CHRISTIAN SCIENCE IN THE WAR
candidates were asked to do hospital duty, which resulted in healing to many.
Mr. Filler and Mr. Bartlett were graduated in November, received sailing orders at once and left for France on November 15 to be assigned upon their arrival overseas. Together they attended a Chaplains' School near Le Mans and were then ordered to duty, Mr. Bartlett to Bordeaux and Mr. Filler to Base Hospital No. 7 at Beaune. Chaplain Filler made the most of a wonderful opportunity to turn men's thoughts towards spiritual things through the shining light of a good example. For some months work among the men in the wards was faithfully done, each one soon learning that the chaplain was his friend and ever ready to be of service.
At Christmas time he wrote:
“The Red Cross gave each man a pair of woolen stockings filled. I was delegated to get them around the wards and it was a real pleasure for me to do so. I went into town, Beaune, and bought all the pretty little cards one store had, some 890, and asked fellows who were good writers to write the names of all the patients on them. Being mail censor I am quite sure that about every one of those cards is on its way to the States now, bearing mute evidence to the fact that the boys were remembered on Christmas day. I had arranged with the Red Cross to give me some extra stockings and I had a detail of men take them down to the forty-five fellows in the camp prison. I never did anything that was any more appreciated and it gave me a splendid opportunity to tell the fellows there that I was their chaplain and friend.”
The chaplain's presence in the surgical ward came to be much appreciated, for the boys and the doctors felt his helpful encouraging thought and wanted him to be at hand during a trying time.
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