"
And thus it came that with Corporal Thom and his derelicts the chaplain
marched into a new place in the esteem of the men of his battalion, and
of its sergeant major.
But of this, of course, Barry had no knowledge. He knew that he had made
some little progress into the confidence of both officers and men in his
battalion. He had made, too, some firm friendships which had relieved,
to a certain extent, the sense of isolation and loneliness that had
made his first months with the battalion so appalling. But there still
remained the sense of failure inasfar as his specific duty as chaplain
was concerned.
The experiences of the first weeks in England only served to deepen in
him the conviction that his influence on the men against the evils which
were their especial snare was as the wind against the incoming tide,
beating in from the North Sea. He could make a ripple, a certain amount
of fussy noise, but the tide of temptation rolled steadily onward,
unchecked in its flow.
The old temptations to profanity, drink and lust, that had haunted the
soldiers' steps at home, were found to be lying in wait for them here
and in aggravated form.
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