The Marne
vember came, a
ad to share his narrow cabin with two young German-Americans full of open brag about the Fatherland; but also because of the same eternally
e were two sides to every case," immediately raised up a following of unnoticed ladies, who "couldn't believe all that was said of the Germans" and hoped that America would never
ntly unaware of the war. That at least was Troy's impression during the twenty-fou
war. At first the boys were very keen to hear his story, but he described what he had seen so often-and especiall
and one Sunday after chapel he gave a little talk to explain why the President thought it right to try to keep his people out of the dreadful struggle. The words duty and
ys and sugar-plums to the Belgian war-orphans, with little notes from
up parcels, planning war-tableaux and charity dances, rushing to "propaganda" lectures given by h
nevitably been affected by
her long dinner-table between the orchids and the candelabra; and the pretty women and prosperous men would interrupt their tal
nd lots more were pouring home all the time with fresh tales of tragedy: the Marn
Here was Mr. So-and-so, just back from Belgium-such horrible stories-really unrepeatable! "Don't you want to come and hear them, my dear? Dine wi
arrived from France much more recently, and had done and seen much more than she had. One after another she saw them received with the same eagerness-"Of course we all know about the marvellous things you've been doing in France-your wonderful war-work"-then, like herself, they were superseded by some later arriva
urse, and Troy, coming home for the Easter holidays, found at the family table a large sonorous personage-a Senator, just back from Europe-who, after rolling out vague praises of France and England,
me in!" Troy blurted out, redd
or laughed, and said something about geographical immuni
I'm grown up," Troy per
l have to hurry, for the economists all say it can't
ying with her pearls; and Mr. Belknap added gravely: "By the time T
s to go out and kill something," remar
even a glimpse of it could ever again think with joy of killing! His boy's mind was sorely exercised to define the urgent emotions with which it laboured. To save France-that was the clear d
en as many windows on the universe as you can...." T
st aux enthousiastes," he had once quoted; and he had shown Troy how France had always been alive in every fibre, and how her inexhaustible vitality had been perpetually nouris
new idea she had struck out, every beauty she had created in her thousand fruitful years, was a tie between her and her children. These things were more g