irst one in our
ranks. I led the men, and I tell you, Mum, it
was a cold-blooded way of meeting one's
death, worse than in the fiercest battle fighting
shoulder to shoulder! I pulled myself together,
tried to say a prayer and marched on,
wondering where I should be the next minute,
when suddenly before I knew where I was,
Corporal White had placed himself in front of
me. "You are not ready, sergeant," he said;
"I am, let me take your place." It wasn't time
to stand arguing, but I tell you I felt queer
when I saw the lad stretched for dead under
my feet. We had a sharp skirmish, but we
drove the enemy back, and the first one I
went to look for was White.'

"The sergeant told me this with a sob in
his voice; he added that for months he had
ridiculed White for his religion and tried to
drive it out of him. But he came every morning
to the hospital, and I saw him on his knees
by White's bedside, offering up a prayer that
he might be made a different man.

"And now I must try to give you more details
about White himself. I asked him if I
could do anything for him the last day he was
alive and then he asked me to write to you.
He kept the photo of your little nephew under
his pillow, and more than once he murmured--'God
first, the Queen next, and then Master
Roy--I'll be a faithful servant if I can!'
Toward evening I saw he was sinking. I said
'Are you comfortable, corporal?' and he looked
up with such a radiant smile: 'Safe in the
arms of Jesus,' he murmured, and those were
his last words. From what I have heard from
those who knew him out here, I gather that
his life was a singularly pure and upright one,
and that young as he was he had influenced
more than one careless drinking man to turn
over a new leaf, and be the same as he was. I
am forwarding his Bible and small belongings
by this mail.

"Believe me, dear madam,

"Yours faithfully,

"ROSE SMITH--Sister in Charge."

Roy listened to this with breathless interest, his eyes shining through
his tears.

"Oh, Dudley, how splendid! oh, Rob, you have been a brave soldier, but I
shall never, never see you again!"

Down went the little head and a torrent of tears burst forth; whilst
Dudley laying his curly head against his cousin's joined him in his
weeping. One more letter remained to be read and this was the major's--