CHRISTIAN SCIENCE IN THE WAR
in his hands and he was asked to notify the men who had been chosen and request them to be prepared to read the next Sunday and continue to do so until their term of service was up.
This plan proved admirably efficient in its workings, until departure for overseas drew near. Then, as nobody knew which organization would leave first or whether either of the regularly chosen readers would be able to be present for the next meeting, every Christian Scientist participating in the work in the camp came to service prepared to substitute for one or the other of the readers. The Worker in this camp, because so much of the responsibility for the work was assumed by the men themselves (in line with the Committee's plan), laughingly referred to himself as merely an “errand boy” for the soldier Scientists.
In other camps the readers were chosen direct by the congregation, to serve for varying lengths of time.
In one case the readers were made a committee to obtain a place for holding services, which were announced to start the following Sunday. A mess hall not then in use was found available. The Second Reader, a handy man with tools, constructed two readers' desks, and on the Saturday preceding the first service, drove the truck which brought firewood to the building and swung the axe which cut the wood for the fire that made the hall more comfortable. Never were hymns sung with more fervor, nor the reading of the lesson-sermon listened to with closer attention than by these earnest young soldiers.
The men showed their keen interest and love for these simple services, oftentimes making distinct sacrifices to be present. Soldier readers have been known to forego furloughs in order to be at their post
120
