In the Days When the World Was Wide, and Other Verses

<h2> When the 'Army' Prays for Watty </h2> <p>When the kindly hours of darkness, save for light of moon and star,<br/> Hide the picture on the signboard over Doughty's Horse Bazaar;<br/> When the last rose-tint is fading on the distant mulga scrub,<br/> Then the Army prays for Watty at the entrance of his pub.<br/> <br/> Now, I often sit at Watty's when the night is very near,<br/> With a head that's full of jingles and the fumes of bottled beer,<br/> For I always have a fancy that, if I am over there<br/> When the Army prays for Watty, I'm included in the prayer.<br/> <br/> Watty lounges in his arm-chair, in its old accustomed place,<br/> With a fatherly expression on his round and passive face;<br/> And his arms are clasped before him in a calm, contented way,<br/> And he nods his head and dozes when he hears the Army pray.<br/> <br/> And I wonder does he ponder on the distant years and dim,<br/> Or his chances over yonder, when the Army prays for him?<br/> Has he not a fear connected with the warm place down below,<br/> Where, according to good Christians, all the publicans should go?<br/> <br/> But his features give no token of a feeling in his breast,<br/> Save of peace that is unbroken and a conscience well at rest;<br/> And we guzzle as we guzzled long before the Army came,<br/> And the loafers wait for 'shouters' and &mdash; they get there just the same.<br/> <br/> It would take a lot of praying &mdash; lots of thumping on the drum &mdash;<br/> To prepare our sinful, straying, erring souls for Kingdom Come;<br/> But I love my fellow-sinners, and I hope, upon the whole,<br/> That the Army gets a hearing when it prays for Watty's soul.<br/></p> <p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0027" id="link2H_4_0027"></SPAN></p> <br/> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />