The Unknown Friend

On the embarkation wharf at Southampton a young soldier, sad and standing alone, feels a friendly touch on his shoulder, and a Scripture Reader of many years’ service tries to cheer him up. “How can I help being miserable?” the youth says; “look at this,” showing his unknown friend a letter from his mother pleading with her boy to make a good start on leaving home. “I cannot face it on that ship, surrounded with sinful and godless companions.” The Army Scripture Reader points the young lad to a Higher Power able to save, and able to keep, wishes him Godspeed, and signals to another Army Scripture Reader on the ship to get in touch with the young soldier as he moves on board.
The transport slowly steams away. Friendship, kind counsel, faithful dealing day by day, and we hear in a few weeks that “Private― came regularly to my Bible class, and gave his heart to Christ before we reached Port Said.”