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bungalow　to　meet　them。

〃Safe　back　again；〃　she　cried　with　an　all　too　evident　effort　to　be　cheery。　　〃How　lovely　the　night　is；　and　how　peaceful！　　James；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　turning　to　her　husband；　〃I　wish　you　would　go　to　Isabel。　　I　cannot　get　her　to　sleep。　　She　says　she　must　see　you。〃

〃Why；　what's　up？〃

〃I　think　she　has　got　a　little　fright；〃　said　his　wife。　　〃She　has　been　sobbing　pitifully。〃

Mr。　Murray　found　the　little　thing　wide　awake；　her　breath　coming　in　the　deep　sobs　of　exhaustion　that　follows　tempestuous　tears。　〃What's　the　trouble；　Sweetheart？〃

〃Oh；　Daddy；〃　cried　the　child；　flinging　herself　upon　him　and　bursting　anew　into　an　ecstasy　of　weeping；　〃shesaidyou　would　havetogo。　　Butyou　won'twill　youDaddy？〃

〃Why；　Isabel；　what　do　you　mean；　dear？　　Go　where？〃

〃To　thewarDaddythey　saidyou　wouldhaveto　goto　the　war。〃

〃Who　said？〃

〃Mabel。　　Butyouwon't；　will　you；　Daddy？〃

〃Mabel　is　a　silly　little　goose；〃　said　Mr。　Murray　angrily。　　〃No；　never　fear；　my　Sweetheart；　they　won't　expect　me　to　go。　　I　am　far　too　old；　you　know。　　Now；　then；　off　you　go　to　sleep。　　Do　you　know；　the　moon　is　shining　so　bright　outside　that　the　little　birds　can't　sleep。　　I　just　heard　a　little　bird　as　we　were　coming　home　cheeping　away　just　like；　you。　　I　believe　she　could　not　go　to　sleep。〃

But　the　child　could　not　forget　that　terrible　word　which　had　rooted　itself　in　her　heart。　　〃But　you　will　not　go；　promise　me；　Daddy；　you　will　not　go。〃

〃Why；　Sweetheart；　listen　to　me。〃

〃But　promise　me；　Daddy；　promise　me。〃　　The　little　thing　clung　to　him　in　a　paroxysm　of　grief　and　terror。

〃Listen；　Isabel　dear；〃　said　her　father　quietly。　　〃You　know　I　always　tell　you　the　truth。　　Now　listen　to　me。　　I　promise　you　I　won't　go　until　you　send　me　yourself。　　Will　that　do？〃

〃Yes；　Daddy；〃　she　said；　and　drew　a　long　breath。　　〃Now　I　am　so　tired；　Daddy。〃　　Even　as　she　spoke　the　little　form　relaxed　in　his　arms　and　in　a　moment　she　was　fast　asleep。

As　her　father　held　her　there　the　Spectre　drew　near　again；　but　for　the　moment　his　courage　failed　him　and　he　dared　not　look。



CHAPTER　XXII

THE　TUCK　OF　DRUM


In　the　midst　of　her　busy　summer　work　in　field　and　factory；　on　lake　and　river；　in　mine　and　forest；　on　an　August　day　of　1914；　Canada　was　stricken　to　the　heart。　　Out　of　a　blue　summer　sky　a　bolt　as　of　death　smote　her；　dazed　and　dumb；　gasping　to　God　her　horror　and　amaze。　Without　word　of　warning；　without　thought　of　preparation；　without　sense　of　desert；　War；　brutal；　bloody；　devilish　War；　was　thrust　into　her　life　by　that　power　whose　business　in　the　world；　whose　confidence　and　glory；　was　war。

For　some　days；　stunned　by　the　unexpectedness　of　the　blow；　as　much　as　by　its　weight；　Canada　stood　striving　to　regain　her　poise。　　Then　with　little　outcry；　and　with　less　complaint；　she　gathered　herself　for　her　spring。　　A　week；　and　then　another；　she　stood　breathless　and　following　with　eyes　astrain　the　figure　of　her　ally；　little　Belgium；　gallant　and　heroic；　which　had　moved　out　upon　the　world　arena；　the　first　to　offer　battle　to　the　armour…weighted；　monstrous　war　lord　of　Europe；　on　his　way　to　sate　his　soul　long　thirsty　for　bloodmen's　if　he　could；　women's　and　little　children's　by　preference；　being　less　costly。　　And　as　she　stood　and　strained　her　eyes　across　the　sea　by　this　and　other　sights　moved　to　her　soul's　depths；　she　made　choice；　not　by　compulsion　but　of　her　own　free　will；　of　war；　and　having　made　her　choice；　she　set　herself　to　the　business　of　getting　ready。　　From　Pacific　to　Atlantic；　from　Vancouver　to　Halifax；　reverberated　the　beat　of　the　drum　calling　for　men　willing　to　go　out　and　stand　with　the　Empire's　sons　in　their　fight　for　life　and　faith　and　freedom。　　Twenty…five　thousand　Canada　asked　for。　　In　less　than　a　month　a　hundred　thousand　men　were　battering　at　the　recruiting　offices　demanding　enlistment　in　the　First　Canadian　Expeditionary　Force。　　From　all　parts　of　Canada　this　demand　was　heard；　but　nowhere　with　louder　insistence　than　in　that　part　which　lies　beyond　the　Great　Lakes。　　In　Winnipeg；　the　Gateway　City　of　the　West；　every　regiment　of　militia　at　once　volunteered　in　its　full　strength　for　active　service。　　Every　class　in　the　community；　every　department　of　activity；　gave　an　immediate　response　to　the　country's　call。　　The　Board　of　Trade；　the　Canadian　Club；　that　free　forum　of　national　public　opinion；　the　great　courts　of　the　various　religious　bodies；　the　great　fraternal　societies　and　whatsoever　organisation　had　a　voice；　all　pledged　unqualified；　unlimited；　unhesitating　support　to　the　Government　in　its　resolve　to　make　war。

Early　in　the　first　week　of　war　wild　rumours　flew　of　victory　and　disaster；　but　the　heart　of　Winnipeg　as　of　the　nation　was　chiefly　involved　in　the　tragic　and　glorious　struggle　of　little　Belgium。　And　when　two　weeks　had　gone　and　Belgium；　bruised；　crushed；　but　unconquered；　lay　trampled　in　the　bloody　dust　beneath　the　brutal　boots　of　the　advancing　German　hordes；　Canada　with　the　rest　of　the　world　had　come　to　measure　more　adequately　the　nature　and　the　immensity　of　the　work　in　hand。　　By　her　two　weeks　of　glorious　conflict　Belgium　had　uncovered　to　the　world's　astonished　gaze　two　portentous　and　significant　facts：　one；　stark　and　horrible；　that　the　German　military　power　knew　neither　ruth　nor　right；　the　other；　gloriously　conspicuous；　that　Germany's　much…vaunted　men…of…war　were　not　invincible。

On　the　first　Sunday　of　the　war　the　churches　of　Winnipeg　were　full　to　the　doors。　　Men；　whose　attendance　was　more　or　less　desultory　and　to　a　certain　extent　dependent　upon　the　weather；　were　conscious　of　an　impulse　to　go　to　church。　　War　had　shaken　the　foundations　of　their　world；　and　men　were　thinking　their　deepest　thoughts　and　facing　realities　too　often　neglected　or　minimised。　　〃I　have　been　thinking　of　God　these　days；〃　said　a　man　to　Mr。　Murray　as　they　walked　home　from　business　on　Saturday；　and　there　were　many　like　him　in　Canada　in　those　first　days　of　August。　　Without　being　able　definitely　to　define　it　there　was　in　the　hearts　of　men　a　sense　of　need　of　some　clear　word　of　guiding；　and　in　this　crisis　of　Canadian　history　the　churches　of　Canada　were　not　found　wanting。　　The　same　Spirit　that　in　ancient　days　sent　forth　the　Hebrew　Isaiah　with　a　message　of　warning　and　counsel　for　the　people　of　his　day　and　which　in　the　great　crises　of　nations　has　found　utterance　through　the　lips　of　men　of　humble　and　believing　hearts　once　more　became　a　source　of　guidance　and　of　courage。

The　message　varied　with　the　character　and　training　of　the　messenger。　　In　the　church　of　which　Reverend　Andrew　McPherson　was　the　minister　the　people　were　called　to　repentance　and　faith　and　courage。

〃Listen　to　the　Word　of　God；〃　cried　the　minister；　〃spoken　indeed　to　men　of　another　race　and　another　time；　but　spoken　as　truly　for　the　men　of　this　day　and　of　this　nation。　　'Thus　saith　Jehovah；　thy　Redeemer；　the　Holy　One　of　Israel；　I　am　Jehovah　thy　God；　which　teacheth　thee　to　profit；　which　leadeth　thee　by　the　way　that　thou　shouldst　go。　　Oh；　that　thou　wouldst　hearken　to　my　commandments！　then　would　thy　peace　be　as　a　river；　and　thy　righteousness　as　the　waves　of　the　sea。　。　。　。　　There　is　no　peace；　saith　Jehovah；　to　the　wicked。'　　Echoing　down　through　the　centuries；　these　great　words　have　verified　themselves　in　every　age　and　may　in　our　day　verify　themselves　anew。　　Peace　and　righteousness　are　necessarily　and　eternally　bound　together。〃　　He　refused　to　discuss　with　them　to…day　the　causes　of　this　calamity　that　had　fallen　upon　them　and　upon　the　world。　　But　in　the　name　of　that　same　Almighty；　Holy　God；　he　summoned　the　people　to　repentance　and　to　righteousness；　for　without　righteousness　there　could　be　no　peace。

In　the　Cathedral　there　rang　out　over　the　assembled　people　the　Call　to　Sacrifice。　　〃He　that　saveth　his　life　shall　lose　it；　and　he　that　loseth　his　life　for　My　sake　shall　find　it。〃　　The　instinct　to　save　life　was　fundamental　and　universal。　　There　were　times　when　man　must　resist　that　instinct　and　choose　to　surrender　life。　　Such　was　the　present　time。　　Dear　as　life　was；　there　were　things　infinitely　more　precious　to　mankind；　and　these　things　were　in　peril。　　For　the　preserving　of　these　things　to　the　world　our　Empire　had　resolved　upon　war；　and　throughout　the　Empire　the　call　had　sounded　forth　for　men　willing　to　sacrifice　their　lives。　　To　this　call　Canada　would　make　response；　and　only　thus　could　Canada　save　her　life。　　For　faith；　for　righteousness；　for　humanity；　our　Empire　had　accepted　war。　　And　now；　as　ever；　the　pathway　to　immortality　for　men　and　for　nations　was　the　pathway　of　sacrifice。

In　St。　Mary's　the　priest；　an　Irishman　of　warm　heart　and　of　fiery　fighting　spirit；　summoned　the　faithful　to　faith　and　duty。　　To　faith　in　the　God　of　their　fathers　who　through　his　church　had　ever　led　his　people　along　the　stern　pathway　of　duty。　　The　duty　of　the　hour　was　that　of　united　and　whole…hearted　devotion　to　the　cause　of　Freedom；　for　which　Great　Britain　had　girded　on　her　sword。　　The　heart　of　the　Empire　had　been　thrilled　by　the　noble　words　of　the　leader　of　the　Irish　Party　in　the　House　of　Commons　at　Home；　in　which　he　pledged　the　Irish　people　to　the　cause　of　the　world's　Freedom。　　In　this　great　struggle　all　loyal　Sons　of　Canada　of　all　races　and　creeds　would　be　found　united　in　the　defence　of　this　sacred　cause。

The　newspaper　press　published　full　reports　of　many　of　the　sermons　preached。　　These　s