God keep our own dear men,
From every stain of sin,
God keep our men.
When Satan would allure,
When tempted, keep them pure,
Be their protection sure--
God keep our men.

God hold our precious men,
And love them to the end.
God hold our men.
Held in Thine arms so strong
To Thee they all belong.
This ever be our song:
God hold our men."

I stood the pressure until that great congregation came to that line
"They are so dear to us," and the voice of the mother beside me broke,
and she had to stop. Then I had to stop, too, and we looked at each
other through our tears and smiled and understood, so that when she
sweetly said, "I have a boy over there," her words were superfluous.
And so I have added another memory of song to the hours that will never
die.




II