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THE DUTIES OF A WAR CHAPLAIN.
The Rev. E. F. Hardy, most famous of
war chaplains, has been interviewed in
" Pearson's" on the duties of a chaplain
and his physical and spiritual requirements.
Ho says he must differ as much from the
pulpit clergyman as possible, save in the
divine character of his mission, and this
he must complesionise with a certain
friendly geniality which in ordnsary life
would only be possible by sacrificing his
dignity. "Look at Matthew," he says,
"the chaplain to the forces who was
brought a prisoner to PretorIa. He was a
capital' chap, a raconteur in a thousand,
able to sing a good song, and never out
of temper with anyone. These are the
REV. ŽJIR. H~kRDY. Help
REV. ŽJIR. H~kRDY.
things which win Tommy's heart, .and once
you .have his heart it is always easy to
.tauch the soul." Mr. Hardy evidently be
lieves in his chaplain being of the fittest,
:as he-says, " He must be heavenly-minded,
but a good animal, hard as nails, and tough
as the beef he will be asked to eat." I re
ceived a paper from South Africa which
:bears out this opinion. A paragraph says,
" One interesting feature of the fighting
was the activity of Chaplain Robertson. He
acted in turns as a galloper, as a water
carrier, and as a stretcher-bearer. Wher
ever a ready hand was wanted the chaplain
svas always to the fore, and won golden
opinions from all." MIr. Hardy concludes
this 'linteresting interview by saying:
" The'ideal chaplain pales at no fight, how
ever startling, can ride an untrained horse,
and can come .up smiling and without
fatigue 'to his duty when the thermometer
is 110 in the shade. And, besides :those
things that are without, there is that .which
is withtn-anixiety for the sick and wound
ed, who are going by scores every day to
their last account. No ! I shall not vdlun
teer ; but I shall go if sent, and then any
sufficiency I may have will be of God and
not self-stfliticiency."
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