For Charley’s Sake – Dwight Lyman Moody

In Detroit, at an international convention of the Young Men’s Christian Association, Judge Olds was present as a delegate from Columbus. One evening he was telling about the mighty power Christians summon to their aid in the petition “for Christ’s sake,” “in Jesus’ name,” and he told a story that made a great impression on me. When the war came on, he said, his only son left for the army, and he became suddenly interested in soldiers. Every soldier that passed by brought his son to remembrance; he could see his son in him. He went to work for soldiers. When a sick soldier came there to Columbus one day, so weak he couldn’t walk, the judge took him in a carriage, and got him into the soldier’s home. Soon he became president of the soldier’s home in Columbus, and used to go down every day and spend hours in looking after those soldiers, and seeing that they had every comfort. He spent on them a great deal of time and a great deal of money. One day he said to his wife, “I’m giving too much time to these soldiers. I’ve got to stop it. There’s an important case coming on in court, and I’ve got to attend to my own business.” He said he went down to the office that morning, resolved in future to let the soldiers alone. He went to his desk, and then to writing. Pretty soon the door opened, and he saw a soldier hobble slowly in. He started at sight of him. The man was fumbling at something in his breast, and pretty soon he got out an old soiled paper. The father saw it was his own son’s writing.

“DEAR FATHER: This young man belongs to my company. He has lost his leg and his health in defense of his country, and he is going home to his mother to die. If he calls on you, treat him kindly.
“FOR CHARLIE’S SAKE.”

“For Charlie’s sake.” The moment he saw that, a pang went to his heart. He got up for a carriage, lifted the maimed soldier, drove home, put him into Charlie’s room, sent for the family physician, kept him in the family and treated him like his own son. When the young soldier got well enough to go to the train to go home to his mother, he took him to the railway station, put him in the nicest, most comfortable place in the carriage, and sent him on his way home to his mother. “I did it,” said the old judge, “for Charlie’s sake.” Now, whatsoever you do, my friends, do ti for the Lord Jesus’ sake. Do and ask everything in His name, in the name of Him “who loved us and gave Himself for us.”