The Next of Kin: Those who Wait and Wonder

CKER-IN

know, of course, that I am peculiar in many ways"; or, "I am afraid you will not understand me when I say this"; or, "I am afraid I am hopelessly old-fashioned in this." She would explain with painstaking elaborat

es and had listened to discussions of public matters all her life, having been brought up in an atmosphere of advanced thinking; but she realized that her case was an exceptional one. It was not the good fortune of every woman to have had a college course as she had, and she really could not see what good could come from a movement which aimed at making all women equal! Why, if wo

West, she could never forget what a sacrifice she had made by coming to a new co

arth was not at all like other children and must not be subjected to the same discipline as they, for he had a proud and haughty spirit that would n

d he was then attending the university. He first

I certainly did not raise you to be a soldier. There are plenty of common people to do the fighting;

pany went, he spoke of it aga

ry Tom, Dick, and Harry? I tell you soldiering is a rough business, and I canno

f boys going who have had just

om next door whose brother was going away the next

ing, Garth?" she

imply amazed at your mother for letting Robert go. Does she not believe in education? Of course I k

r would be very glad to have Bob finish his edu

the boys get their educati

d happen to us if every mother held her boy back-wha

st mothers run with the popular fancy-they go with the cro

culiar' business-it makes me

me, Garth, when we all go and you are left with the women and the old

r lasts long enough,-but not as a private. I will not obje

o batmen over there. But never mind, I'll be good to you and will se

htedly. "Garth always sees

it! These pasteboard officers never last after they get over-they can only c

ng. His mother openly rebuked the mothers of the boys who had gone. "Let the man on the street go! Look at the

same. This is a holy war-holier than any of the crusades-for the crusader went out to restore the tomb of our Lord, and that is only a material

, "you are simply war-mad like so many wo

killed. To the mothers of these went Mrs. Brunton with words of sympathy,

now?" asked on

n, "as soon as the college term closes. A boy meets the very nicest pe

!" said the oth

n he went to another city to take the officers' training, and she referred to

brought cabinet-sized photographs which cost eighteen dollars a dozen. Another party was

he girls, and the mother of one of them came to visit Mrs. Brunton. They agreed on the sub

battle was ever more royally received, and an afternoon reception was held,

see his own country first, before going abroad; and, besides, no commission had yet been offered him. The short-sighted

egs, eyes that stared, and heads that rolled pitifully appeared on the streets. On the sunshiny afternoons many of these broken men sat o

ies, and had traveled Canada from end to end. There had been four farewell parties and three

s waiting for the postman-one of Mae's letters had evidently gone astray, and the postman, who seemed to be a stupid fellow, had probably given it t

rth rapped imperiously with his cane, as "Posty," peer

Garth, "let me s

his hands. While he gathered them up, Garth in his most

I have lost letters through your carelessness. What is

Posty," flushing as red

fficer, "why don't you use your e

ion as he answered with

ther one at Saint-éloi. Were you thinking of

lk our streets, new pale faces lie on hospital pillows, telegr

time in signaling). He gave a whole set of buttons off his uni

this war, it is worth something to have such a perf