for we feel sadly in need of a rest, and
Ypres and its environments are _literally_ a shell-swept
area of countless graves. The H.A.C. has relieved us, and we
marched back the other night to huts a few miles behind the
line. The following evening we marched still farther back,
crossing the Franco-Belgian border to the rail-head. We are
having a few days' rest, spending many hours cleaning up,
not only our clothes and equipment, but our ceremonial drill
and exercises."

One Young Man's Sunday

CHAPTER VIII

ONE YOUNG MAN'S SUNDAY

_July 25th, 1915._

"To tell you that I am at present on this Sunday afternoon
lying on the grass watching a cricket match no doubt seems
strange. But that is what I am doing--and with quite an easy
conscience.

"We are some miles from the firing line in a fair-sized
French town. It's a treat to be away from the noise of
battle, and from sleepless nights, and in a civilised place
again. We are only here for a day or two, however, and then
on we go--or at least that is the rumour.

"We had Church Parade at 10 o'clock this morning, followed
by a route march, and so we are free this afternoon.

"Two matches are now in full swing, 13 and 15 _v._ the
transport, and 14 and 16 _v._ the new platoons. The platoons
have licked them by 30 runs, 61