Over There with the Canadians at Vimy Ridge
houlder bandaged in hot cloths, frequently changed. It was found that the stone that struck him had strained and bruised the muscl
red to many of the wounded, yet the exciting thrills that had filled his short experience in trench and No Man's Land with "lot
p captain employed by a company that operated a line of passenger and freight steamers on the Great Lakes. As a result the boy grew up a
Canadian as well as United States ports. In one of these live
h families lived near Lake Erie, there was frequent visit
ere about the same age, and both were fond of life on the lake. Bob also was given work u
, and Bob was one of the first to enlist. On the day of his enlistment he wrote a long letter full of fiery patriotism to his cousin o
he. Cousin Bob was a real hero in their minds, and Irving envied him. The violation of the Belgian treaty, the storming of Liege and the invasion of France across the Belgian frontier
ad paved the way for his oldest son's wish by expressing the opinion that the United States would be drawn into the war before it was over. Even the younger children were so imbued with
end to discussion of the war in their household. The radical change that suddenly transformed the family conversations was almost grewsome in its emptiness; the substitution of silence for
ated military power was growing every day. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis saw the inevitable coming. They knew that they would not forbid their son to enlis
I want to go," th
ith the campaign of silence that had preceded. The consent was given in silence and the s
s later was aboard a transport on a zig-zag, submarine-dodging course for England. After their arrival in France, Irving because of his training in certain technical lines was put in the engine
in a letter from Bob written at home. Two weeks later, while Irving was in the hospital recovering from the injury he received in the listening pit in No Man's Land, another letter