'It gives you your daily commands—just what you are to do and where you're to go. My Captain writes my orders down in His Word for me.'
'He's my Captain too,' said Teddy with glistening eyes. 'You mean Jesus, don't you? I've enlisted in His army, and I'm one of His soldiers.'
'Shake hands, little brother, then; we're comrades after all.'
'Are all soldiers in Jesus Christ's army?' asked Teddy as they walked away together.
The corporal shook his head sadly. 'Hardly any of them in my regiment,' he said. 'We're nearly seven hundred strong, and only six men besides myself, as far as I can tell, belong to the Lord. A year ago I was an awful blackguard myself: I drank dreadfully, and couldn't give the drink up; but that's all a thing of the past. Since I have belonged to the Lord He keeps me from it, and many other bad habits. I'll own I fairly dreaded coming to this bit of duty. The sight and smell of the beer is very strong to a man that has been such a slave to it, and I must be quartered in public-houses the whole way along.'
'You'll have to fight like Mr. Upton told me to, won't you?' said Teddy.
'But if our Captain is with us, Mr. Upton says we shan't be beaten.'
'No,' said the corporal, a light coming into his eyes. 'We shall be more than conquerors.'
Then, after a pause, he said, 'It's very considerate of your granny to ask me to tea; I was just wishing that something could be done in this village for the men coming after me, like we had last year when we marched through the country for the manoeuvres. They gave us a free tea at several of the places we went through, and it kept so many from drinking. There's a man coming along here who I'm terrible anxious about. He's been an awful drunkard, and is quite an old soldier; but last New Year's Day he signed the pledge, and he's kept it ever since: he's just on the point of being converted, I hope. We have yarns by the hour together, but if he's billeted in the Hare and Hounds, or any other public-house, for that matter, I don't know what he'll do. There's nothing for them when they come in tired but to sit in the bar or tap-room and drink. They can't get away from it.' Teddy's brow was knitted with deep thought.
'I didn't know soldiers drank too much,' he said. 'I thought they never did anything wrong.'
The corporal smiled. 'It isn't many that is of your opinion,' he said.
'Most folks put us down as a bad lot.'