but elegant. It is his habit so to do, and even the Christian soldier
who has belonged to this swearing set often finds it a great difficulty
to break away from his old habits.


='Old Praise the Lord.'=

An amusing and pathetic instance of this comes to our mind. A soldier
who worked at the forge was soundly converted to God, and as usual had
to go through the ordinary course of persecution. It was astonishing how
many pieces of iron fell upon his feet, and how often a rod was thrust
into his back! At such occurrences prior to his conversion he would have
sworn dreadfully, and he had to guard himself with the greatest care
lest some ungodly word should escape his lips. And so when any extra
cruelty in the shape of a red-hot piece of iron came too near, or a
heavy weight was dropped upon his toes, he used to cry, 'Praise the
Lord.' 'Old Praise the Lord' they called him, and truly he often had
sufficient reason for some such exclamation. He came to the Soldiers'
Fellowship Meeting one night, and told how he had been tested to the
limit. He had taken his money out of the Savings Bank, and locked it in
his box; but the box had been broken open, and the money taken away. He
stood and looked at it, hands clenched, teeth set. For a moment the fire
of anger flashed in his eyes, and words that belonged only to the long
ago sprang to his lips. A year's savings had gone. The promised trip to
the old home could not be taken. And a vision of the old mother waiting
for her boy, and waiting in vain, brought a big lump in his throat which
it was difficult to choke down. The lads stood and looked at him. What
would he do? And then that strange fire died out of his eyes, and his
hands relaxed their grasp, and with the light of love shining out from
his face he said, 'Praise the Lord,' and came into the meeting to tell