come too; and I should have been glad if their voices had been heard,
for I was afraid the Chaplain's appeal would hardly be heeded and that
the benches of the little church would be three-parts empty.

But on gently pushing the door open I found at once that my fears were
baseless. The church was in fact too small to hold all the soldiers,
who had come long before the appointed hour as soon as they heard the
bells begin. And now that I had no fears about the church being empty
I wondered how I was going to find a place myself. I stood on the
doorstep, undecided, on tip-toe, looking over the heads of all those
standing men to see whether there was any corner unoccupied where I
could enjoy the beauty of the unexpected sight in peace.

The nave was almost dark. The expense of lighting, had no doubt to be
considered, for for several days past no candle or taper was to be
had for money. And no doubt the kindness of a motorist of the Red
Cross had been appealed to for the supply of all the candles which lit
up the altar. This was indeed resplendent. The vestry had been
ransacked for candlesticks, and the tabernacle was surrounded by a
splendid aureole of light. All this increased the touching impression
I felt on entering.

Against the brilliant background of the choir stood out the black
forms of several hundreds of men standing and looking towards the
altar. Absolute silence reigned over the whole congregation of
soldiers. And yet no discipline was enforced; there was no superior
present to impose a show of devotion. Left to themselves, they all
understood what they had to do. They crowded together, waiting in
silence and without any impatience for the ceremony to begin.