THE BATTALION.
23
school of Christ. Experience, unfortu
nately, teaches that the “here” of a
professional man painted on his office
sign, advertised in the papers, making
itself loudly heard in the equipment and
paraphernalia of his place of business,
does not always mean the whole man.
Why, I have an idea that the lawyer
who answers “here” unreservedly when
I call upon him with a case, will tell
me the weak points in it, will show me
where I was wrong, will advise me to
go to my opponent and make honorable
terms with him, instead of urging me
to fight in the courts and spend money,
and appeal, and stay proceedings, and
take advantage of technicalities and
what not else that is unworthy of me
and the law of equity. You cannot
trustingly deal with a merchant when
you know that behind his counter he is
not a man face to face with his fellow-
men, but a mere calculating, speculat
ing machine; a sort of trap set to catch
the unwary and inexperienced. You
know you appreciate it when a Profes-
fessor sometimes gets down from his
hobby, and lets you feel that he has
been over the very road you are travel
ing, and has stumbled at your difficul
ties, and is in sympathy with your
troubles.
Then, out there at roll call, one
sometimes hears the answer, “HERE”
to a name shrieked out in so loud a
tone or otherwise uttered so conspicu
ously that he is forced to think of its
probable significance. I have come to
the conclusion tha/t it means—not that
there is a superabundance of the man
there—but, on the contrary, that there
is a real deficiency, and voice, windy
bluff, is to compensate for it. I have
never enquired, but, on general prin
ciples, I conclude that the noisy
“‘here" does not mean extra prepara
tions for the work ahead, does not
mean excellence in class, on the drill-
ground, on duty, commensurate with
the vim expressed. I say, I judge
thus on general principles, for one of
ten hears this deceptive roll call re
sponse from men older than you.
The boisterous “aye” of the voter does
not always mean that a man is ready
to follow up his “aye” with the
strength of his whole manhood. The
“here” of an enrolled church member,
that is, his presence at worship, does
not always imply that he is ready to
consecrate himself and his means to
all that church stands for. The can
didate for office who most noisily re
sponds to the calls of patriotism and
stumps his district most vociferously
is too often “here” for the benefit of
Tom, Dick and Harry only so long as
the canvass lasts; when responsi
bilities are to be shouldered and the
integrity of office maintained at some
risk he is not here. The soldier who
fights fearfully in the canteen and on
furlough is not the bravest man before
a battery. The merchant who calls out
“here” in the column after column of
advertisement in the daily paper
sometimes sells shoddy goods. So I
judge, look out for the cadet who
makes the drill-ground echo with his
“here,” and it may be well to look out
for him after he leaves cadet life.
I tell you, young man, something is
meant when that musket strikes the
ground after the answer “here.” And
if its meaning were realized by every
one of you, if, in the words of my
text, and with full significance this
corps would say, “We are all here,”
I could foresee many alterations in the
conduct of affairs. But with a view
to this you would have to cherish
higher ideals than are probably prev
alent. You would have to realize that