The Rising of the Tide

nd in the offices of the mills and factories, men sniffed or swore, "Doesn't a man know when he is well off? I don't understand how a st

urch grumbled to him. "We will have that fami

The repeated shocks of the news of the next few days battered down indifference. Each night and each morning there fell into the community facts-terrible, unbelievable-stunning and horrifying it. Germany had invad

ut quite detached. The first sense of connection came when the Argus announced that Patsy McCullon was lost. The last

the country near Sabinsport. Here Patsy's grandfather had settled and prospered. Here her father had been born and here he still carried on the original McCullon farm. He had married a "native" like himself, and like himself well-to-do. They had worked hard and they had to sho

sixteen she had graduated, and the next year she had gone to college. Her father and mother had put in a feeble protest. They needed her. She was an only child. They had "enough." Why not settle down? But Patsy said firmly, No. She was going to "prepare to do something." When they asked her what, she said quite frankly she didn't know. She'd see. She knew the f

ll-dressed, citified people, whose origin was in no case better and often not so good as her own-Father McCullon took care that Patsy knew the worst of the forebears of those in town who held their heads so high-regarded her as a little country girl, something intangibly di

ent"-what secret had they for making her father and mother so proud of their visits, and why didn't her father and mother drop

o visit you with

itors are always welcome in the country. City peo

ld find out about it. But

She read books, she shone in every school exhibition, but she continued a girl from the country. Evide

times said. It didn't, nothing tried to: she was too useful, too agreeable, too resourceful. It didn't matter whether it was a Greek or a tennis score, Patsy went after it, and oftener than not carried it away. Probably if there had been annual voting for the most popular g

or Blank," the Argus reported. A thing like that didn't get by the exclusive of Sabinsport. There weren't many of them who wo

nto its innermost, idlest set, she had taken its breath away and distressed

had been generous, too generous, and she'd taken freely. It wasn't fair, unless she went back to the farm and

he found herself free to come and go wherever she would in Sabinsport, but it was no longer an interest. College had done something to Patsy-set her on a chase after what s

n airs, had made her feel. She was going to treat everybody fair, for, as she sagely told herself, "You can never tell what anybody may do-look at me!" Which of course proves that

can be darn sure she'll never double cross you in getting it: she's white all through." She was,

1914, she went abroad everybody had been interested. It was her first trip and she

, sniffed at this. "I don't see why you give Patsy so much time over this trip of hers. It will only

at?" ask

sn't know there is a suffering woman or child in Sabinsport. She

that know anything of the life of the men and women who do the work. You can't blame Patsy for what is true of nearly all American well-to-do women

or knowing what she wan

g a clean g

cion sometimes that Ralph's irritation over Patsy was partly growing fondness and partly s

e, but if I don't mistake, she's beginning. I don't

nd the day after the declaration of war on Serbia a long letter announcing

tions over here, and it is to look into them that they go the route they do. Of course, Dick, it shatters all those wonderful Baedeker constellations we worked out for this part of the w

't see anything here," growled Ra

e country people need and how well the agents are persuading them they need it. Martha says it's no end of fun to go with him. We'll spend a day in Dijon-time enough to see the old houses and the pastels in the museum. We're going from there to a place calle

at he was in danger, read it and re-read it and say to himself that a girl who could write like that at twenty-four must be a very gid

herself was unconscious of why she wrote these bubbling lett

oung man forty-eight hours longer to realize that Patsy might be caught in some unpleasant trap. He called up Dick. "The papers say there's a p

, the 20th, two days later than theirs, the night before they started. "She ought to be in Brussels to-day. They say they're worried over there about getting home. I guess Patsy

aty with all her neighbors to keep off her soil. France and Germany keep a strip specially for

just what he feared. The world seemed suddenly black and all roads closed. But at least he would

. McCullon, which grew with the reading of the papers, stirred the town mightily. The poor old people, so confident at first, had become more and more disturbed as they failed by cablegram to get any news. They spent part of every day in town, going back at night, white with weariness and forebodings. The only thing that buoyed them up was the series

and was posting a letter. The next morning a wire from Washington said that the Embassy reported her in Brussels, and wh

ol, and his admiration for his teacher, always considerable, had been heated white-hot by the excitement of her adventures. They talked about it in the barber shop and at the grocery and at the hardware sto

llon scarcely knew called them up to tell them how glad they were Patsy was safe and sometimes to confi

something of the character of a historical document in the town. It made the things they had read and shivered over every morning actual and in a vague way connected them with the

letter w

ium, Friday,

-day?" for, knowing the land foot by foot, he realized how inevitable it was that the town must be engulfed in the Namur-

lovely little playboy of a town, its feet in the Meuse, its head wearing an old old citadel on a cliff grown up with trees and ferns. You would love it so, Mother McCullon. And here it is the same watchful, dangerous quiet. There have been rumors of war for many days, you know. The French papers, which I've read diligently, were full of forecastings and queer political calculations which I didn't understand and which

t me as it has if I had not been so close to the frontier. When I wrote you ten days ago-it seems a year-I told you that we were to follow the frontier from Belfort th

ar. We got into town all right and they took us into the hotel, but I thought we'd never get out. The air

ace. I wonder if that is the difference between the American and French towns. These places look as if nothing could disturb them. I'm sure if when I'm old and gray and come back to Verdun, it will all be the same and I'll sit on the terrace looking out on the Meuse

nry's friend-he always knows a man everywhere-wasn't there-he'd been suddenly called, transferred. Nobody knew us and everybody suspected us, but Mr. Laurence was determined to get into Belgium at once. We'd be free there, he said, and could play around

the wire came from Sabinsport. I never heard of such a thing. Henry says that his officer friend told him that the Germans on the other side of

in Belgium-nice

day, A

neutrality. I don't see much in a neutrality that calls all the men out. It is harsh business for the people. I've been out in the streets and walking in the country for hours and I'm broken-hearted. It seems that the bell the police go up and down ringing means that they must go at once. There are posters all over the walls to the Armée de Terre and Armée de mer, telling them to lose no time. Why, this morning the man who was serving us left in the middle of our meal, just saying 'Pardon, c'est la mobilization,' and in three minutes Madame

Tuesday,

ilization is well under way-says the tax on transportation is so heavy that the mails are held up. There is

she-and she appealed to me. The poor fellow looked so wretched and the children so pretty that Henry, who has the kindest heart in the world, said, 'See here, let me have the kids. I'll find somebody to keep them.' 'But I have no money,' the man said. 'Well, never mind-I'll see to that,' and, would you believe it? that man marched off leaving Henry Laurence with two solemn little Belgians. Well, we had to stay in Dinant forty-eight hours longer than we'd expected while Henr

r, Au

hom they know very well, as the firm has offices here-for repeating such a rumor, but he insisted he was right. Germany couldn't do such a thing, Henry insisted. The man only shrugged and said what everybody says here: 'Guillaume est la cause.' ('W

have attacked Liége. Nobody seems to know just what has happened. It is sure that the Belgians were told by Germany that they would not be disturbed. Henry came in th

st be a perfect brick. The Germans sent him a message, telling him what they proposed to do. He called the parliament instanter and read them the document. It was in the Brusse

won't hurt the Belgians if they will let her march through so as to attack France-and she gives them twelve hours to decide-think of that. Doesn't it make you want to fight yourself? The cowards! It is like a knife in the back. But I am p

ed done. Now they can't get it and they wouldn't be more helpless if their legs had been unhooked. The trouble is we can't get to Brussels without money-for they've taken the car! Doesn't it sound like a comic opera, Mother dear? I forgot you never saw one, but it's just such crazy things they do. We've credit, at least, for the firm has an agent here-a big one; but the office is closed, for the age

Friday,

ur car. Mr. Laurence would not have waited for that, but Martha is really ill and he was afraid that the journey to Brussels in the over-crowded trains and with the delays and discomforts might be serious for her. We couldn't be in a safer place, I suppose, if we must stand a siege. The people say Namur has the strongest fortif

s in the streets, but people go on so naturally. The old men and women are harvesting. Here and there on the river bank you see a fisherman holding his pole as placidly as if there was not a German in a thousand

sday-

ing Belgium, I suppose. It has frightened Mr. Laurence and Henry and they want to get to Brussels. The news from Liége is very queer. We can't tell how true it is, but the attack seems to be heavier and to-

d I wanted to kill it. I wasn't the only one. I saw a Belgian workman do the

ls, Aug

s of passports, but they took their own time making sure and sometimes it was long, for I don't believe they could always read. There were soldiers and civil guards all holding us up, and when they were not on the road it was the peasants themselves. Why, in one little town a regiment of armed peasants stopped us. Mr. Laurence said they must have raided the firearms' department of a historical museum to get the weapons they carri

se of our embassy and the office, though the office has been turned into a hospital. Hundreds of wounded are coming in. The Red Cross is at work raising money

bassy for me. He says you think I'm lost. Oh, my dear, I never thought of that. But you'll surely get your wire from Washington to-day, he says. His New York office will wire every day. I

loving

n. It was many days before they were to know of the experiences of the ten days between letter and message, experiences which we

s and their laws and meanings were remote and unreal, to come to a realization of what the seas meant to her, the things she made and the children she bore; they forced her to understand that the flag and laws which protected her homes must protect ships on the water, for as her home was her castle so were ships the sailor's castle; they forced her to lay aside old prejudices against England; they forced her to a passion of pity and pride and protective love for France; they forced her to an understanding of the utter contradiction between her beliefs

neutrality and she had broken her oath. She had followed this breach of fai

was

n Sabinsport. She was harsh with people who broke bargains and saw to it always they were punished. If the sinner was able by influence in bribery or cleverness to escape the law, Sabinsport punished him in her own way. She never forgot and she built up a cloud of suspici

d conditions, but the out-and-out thing she wouldn't stand. A boy caught tying a tin can to a dog's tail in Sabinsport would be threatened by the police, held up to scorn in school and thrashed at home. A

efore Patsy's letter arrived a group of leading men and women asked Dick to start a relief fund; the Sunday after, almost everybody

Dick with a subscription because it was so "damned plucky." Belgium's courage had no deeper admirers than Mulligan and Cowder. Jake swore long and loud and gave generous

ered. Possibly England had arranged with Belgium to let her through in case of attack-possibly France would have broken her word in case of need. However that might be, the fact was that it was Germany that had abused her oath and not France or England, and she did it at the moment w

well to be brave," he said, "but one should distinguish in important matters in this life between the practical and impractical. I call this foolish resistance-couldn't possibly hold that army, and if they had let it pass they would have been

as looking at a mixture of chemicals watching for a crystallization-would it come true to the laws in which he had faith? And it did; whatever the fact and fancy, the logic and nonsense, poured into Sabinsport's head, a sou

aign. It filled the air with new sympathies and feelings. It thrust rudely out of field matters to which men had been giving their lives. It demanded attention to facts, relations, situations, ideas that until now were unheard of. Insist as Ralph did in the Argus and out that the war was

r relation to German Kultur, he did not even dimly see. They were Kultur for him and all there was of it. Because Germany had worked out fine and practical systems of social insurance and industrial safety, and housing and employment, he could not believe her capable of other than humane and fair dealing with all the world. He was ready, for the sake of

t had been clear to him, as it could not have been to one who had not known the thought and passion of the German ruling class, that this must become the most desperate struggle the earth had yet seen between th

ld go to Canada and enlist. And with the determination there came a tormenting uncertainty. Would they accept him? All his life he had lived under a restraint-his guardian-physicians in

e a long, full, useful life without danger if you are willing to live within certain physical and mental limitations. Moderation, c

and then he felt a pang. Sports of the severe sort were closed to him. He went through Euro

ho feels that to be denied the chance to fling himself into this mighty thing is the greatest calamity life could offer. We men who are too old feel it. Many a man with burdens of political, social, professional, industrial responsibility in him so imperative that he must remain here, feels it. You are one of a great host to whom is denied the very final essence of human experience, giving their blood-for the finest vision the earth has yet seen. Don't let it down you. Go home to the States and help them to learn what this thing means. They can't know. It is different with us. Where England

whom he had consulted in the past, and from each heard the same verdict. He knew they were right. That was the dreadful truth. He knew that forcing himself into s

ad not been too crushed at the moment to realize that his dear but limited and obstinate friend was making awkward efforts to show his sympathy, it is quite possi

uge in a time of need; a citizen of a country in which I have not taken root; an accident in the only spot on earth where I've ever done an honest day's work; the very companion

hing like normal courage and cheer. The probability that Paris would fall into German hands had filled him with horror. W

anks to the Almighty. If for the millions it was simply an amazing turn in the war, an unexpected proof that Germany was n

lag over his fruit and startled the children by giving them handfuls of his wares, the grown-ups by his reckless measures and everybody by a

lly. It was the only way they knew to answer the arrogance that the German advance had broug

she was stronger and by his inability to believe that the invasion of Belgium could be the monstrous thing it proved and by his complacent faith that nothing anyway could harm an American business man, it was not until the 19th he obeyed the imperative order of the embassy to go while he could. In tho

they are so like the folks around home. It's the old people that break my heart. Somehow it seems more terrible for them than even the children, though they take it so quietly. We picked up an old woman of eighty to-day. She might have been old Mother Peters out at Cowder's Corners-never before in a great city-h

t 18th s

helping rushed here. We're leaving them-I feel like a coward, b

ten from London after a fli

so sweet, but it does not seem right. I cannot consent to be calm when just over there those dreadful things are happening. But every one here i

roused keen interest in Sabins

cognized me. I was giving my address, promising to raise money in America, when a gi

,' I

ill you tell my father you saw me, that I

great lady. I know all of that hateful gossip about her is

growled Ralph, when he a

egan. At the Embassy an attaché told me she was about the most level-headed and really useful American woman he'd

ts of gossip, that the town considered her highly improper. There seemed to be two reasons: one was the general disapproval of anything that be

visiting the Barstows. "She must be all right," he mused, "or she would not be in that house." You see, Dick had

rained, inexpressive old people were almost embarrassed by the tears and the kisses she showered on them. This was not their business-like, assertive girl, absorbed in her own plans and insisting on her own ways. It was a girl who watched them with almost annoying persistence, who wanted to save them steps, guard them from imaginary da

sources; that it think of nothing else. But this it could not do. Sabinsport, ignorant and distant as it was, had developed something

en civilization and the Russian peril; that she had been hampered by an envious England; that if Germany had not violated Belgium, France would. If Ralph had not been stung to jealousy by Patsy's interest in something o

self to sleep. She had not known how completely she was counting on Ralph's sympathy. She had said to herself: "Now I know something of what he feels about people who suf

confessed that he did it all with decreasing faith. It was a hard r?le. He was a man without a text in which he believed to the full. Then suddenly in October he found what he was searching. Reuben Cowder had landed a munit