Genre War. Page - 8

even convey different significationsby the simplest inflections of the voice.

Philologists have said that there are but two or threelanguages, properly speaking, among all the numerous tribeswhich formerly occupied the country that now composes theUnited States. They ascribe the known difficulty one peoplehave to understand another to corruptions and dialects. Thewriter remembers to have been present at an interviewbetween two chiefs of the Great Prairies west of theMississippi, and when an interpreter was in attendance whospoke both their languages. The warriors appeared to be onthe most friendly terms, and seemingly conversed muchtogether; yet, according to the account of the interpreter,each was absolutely ignorant of what the other said. Theywere of hostile tribes, brought together by the influence ofthe American government; and it is worthy of remark, that acommon policy led them both to adopt the same subject. Theymutually exhorted each other to be of use in the event ofthe cha

as you like. All you got to do is sit down and wait as quiet as you can. Then pretty soon you'll find out I was right."

His comrade grunted stubbornly. For a moment he seemed to be searching for a formidable reply. Finally he said: "Well, you don't know everything in the world, do you?"

"Didn't say I knew everything in the world," retorted the other sharply. He began to stow various articles snugly into his knapsack.

The youth, pausing in his nervous walk, looked down at the busy figure. "Going to be a battle, sure, is there, Jim?" he asked.

"Of course there is," replied the tall soldier. "Of course there is. You jest wait 'til to-morrow, and you'll see one of the biggest battles ever was. You jest wait."

"Thunder!" said the youth.

"Oh, you'll see fighting this time, my boy, what'll be regular out-and-out fighting," added the tall soldier, with the air of a man who is about to exhibit a battle for the benefit of his friends.

"Huh!" said the loud one from a cor

have been "hallucinated," and proceeds to give the theory of sensory hallucination. She forgets that, by her own showing, there is no reason to suppose that anybody has been hallucinated at all. Someone (unknown) has met a nurse (unnamed) who has talked to a soldier (anonymous) who has seen angels. But that is not evidence; and not even Sam Weller at his gayest would have dared to offer it as such in the Court of Common Pleas. So far, then, nothing remotely approaching proof has been offered as to any supernatural intervention during the Retreat from Mons. Proof may come; if so, it will be interesting and more than interesting.

But, taking the affair as it stands at present, how is it that a nation plunged in materialism of the grossest kind has accepted idle rumours and gossip of the supernatural as certain truth? The answer is contained in the question: it is precisely because our whole atmosphere is materialist that we are ready to credit anything--save the truth. Separate a man from

ements. Germany, with her submarine policy of ruthlessness, changed the Atlantic Ocean into another No Man's Land across which every American soldier had to pass at the mercy of the enemy before he could arrive at the actual battle-front.

This was the peril of the troop ship. This was the tremendous advantage which the enemy held over our armies even before they reached the field. This was the unprecedented condition which the United States and Allied navies had to cope with in the great undertaking of transporting our forces overseas.

Any one who has crossed the ocean, even in the normal times before shark-like Kultur skulked beneath the water, has experienced the feeling of human helplessness that comes in mid-ocean when one considers the comparative frailty of such man-made devices as even the most modern turbine liners, with the enormous power of the wilderness of water over which one sails.

In such times one realises that safety rests, first upon the kindliness of the elements; secon

obviously disregards all the canons and unities and other things which every well-bred dramatist is bound to respect that his work is really unworthy of serious criticism (orthodox). Indeed he knows no more about the dramatic art than, according to his own story in "The Man of Destiny," Napoleon at Tavazzano knew of the Art of War. But both men were successes each in his way--the latter won victories and the former gained audiences, in the very teeth of the accepted theories of war and the theatre. Shaw does not know that it is unpardonable sin to have his characters make long speeches at one another, apparently thinking that this embargo applies only to long speeches which consist mainly of bombast and rhetoric. There never was an author who showed less predilection for a specific medium by which to accomplish his results. He recognized, early in his days, many things awry in the world and he assumed the task of mundane reformation with a confident spirit. It seems such a small job at twenty to set the times

ed himself upon the confidence of his neighbours that, while hewas absolutely without resources, there was no difficulty in hisborrowing the money required for his share of the capital. Theundertaking did not prove a success. Lincoln had no business experienceand no particular business capacity, while his partner proved to beuntrustworthy. The partner decamped, leaving Lincoln to close up thebusiness and to take the responsibility for the joint indebtedness. Itwas seventeen years before Lincoln was able, from his modest earnings asa lawyer, to clear off this indebtedness. The debt became outlawed insix years' time but this could not affect Lincoln's sense of theobligation. After the failure of the business, Lincoln secured work ascounty surveyor. In this, he was following the example of hispredecessor Washington, with whose career as a surveyor the youngsterwho knew Weems's biography by heart, was of course familiar. His newoccupation took him through the county and brought him into personalrel

othing she paused from time to time to listen for sounds from the next apartment.

What was her neighbor doing now? Had he read of the discovery of the man's body in the street? Perhaps he had fled already? Not a sound was to be heard there. He did not look in the least like what Jane imagined a murderer would, yet certainly the circumstances pointed all too plainly to his guilt. She had seen two men dash around the corner, one in pursuit of the other. One of them had come back alone. Not long afterward a body--the body of the other man--had been found with a bullet in his heart. It must have been a murder.

What ought she to do about it? Was it her duty to tell her mother and Dad about what she had seen? Mother, she knew, would be horrified and would caution her to say nothing to any one, but Dad was different. He had strict ideas about right and justice. He would insist on hearing every word she had to tell. More than likely he would decide that it was her duty to give the information to the aut

made me one of their own. I shall never be able to repay all the loving thoughts and deeds of that family and shall remember them while I live. My chum's mother I call Mother too. It is to her that I have dedicated this book.

After my delightful few days of leave, things moved fast. I was back in Dover just two days when I, with two hundred other men, was sent to Winchester. Here we were notified that we were transferred to the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment.

This news brought a wild howl from the men. They wanted to stop with the Fusiliers. It is part of the British system that every man is taught the traditions and history of his regiment and to know that his is absolutely the best in the whole army. In a surprisingly short time they get so they swear by their own regiment and by their officers, and they protest bitterly at a transfer.

Personally I didn't care a rap. I had early made up my mind that I was a very small pebble on the beach and that it was up to me to obey ord

avery of the aboriginals is outweighed by the intelligence of theinvaders and their superior force of character. During the secondcentury of the Mohammedan era, when the inhabitants of Arabia went forthto conquer the world, one adventurous army struck south. The firstpioneers were followed at intervals by continual immigrations of Arabsnot only from Arabia but also across the deserts from Egypt and Marocco.The element thus introduced has spread and is spreading throughout theSoudan, as water soaks into a dry sponge. The aboriginals absorbed theinvaders they could not repel. The stronger race imposed its customs andlanguage on the negroes. The vigour of their blood sensibly altered thefacial appearance of the Soudanese. For more than a thousand years theinfluence of Mohammedanism, which appears to possess a strangefascination for negroid races, has been permeating the Soudan, and,although ignorance and natural obstacles impede the progress of newideas, the whole of the black race is gradually ado

he doctor, bending down over her as they were walking home. "It isn't like you, Nell, to be censorious. What's she been doing?--making eyes at young McLean?"

He might have judged better than that, had he reflected an instant. He never yet had thought of his daughter except as a mere child, and he did not mean for an instant to intimate that her growing interest in the young lieutenant was anything more than a "school-girl" fancy. She was old enough, however, to take his thoughtless speech au sérieux, and it hurt her.

"Papa!" was her one, indignant word of remonstrance. She would not even defend herself against such accusation.

"I know!--I understand--I didn't mean it except as the merest joke, my child," he hurriedly interposed. "I thought you'd laugh at the idea."

But she would not speak of it, and he quickly sought to change the subject, never even asking other reason for her apparent aversion to Miss Forrest. It was true that the speedy coming of Dr. and Mrs. Gra