A Touching Letter

From a dear friend I have received the following letter. It was written to him by a French Christians who says in his note, “Herewith you will find copy of a letter written by a young French officer to a cousin of mine, Madame Ch―, who lost her husband. It is all the more touching as the writer is a Roman Catholic.”
(TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH)
Madam, dear Madam,
Let your Christian soul prepare to accept the I trial which it has pleased the Lord to send you. My excellent dear friend Jacques Ch― died facing the enemy on S— October 11th, falling on the road from Arras to Bethune lifted him up, and almost at once carried him to the M—, office at Nceux, where, when life had been pronounced extinct, he was buried piously, amid’ the tears of all his comrades in the Company.
His body rests in the Cemetery of Nux-les-Mines, and later you will have the last consolation of kneeling at his tomb... “Happy are the dead who die in the Lord.”
I have had the great pleasure and Honor of making your husband’s acquaintance here in the Regiment during the terrible days we are passing through. Always at his post, always ready for peril, sincerely loving his men, I had noticed him well, as all had. We were friends, and, although of different religion, I did not cease to admire the strength which faith in Christ had planted in his Protestant soul.
The soldier Ch—did his duty as a soldier, as a good Frenchman, but he died without anger and without hate. It remains for us all, Madam, to cherish him in our hearts, and to imitate him on behalf of France.
Goodbye, dear Madam, and with the sorrowful. condolence of all, I have the Honor to offer you my deep respect, with my sympathy in Christ.
(Signed,) F. JAS.
Sub-Lieutenant, 26ge d’Infanterie.

“My sins deserved eternal death,
But Jesus died for me.”