"Well, Dent, I'm so glad to see you out again. I thought at one time you were 'going West."'
The two soldiers had met in the park. Dent, a man with tired, worn face, and wearing hospital blue, sat resting under the trees. His eyes were bright and hopeful enough in spite of all he evidently had endured. He replied heartily to his friend's greeting with, "No old boy, I'm getting on fine; but I would not have tone West' anyhow.”
"Well, you know what I mean-`pass on,' go under,' `peg out,' don't you know?”
The man in blue smiled quietly.
"Yes, I do know what you mean, and I'd like to explain what I mean. Can you sit down a bit? My leg is a bit shaky still.”
The other soldier sat down by his side and replied: "Go to it, Dent. I've wanted to hear how you got out of that tight scrape. A lot of your chums did not make it, I hear.”
"Well, you can guess how glad we were when the order came to charge, for we had been like dogs on the leash for days. We just went over the top and at 'em. I can't tell you how time passed, for we made a grand rush to reach the heights.
"The worst was over before I was hit. I ran on for a bit before I fell. I must have lain there a long time, for it was dark when I came to myself, and my tunic was saturated with blood. A burning pain soon aroused me entirely.
"It was weird, I can tell you, waking up like that. It was agony to move, and I lay still till a star shell burst, and for an instant lit up the area. I spied the outline of a shell hole, and tried to crawl to a bit of shelter.
"I had got about halfway when I came to one of our company. At first I thought he was done for; but I slipped my hand into his tunic and found his heart was beating, so I dragged and rolled him towards a fairly decent mound of earth. For a little while I lay exhausted with the pain of my effort, wondering who my buddy was.
"Another light flashed in the sky, and I got a good look at his face. Yes, I knew him. He was a fine fellow from our platoon, named Gilbert, but he was nicknamed by the boys, Filbert. He was a great favorite with us all—a jolly, friendly chap, a touch of a saint perhaps about him, but a good sport for all that.
"He was too good a man to lose, and I tried to bring him round; but it was not easy, there in the dark, and my leg throbbing at every movement. I had some water left, and I got a few drops down his throat, and laid close to get some warmth into him.
"At last he began to rouse, and I told him who I was. I said all the cheery things I could think of, such as 'cheer up,' "keep smiling," but he did not really rally. At last I said: 'Gil, old man, I fear you are 'going West.' Have you any messages?'
"Gilbert roused then, `No: I am 'going East'; not to the night, but to the dawn.'
"I thought he was wandering, so I tried again.
'Chum, you are wounded badly; I am afraid you are—,' and I hesitated for want of a word. He held my hand tight then, and said: 'Yes, I know; but all the same it is to the DAY I'm going. Christ has overcome the sharpness of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven for me. I know that, and I am so glad.'
"That was too much for me! I knew I was even then in deadly peril. At any moment a shot might find us and finish me off. At such a time a man is pretty honest with himself. I was not very religious; but like most of the boys, I had done a bit of thinking. Sure, I had put up a prayer when we went over the top; but I was not ready like Gil.
"It came over me all of a sudden—what was the difference between 'going West' and 'going East'? Here was a man who could tell me, if he only held out long enough. I put my lips to his ear and whispered: `Gil, can you tell me how I can 'go East' too?'
"That roused him! He seemed to come right back, and spoke strongly as he gripped my hand. 'Old man, the way is straight before you; it is Christ Himself.'
'Yes, Gil, but my sins! You know I've forgotten Him all these years.' As I said this I felt how far I was from the Way he spoke of. Gil lay still for a bit, then whispered with a tender thrill in his voice: 'There's the Cross, you know, and the MAN who died on it. You remember the old Sunday school hymn:
He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good;
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood?'
"Yes, I remembered it well. I could even hear the tune ringing in my ears. It all came back with a rush of memory: the faces of my classmates, my teacher's voice. But after all, it was only a hymn. Could I rest my soul on that? I tried again. 'But, Gil, is that gospel truth? Is that all?'
"Again came the whispered words: 'Yes, chum, gospel truth indeed. Listen to this, it is God's own Word: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." That's you and me. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." That's yours and mine. "Christ also hath suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." Don't you see that is turning us to the Dawn, to the Day?'
"I drank in the words, but it was too easy, I thought. I must know more.
'Yes, Gil, but what am I going to do to get all that? What is the connecting link?'
'Do! why, nothing! It's all done by Him, at Calvary. Ask Him to take you as you are; He will do all the rest.'
"I thought it over as best I could. There must be something for me to do, something to bring as a kind of atonement for the past. But after all, Gilbert knew best, and there was no other way I could see; so I let myself go and prayed the only words which came to my mind: "Lord, have mercy upon me! God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
"Then Gilbert's voice, very faint, came once more: `with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plenteous redemption'; 'The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.'
"The words came with authority, as if God Himself had spoken. He was very near us then. I trembled as I lay, but the burden had gone, and I thanked Him from my heart. Whatever came now I was safe. I did not understand, but knew whom I had believed.'
That was even better than understanding. I felt Gilbert's hand clasp tighten as he murmured. 'Another soul; this makes dying worth-while. My God, I thank Thee; keep, oh, keep him, and bring him safely to the eternal Day.'
"After this we both lay silent, and oh, how I longed for the dawn! At last it came faintly like a lovely primrose veil over the east. A thin line of light broke across us as we lay. Gil opened his eyes, and a smile lit up his face before it settled into the peace of the last sleep.
"Now do you wonder that I never say I am 'going West'? God has turned me from darkness to light, and has given me 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' I have peace with God through the work of Christ and can rest in the assurance that,
"Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain—
He washed it white as snow.”