"PRAYING JIMMY" OF THE TRENCHES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17075, 31 August 1917, Page 5

"PRAYING JIMMY" OF THE TRENCHES.

Jimmy was a costermonger at Oxford before he was ''called up."' In Oxford the folks understood inn. At nrst thi loys in the trenches couldn't quite fcirvke him out—but there was something sibout him that they first tolerMcd, then respected, and, finally, wouldn't do without for arything. A curious turn in the tide of feeling toward Jimmy took place in a lrr. \vh«;n about forty of the Oxford /. company \.ere gathered together. Jimmy loulie-i at them soberly j.nd thoughtfully, ana then tells himself of the tcquel to th.it hut meeting. " 'I'm going to pray,' I says. 'I'm going to praj for tha lot/ I says. They laughed and jeered a on, but they kept quiet. When I got iui irom my knees, one saidl 'He's got a button short, pore feller, A and another said 'All the Salvationists are balmy.I says, 'Yes, men, I began it eight years ago, and I wish I'd been balmy long be-

To be strictly accurate, the general attitude toward Jimmy began to change when thoyw^re a mile and a half from the trenches. Then it was they saw their first shell explode, and someone saidi Pass the word down to Jimmy to start up-his old favourite, 'When the Roll is j Called Up Yonder," He sang threa i verses and the men joined in the chorus. , Then came an order for silence '

SAM, THE SWEARER, PRAYS, TOu. I

. -Morning had hardly broken when they got into those Ypres trenches and lined up against the parapet. "The-shells," ■ said Jimmy, ''were coming over dread-'' fuL A man by the name of Sam saiu, | Wot does Jimmy think of it?' I gays, 'I think our time is come. We'd better ! pray.' And 1 started. '0 Lord,' I says, I 'we ieel that our time is-,come1. Prepare each one of us for wot Thou see no to call us to.' I says, 'I'm praying for you all—pray for yourselves.' The tears were running down their cheeks.. They said, 'Jimmy, now we understand wot it is t.o be a Christian. It make* us not afraid of death.' "

Sam was on the right—Sam whose blasphemy had been conspicuous in :v crowd where bad language was the rul«, ■ Before praying a second tinie, Jimmy said "Pass the word down that we <v'« going to pray," and next minute, for as,. far as he could see on either hand, the j entire lixe were on their knees. . j "Afterwards or.ni said, 'Good old I Jimmy, that's 'lone me a lot of good. »' 1 never prayed before, but I've prayed; now.' When the order to stand downi came, we were told to sit about the: trench and cook our food." ;

After two hours "on" they again had five hours " off," which continued to 03 the daily programe. I asked Jimmy whether by the second day he had found his appetite or wanted a nap \ " Oh, no," he replisd, " the" shells' wa» I still coming over something.awful. Bu*; you wouldn't believe how different the men was. You should have seen them . smiling—always smiling. It was just) like being in heaven. The devil was missing that time, I felt he had left us .altogether. 'We haven't got to go to church to get Christ,' I says, "God s waiting here with outstretched arms,' I says, 'to receive each one of us.' I ' really felt God had made me the ch4p- • Lain." i

So it went on for five days. "Aiid just fancy," exclaimed Jimmy, with shining eyes, "no sign of the devil for five days!"

THE DEVIL CAME BACK

Then Jimmy and his friends, being relieved by other troops retired to spend eight days in a rest camp behind the lines.. On the march, the unofficial chaplain heard some swearing. The devil had'come back. Poor Jimmy almost lost heart.

Because the Oxford corps only used •him as a vocalist, he was doubtful of his capacity to hold a meeting. However, more bad language reached his ears on the first evening in the rest oalnp, so he took oii; his khaki tunic and stood conspicuous in his red jersey. " I began by saying there was salvation for .all," lie told me, "and I know one or Wo had come to listen, but i ■ went on talking with my headl down, i and—would you believe it?—when I; came to lookup, there was five or six! hundred crowding round. I started \. i hymn, and you ought to have heard tha ' singing; after which we had a bit out! of Matthew. A sergeant came into the : ring and asked if we might have his | mother's favourite hymn, 'Lead Kindly I Light.' 'Right,' I says, 'and let's see r how hearty you can sing it.' It went )•. something wonderful. "That's tray i bong,' I says. Then I told 'em I'd got' God jto thank first of all, but the Salva- ' tion Army comes next. After a bit there was a lot of 'em kneeling on the ground. But only thirty really decided and got properly converted." ' "Only thirty!" I interjected.

AN OFFICER TESTIFIES!

"Ah, but wait," replied Jimmy, hi§, face radiant, and his eyes brimming over, "that was just the beginning. Wz had still more wonderiul times the next ' few days. Most of that first lot were backsliders. So I had 'em to help me on the second night. They went among the men fishing for <-O'.i'.s. and ,-c Lad seventy come forward at that meeting. So it went on growing every day—more helpers and more converts. You can't have no idea what wonderful meetings they were. 1' ' - •,.

Of the numerous eminent divines t whom Oxford has given to the world, j how many have influenced more con- i versions in a fortnight than were influenced by one who, trundling a wheelbarrow, went through the streets of, Oxford selling bananas at two a .penny ' and fine ripe strawberries? , "At one meeting," continued Jimmy, "an officer of A Company gave his testimony. He said i.c had tried bothplans, and the only way to get p&aee and happiness was by serving God. Another time the chaplain came into tho ring, and begin with 'God h\e% the Sa'vation Army.' and afterwards he said to me, 'T couldn't have struck out like you've done. I wish I had the samj spirit,' "

It was n disanpointment to be pronounced medically unfit for further service in the firing line, but Jimmy recovered his musical tendencies on learning that (by a happy thought of tha" military command) he had been appointed orderly to one of the huts — a sort of club where Tomnr- tak.v? menls. writes letters, and finds friends. God bless Jimmy!