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THE KING’S BUSINESS NEWS FROM THE TRENCHES A VISIT FROM RALPH NORTON
T ARGE Los Angeles audiences in the Bible Institute Auditorium were enter tained last month with the thrilling story of the European war trenches, by Ralph Norton. For nearly two years he and his wife labored among the soldiers, mainly among the Belgians on the French front,
roads, bearing on his back the heavy pack which for so many weary months of war he has carried, for so many hundreds of times, to the same trenches of misery and death ?i- And when he has entered that self-same trench, on the bright Christmas morning which you in America will be so
and they are now at home engaged in gath ering funds to further carry on the work of distributing the : Gospel and carrying good cheer to the boys in the trenches. Mrs. Norton makes this appeal: “Christ- mastide for the Belgian soldier: what will -it bring? To the children and grown-ups of America, it will mean happy family re unions around a well-laden Christmas tree; it will mean comfort, well-being, good cheer, in the shelter of happy homes. To thg little Belgian soldier this third Christ mas of the war will mean weariness of soul and body, heart-breaking loneliness, an ache of heart hardly to be borne as he thinks of his family separated from him by an impassable barrier, those loved ones from whom he has heard no word since the outbreak of the war. Can you not see him, sturdily marching away to the frozen mud of the trenches, on Christmas morning, over shell-pitted
joyously celebrating, he will accept and eat his same rations.of sour French bread and potatoes and weak coffee—if indeed he is able to swallow anything for the lump in his throat. For how differently they used to celebrate in the old days in Belgium! And then he will think and wonder for the millionth time if they are alive, his loved ones, if they are suffering—if perchance they think him dead. “And then -he will take out of his pocket the Gospel or Testamant sent him by American friends, and as he reads that the Lord Jesus too suffered and had no place to lay his head, he will do as many have done—write us, ‘Oh, I must have lost my reason but for the precious Book you have sent me.” ’ Persons desiring to make contributions to the fund, though Christmas will be near when they read this, may send them to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The money will be promptly forwarded to Mr. Norton.
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