,,the ,,red ,,vineyard ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,b4 ,j4 ,,murdoch ,,the ,,red ,,vineyard ,,by ,,rev4 ,b4 ,j4 ,,murdoch ,,late ,,chaplain ,,to ,,canadian ,,expeditionary ,,forces ,illustration ,,the ,,torch ,,press ,,cedar ,,rapids ,,iowa #aibc ,copyright #aibc by ,flora ,warren ,seymour ,,done ,,by ,,the ,,bookfellows ,,at ,,the ,,torch ,,press ,,cedar ,,rapids ,,iowa ,illustration ,,the ,,red ,,vineyard ,to the memory of all those men ,with whom ,i walked up and down ,the ways of ,the ,red ,vineyard2 ,but especially to the memory of those ,who stopped in the journey1 and now ,rest softly in their little green bivouacs ,in the shadow of the small white crosses1 ,this book is affectionately dedicated by their ,friend and ,comrade ,the ,author ,illustration ,,contents ,,chapter ,i--,a ,,little ,,speculation #aa ,,chapter ,,ii--,,the ,,bishop ,,writes #ac ,,chapter ,,iii--,a ,,little ,,adjusting #af ,,chapter ,,iv--,,the ,,portable ,,altar #ai ,,chapter ,v--,,in ,,training ,,camp #ba ,,chapter ,,vi--,,mass ,,out ,,of ,,doors #bd ,,chapter ,,vii--,a ,,little ,,indignation #bf ,,chapter ,,viii--,,we ,,break ,,camp #bh ,,chapter ,,ix--,,the ,,panel ,,of ,,silk #cb ,,chapter ,x--,,movement ,,orders #cc ,,chapter ,,xi--,,the ,,high ,,seas #ce ,,chapter ,,xii--,,by ,,ireland #cg ,,chapter ,,xiii--,,england #ch ,,chapter ,,xiv--,,in ,,camp #ci ,,chapter ,,xv--,,the ,,cenacle #da ,,chapter ,,xvi--,,the ,,battalion ,,is ,,broken ,,up #dd ,,chapter ,,xvii--,,the ,,little ,,spaniard #df ,,chapter ,,xviii--,,the ,,garrison ,,church ,,hut #dh ,,chapter ,,xix--,,the ,,new ,,sacrifice #ej ,,chapter ,,xx--,,through ,,english ,,lanes #ed ,,chapter ,,xxi--,,at ,,parkminster #ef ,,chapter ,,xxii--,,orders ,,for ,,france #fj ,,chapter ,,xxiii--,,at ,,no4 #b ,,canadian ,,infantry ,,base ,,depot #fb ,,chapter ,,xxiv--,,the ,,new ,,zealanders #fe ,,chapter ,,xxv--,,the ,,workers #fg ,,chapter ,,xxvi--,,orders ,,again #fi ,,chapter ,,xxvii--,,hospitals ,,and ,,trains #gj ,,chapter ,,xxviii--,d ,i',s ,,and ,s ,i',s #ge ,,chapter ,,xxix--,,down ,,the ,,hospital ,,aisle #gg ,,chapter ,,xxx--,,the ,,two ,,brothers #hj ,,chapter ,,xxxi--,,an ,,unexpected ,,turning #hb ,,chapter ,,xxxii--,,private ,,belair #hf ,,chapter ,,xxxiii--,a ,,little ,,nonsense #hi ,,chapter ,,xxxiv--,,transfusion #ic ,,chapter ,,xxxv--,,the ,,ministering ,,angels #ie ,,chapter ,,xxxvi--,,more ,,orders #ig ,,chapter ,,xxxvii--,,held ,,for ,,orders #ajj ,,chapter ,,xxxviii--,,the ,,front ,,at ,,last #ajc ,,chapter ,,xxxix--,a ,,strafe ,,and ,a ,,quartet #ajf ,,chapter ,,xl--,,the ,,valley ,,of ,,the ,,dead #aaj ,,chapter ,,xli--,,new ,,friends #aae ,,chapter ,,xlii--,a ,,little ,,burlap ,,room #aah ,,chapter ,,xliii--,,christmas ,,at ,,the ,,front #abj ,,chapter ,,xliv--,,back ,,to ,,rest #abc ,,chapter ,,xlv--,,bruay #abi ,,chapter ,,xlvi--,,fosse-,,dix #acb ,,chapter ,,xlvii--,,the ,,little ,,cur ,,of ,,fosse-,,dix #acf ,,chapter ,,xlviii--,,into ,,the ,,line #aci ,,chapter ,,xlix--,,called ,,up #adb ,,chapter ,l--,,bully ,,les ,,mines #add ,,chapter ,,li--,,the ,,one ,,that ,,was ,,lost #adf ,,chapter ,,lii--,a ,,vague ,,unrest #aea ,,chapter ,,liii--,,the ,,great ,,offensive #aec ,,chapter ,,liv--,,agnez-,,lez-,,duisans #aeh ,,chapter ,,lv--,,the ,,refugees #afb ,,chapter ,,lvi--,,arras #afd ,,chapter ,,lvii--,,easter ,,sunday #aff ,,chapter ,,lviii--,,the ,,ronville ,,caves #afh ,,chapter ,,lix--,,the ,,banquet ,,hall #aga ,,chapter ,,lx--,,the ,,sheehans #agh ,,chapter ,,lxi--,,ecoivres #aha ,,chapter ,,lxii--,,ecurie ,,wood #ahh ,,chapter ,,lxiii--,,the ,,different ,,dispensers #aib ,,chapter ,,lxiv--,,incapacitated #aie ,,chapter ,,lxv--,,anzin ,,and ,,monchy ,,breton #aig ,,chapter ,,lxvi--,a ,,new ,,sheep #bjj ,,chapter ,,lxvii--,,notre ,,dame ,d',,ardennes #bjc ,,chapter ,,lxviii--,,the ,,procession #bjg ,,chapter ,,lxix--,,on ,,leave #baa ,,chapter ,,lxx--,,st4 ,,michael',s ,,club #bab ,,chapter ,,lxxi--,,parkminster ,,again #bae ,,chapter ,,lxxii--,,another ,,surprise #bag ,,chapter ,,lxxiii--,,back ,,to ,,the ,,battalion #bai ,,chapter ,,lxxiv--,,no ,,man',s ,,land ,,again #bbb ,,chapter ,,lxxv--,,no ,,man',s ,,land #bbg ,,chapter ,,lxxvi--,,cambligneul #bbi ,,chapter ,,lxxvii--,a ,,new ,,front #bcb ,,chapter ,,lxxviii--,,boves #bcg ,,chapter ,,lxxix--,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,amiens #bdb ,,chapter ,,lxxx--,,at ,,the ,,wayside #bdd ,,chapter ,,lxxxi--,,in ,,an ,,apple ,,orchard #bdf ,,chapter ,,lxxxii--,a ,,strange ,,interruption #bdi ,,chapter ,,lxxxiii--,,boves ,,again #beb ,,chapter ,,lxxxiv--,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,arras #beh ,,chapter ,,lxxxv--,,berneville ,,again #bfc ,,chapter ,,lxxxvi--,,letters ,,of ,,sympathy #bff ,,chapter ,,lxxxvii--,a ,,little ,,bit ,,of ,,shamrock #bfi ,,chapter ,,lxxxviii--,,left ,,behind #bgg ,,chapter ,,lxxxix--,,with ,,the ,,fourteenth #bhj ,,chapter ,,xc--,,telegraph ,,hill #bhb ,,chapter ,,xci--,,canal ,,du ,,nord #bhc ,,chapter ,,xcii--,,the ,,most ,,terrible ,,day #bhg ,,chapter ,,xciii--,,in ,,reserve #bic ,,chapter ,,xciv--,,frequent ,,moves #bie ,,chapter ,,xcv--,,somaine #big ,,chapter ,,xcvi--,,the ,,end ,,draws ,,near #cjj ,,chapter ,,xcvii--,,november ,,eleventh #cjc ,,chapter ,,xcviii--,,through ,,belgium #cje ,,chapter ,,xcix--,,through ,,the ,,rhineland #cji ,,chapter ,c--,l',,envoi #cab ,,the ,,red ,,vineyard ,chapter ,i ,a ,,little ,,speculation 8,i'll give you just three nights in the front line trench before your hair will turn grey10 said a brown haired priest1 looking at me with a slightly aggressive air4 ,i remained quiet4 8,you'll not be very long in the army till you'll wish yourself out of it again10 was the not very encouraging assertion of a tall1 thin priest who suffered intermittently from dyspeptic troubles4 ,still ,i did not speak4 ,another priest1 whose work was oftener among old tomes than among men1 said slowly and1 as was his wont1 somewhat seriously1 that it surprised him very much to note my eagerness to go to war4 ,he did not consider it in keeping with the dignity of the priest to be so belligerently inclined4 ,did ,i not recall that ,i was an ambassador of the meek and lowly ,christ--the ,prince of ,peace8 ,had ,i obeyed the first impulse1 ,i think my reply would have been colored with a little asperity2 but as ,i was weighing my words1 a gentle white-haired old priest1 stout and with red cheeks1 said to me as he smiled kindly2 8,ah1 ,father1 you are to be envied4 ,think of all the good you will be able to do for our poor boys6 ,think of the souls you will usher up to the gates of heaven60 ,he shook his head slowly from side to side two or three times1 and the smile on his kind old face gave place to a look of longing as he continued1 somewhat regretfully3 8,ah1 if ,i were a younger man ,i'd be with you1 ,father4 ,all we older men can do now is to pray1 and you may rest assured ,i shall remember you often--you and your men40 ,i looked at the old priest gratefully4 8,thank you1 ,father10 ,i said1 and ,i thought of ,moses of old1 with arms outstretched4 ,none of the other priests spoke for a while1 and ,i gazed into the fire of dry hardwood that murmured and purred so comfortably in the large open fire-place1 built of small field stones4 ,i was thinking earnestly and when the conversation was again resumed ,i took no part in it4 ,in fact1 ,i did not follow it at all1 for ,i was wondering1 among other things1 if my hair would really turn grey after a few nights in the front line trenches4 ,however1 ,i did not worry2 for ,i concluded it would be wiser to wait until ,i should arrive at the trenches1 where ,i might have the evidence of my senses4 ,i gave but a passing thought to the words of the good priest who was a little dyspeptic4 ,he had never been in the ,army1 and where was his reason for assuming that ,i should not like the life8 ,of course1 ,i did not mind what the old priest1 whose work was so often among old books1 had said about my being an ambassador of the ,prince of ,peace4 ,i felt that this priest had got his ideas a little mixed4 ,not very long before ,i had heard him vent his outraged feelings when the ,french government had called the priests of ,france to fight for the ,colors4 ,he had been horrified4 ,so ,i surmised that he imagined ,i had voluntarily offered my services as a combatant4 ,i had not4 ,the conversation continued1 but ,i heeded it not4 ,i was busy meditating on the words of the saintly old priest with the red cheeks4 ,how well he understood1 ,i thought4 ,and the flames of the fire shot in and out among the wood1 purring pleasantly the while4 ,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,bishop ,,writes ,up to this time ,i did not have the ,bishop's consent4 ,in fact1 ,i cannot remember having mentioned in his presence my desire to go to the front with the soldiers as chaplain2 but ,i had talked it over frequently with priests1 and it never occurred to me that the ,bishop had not heard of my wish1 nor that he would not be in accord with it4 ,but one morning ,i received a letter from the ,bishop telling me plainly and firmly that he wished me to keep quiet1 and not to talk so much about going to the front until ,i should know whether or not ,i would be permitted to go4 ,he mentioned a recruiting meeting of a few nights previous1 at which ,i had offered my services as chaplain to the battalion that was then being recruited in the diocese4 ,perhaps ,i had been a little too outspoken at the meeting1 but ,i had considered myself quite justified in breaking silence1 since it had already come to pass that three ministers of different ,protestant denominations had offered themselves as chaplains to the battalion which1 though still in rather an embryonic state1 gave promise of being complete in a few months4 ,i foresaw that it would be more than half ,catholic1 as the population of the district from which it was being recruited was three-fourths ,catholic4 ,so ,i offered myself generously1 not wishing to be outdone by the ministers1 and then had sat down feeling that ,i had done well4 ,the following morning1 however1 ,i was not quite so sure1 for when ,i read my words printed in the daily paper ,i felt just a little perturbed4 ,what would the ,bishop think8 ,i wondered4 ,i had not long to wait before ,i knew exactly what ,his ,lordship thought4 ,his letter told me quite plainly4 ,i kept quiet4 ,keeping quiet1 however1 did not prevent me from following with interest the activities of others4 ,almost every evening recruiting meetings were held in different places throughout the diocese1 at which old men spoke and orchestras played1 and sometimes a young boy would step dance4 ,but1 most important of all1 many young men enlisted4 ,they came in great numbers1 the ,catholics far in the majority4 ,then1 one morning early in the spring1 the paper announced that the battalion had been recruited to full strength4 ,the different companies would stay in the town till the following ,june1 when the battalion would go into camp to train as a unit4 ,that evening a letter came from the officer in command1 saying that as eighty per cent of his men were ,catholics he had decided to take a ,roman ,catholic chaplain1 and that he intended going to see the ,bishop that evening4 ,a few days later another letter came from the ,bishop saying that he had been asked for a ,catholic chaplain1 and as he remembered that ,i had seemed very eager to go with the men1 he was glad to say that he was giving me permission to go4 ,he had decided this1 he added1 on the ,feast of the ,seven ,dolors of ,our ,lady4 8,the ,seven ,dolors10 ,i said to myself quietly1 two or three times4 ,then ,i fell to wishing that the ,bishop had made his decision on some other feast of ,our ,lady4 ,i remember now1 as ,i stood in the quiet little room with the letter in my hand1 recalling the words of the priest--that he would not give me three nights in the front line trenches before my hair would turn grey4 ,but this thought did not bother me very long1 for ,i began to think of something else1 and as ,i did the letter trembled a little with the hand that held it4 8,perhaps ,i am not coming back10 ,i said to myself4 ,then ,i repeated3 8,the ,feast of the ,seven ,dolors6 ,the ,feast of the ,seven ,dolors60 ,chapter ,,iii ,a ,,little ,,adjusting ,during the next seven or eight days from all sides ,i heard one question asked by young and old3 8,when are you going to put on the uniform1 ,father80 ,little children to whom ,i had taught catechism rushed around corners or panted up narrow streets of the little town where ,i was stationed and smilingly asked me4 ,their fathers and mothers1 after saying good-morning1 remarked pleasantly1 as an afterthought3 8,i suppose we'll soon be seeing you in the khaki1 ,father80 ,they seemed to anticipate real pleasure in seeing me decked in full regimentals4 ,but the more ,i had evidence of this seemingly pleasant anticipation1 the less inclined ,i felt to appear publicly in my chaplain's uniform4 ,when the time came for a last fitting at the tailor's1 ,i found other duties to claim my attention1 until a polite little note from the proprietor of the establishment informed me that my presence was requested for a last fitting of my uniform4 ,then one morning1 when the spring birds that had returned were singing merrily among the trees with not the slightest thought as to their raiment1 and when bursting buds were making the trees beautiful in their eagerness to drape them with bright green robes1 ,i appeared on the public streets of the quiet little town clad in full regimentals4 ,i had chosen an early hour for my public appearance1 thinking that my ordeal would not be so trying4 ,since that morning ,i have had many exciting experiences1 up and down the ways of war2 ,i have witnessed many impressive scenes1 beautiful1 terrible1 and horrible1 but these events have by no means obliterated from the tablets of my memory the events of that morning4 ,nothing particular happened until ,i had descended the hill and turned the first corner to the right in the direction of the town post-office4 ,a horse was coming at a leisurely gait down the quiet street1 driven by a young fellow of about sixteen1 who sat on the seat of a high express wagon with a friend4 ,both lads seemed to see me at once1 and started perceptibly4 ,in his excitement1 the driver pulled on the lines and the startled horse jerked his head quickly1 as if he1 too1 was struck by my unwonted appearance4 ,on the opposite side of the road a barber1 who was operating on an early customer1 stopped suddenly and came to the window1 the razor still in his hand1 while his patient1 almost enveloped in the great white apron that was tucked about his neck1 sat up quickly in the chair and turned a face half-covered with thick1 creamy lather towards the window4 ,all along the way people stopped1 looked1 smiled pleasantly1 and then passed on4 ,i had almost entered the post-office when the rattling of an express wagon1 that must have passed the winter uncovered1 as every spoke in the wheels seemed loose1 came noisily to my ears4 ,the horse was reined up opposite me1 and as ,i turned my head side-wise ,i was greeted by the two young fellows who had passed me but a few minutes before1 only this time three other lads1 with smiling faces1 were standing behind them in the wagon1 holding to the seat4 ,after ,i got my mail from the box1 ,i decided not to return by the same route along which ,i had come4 ,there was a more secluded way4 ,it was with a feeling of great relief that ,i found no one coming in my direction4 ,i took out my new khaki handkerchief1 unfolded it and wiped my brow4 ,but1 alas1 for my relief6 ,i had not gone very far till ,i crossed a street running at right angles to my course4 ,a number of school children were coming along this4 ,i quickened my pace4 ,they saw me1 and immediately a great bubbling of excited talk was borne to my ears4 ,then1 as ,i disappeared from their view1 ,i heard the sound of many eager feet pattering up the sidewalk4 ,it ceased suddenly and ,i knew that again they were regarding me intently4 ,there was a complete silence for a second or two1 then ,i heard quite clearly the voice of a little girl1 who in the last year's confirmation class had given me more trouble than any other of the candidates1 call almost louder than was necessary for her companions to hear3 8,oh6 doesn't he look lovely80 ,a man just coming from his house on his way to his office smiled pleasantly and interestedly as he heard the small voice4 ,then he raised his hat4 ,i saluted4 ,as ,i walked up under the trees clothed in their beautiful spring garments1 and listened to the birds that sang so blithely this bright cool spring morning1 with never a thought as to their raiment1 ,i wiped my brow again4 8,these military clothes are warm10 ,i said to myself--yet ,i knew that this was not the reason4 ,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,portable ,,altar ,after a few days a box about one foot and a half long1 one foot high and nine inches wide1 arrived4 ,it was made of wood covered with a kind of grey cloth1 with strips of black leather about the edges and small pieces of brass at every corner4 ,there were leather grips on it so that it could be carried as a satchel4 ,it was my little portable altar1 containing everything necessary for saying ,mass4 ,one half opened and stood upright from the part containing the table of the altar1 which when opened out was three feet long4 ,fitted into the oak table was the little marble altar-stone1 without which one may not say ,mass4 ,in the top of the upright part was a square hole in which the crucifix fitted to stand above the altar2 on either side were holders to attach the candlesticks4 ,from the wall that formed a compartment in the upright portion1 where the vestments were kept1 the altar cards unfolded2 these were kept in place by small brass clips attached to the upright4 ,chalice1 ciborium1 missal and stand1 cruets1 wine1 altar-breads1 bell1 linens1 etc41 were in compartments beneath the altar table4 ,the whole was wonderfully compact and could be carried with one hand4 ,as ,i write these words it stands nearby1 sadly war-worn after its voyage across the ocean1 and its travels through ,england1 ,france1 ,belgium and the ,rhineland of ,germany4 ,i have said ,mass on it on this side of the ocean2 on the high seas2 in camp in ,england2 in trenches2 on battlefields2 in tents1 camps1 and billets through the war-scarred areas of ,france4 ,i offered the ,holy ,sacrifice on it placed on a low1 wide window-sill in a ,german billet on our way through the ,rhineland4 ,it was carried across the ,rhine ,december #acth1 #aiah1 in the great triumphal march4 ,now it is home again4 ,in many places the cloth covering is scraped and torn2 one of the brass corners is missing4 ,it is very soiled from the mud of ,france and rifle oil stains1 etc42 the leather edging is chipped and peeled4 ,the table has been broken and repaired again1 so has the little book-stand4 ,the silver chalice and paten are slightly dented in many places4 ,the little bell has lost part of its handle1 but its tone is still sweet4 ,one alb has been burned1 but ,i have another4 ,the cincture has been broken and knotted4 ,i gaze at it now and think of the thousands of great-hearted lads who knelt before it1 often on rain-soaked fields1 or stood among piles of ruins and heard the sweet notes of the little bell warning them of the ,master's approach1 so that they might bow reverently when ,he came2 of the thousands on field1 on hillside1 in caves and huts who knelt to eat of the ,bread of ,life1 many of them going almost immediately with this pledge of eternal life1 before ,god to be judged1--as ,i think of all this1 there comes into my eyes a mist1 and the little portable altar grows dim4 ,chapter ,v ,,in ,,training ,,camp ,in a few weeks we left for training-camp1 travelling all night and arriving at our destination early in the morning4 ,we detrained and the whole battalion fell in1 the band marching at the head of the column4 ,our camp was in a wide green valley1 as level as a floor1 flecked with hundreds of white bell tents2 and in the distance on every side sloped gently upwards high solemn mountains that kept silent guard over the plain below4 ,through the whole length of the valley ran a long grey asphalt road1 over which passed all the traffic of the camp4 ,all summer long battalions of new soldiers came up this road and took over lines that had been assigned them4 ,all summer long1 and well on into the autumn1 battalions of trained soldiers marched down the road to entrain for the port of embarkation for overseas4 ,we marched up the smooth road1 the band playing the regimental march1 passed line after line of the different battalions quartered on either side4 ,soldiers from different units lined the way and voiced friendly criticism as to our appearance1 etc4 ,many wagons from the farmlands beyond the hills were drawn up on each side of the road2 grouped about them were many khaki-clad lads buying milk1 little pats of butter1 buns and a number of other articles4 ,we marched about two miles till we came to a great square of unoccupied bell tents4 ,here we halted and took over our lines4 ,in a few days we were in the ordinary routine of camp life1 and ,i think most of the men liked the new order4 ,living in a tent seemed to give one a continual feeling of freshness and buoyancy4 ,every morning1 very early1 far away at general headquarters1 a flag would run up the tall flag-pole2 then from all parts of the camp would sound the reveille1 breaking in on the peaceful repose of honest sleepers1 and when the last sound of the bugles had died away there would be heard a quick rattle of snare-drums and a few great booms from the bass drum1 then the exhilarating strains of a military march would break on the morning air4 ,i had listened to the pleasant martial strains for perhaps a week or two1 and naturally associated with them the idea of orderly marching bandsmen1 fully equipped1 polished and shining from head to foot1 till one morning ,i untied the flap of my tent and looked out4 ,more than half the bandsmen were in their shirt sleeves2 five or six were in their bare feet1 and now and again they jumped spasmodically1 as they walked on a pebble or struck a hidden tent-peg2 some who wore boots did not wear socks or puttees1 and the trousers from the knee down were tight and much wrinkled1 yet there was no lack of harmony in the stately1 marching music4 ,all day long till four o'clock the men drilled or took different exercises1 while the sun slowly shifted scenery on the great silent hills4 ,up and down the long grey road huge-hooded khaki motor lorries rumbled with their loads of supplies for field and tent4 ,in the evening towards sunset1 after the men had washed and rested a little1 the flag that had been flying at headquarters all through the day would drop slowly down the pole4 ,then two buglers would sound retreat1 after which the guard would be inspected while the band played some slow waltz or minuet4 ,to me this seemed the happiest hour of the daily military routine4 ,the day was done and from all parts of the camp could be heard low1 pleasant talk1 as the band played soft music1 the men standing about in little groups or moving from tent to tent1 visiting neighbors4 ,it always brought to my mind the idea of restfulness and peace4 ,after retreat the long grey road would become alive with the continuous movement of soldiers going and coming4 ,the officers did not care to walk along this road1 as it meant for them one continual return of salutes4 ,sometimes an open-air moving-picture show would be in progress4 ,there were also two halls where moving pictures were shown on rainy nights4 ,in the early days it was a treat to the lads to visit these places4 ,as there were never any ladies present1 smoking was permitted4 ,sometimes the smoke rose in such density that it obscured the pictures on the screen4 ,at ten o'clock last post would sound and weary men would roll themselves in their blankets on the hard ground and dispose themselves to sleep4 ,chapter ,,vi ,,mass ,,out ,,of ,,doors ,on ,sundays ,i would set up the portable altar on two rifle boxes placed one above the other1 on a great green plain near the end of the camp4 ,nearly always an awning would be erected above the altar1 and whenever the wind blew canvas was draped about posts as a windshield1 so that the candles might not be extinguished4 ,it was a wonderful sight to see the men draw up on the grass1 every one of them reverent and quiet before the little altar as ,i vested for ,mass4 ,often three thousand were drawn up on the green plain as level as a floor4 ,sometimes a number would wait till this late ,mass--which was always said at ten o'clock--to go to ,holy ,communion1 though ,i always said an early ,mass for those who wished to receive4 ,since the war1 different men who were present at those open-air ,masses have told me that never before had they assisted at the ,holy ,sacrifice with such devotion4 ,all things seemed to praise ,god2 the great solemn mountains stood silent1 the clouds moved soundlessly across the blue of the sky4 ,not a sound could be heard1 save when a man coughed softly1 or when the little bell tinkled4 ,on account of what happened1 ,i recall one of those ,sunday mornings in particular4 ,i had noticed1 standing among the officers of one of the battalions drawn up in the church parade1 an elderly man wearing ordinary blue civilian trousers and a military khaki shirt and helmet4 ,he wore a leather belt but no coat4 ,i no sooner saw him than ,i said to myself3 8,an old soldier60 ,and as ,i vested for the ,holy ,sacrifice the question came flashing across my mind again and again3 ,who can he be8 ,what war was he in8 ,when ,i turned after the ,communion to address the men1 there he was standing1 well in front with the officers4 ,he listened very attentively to my sermon1 which was on the text1 8,son1 give me thy heart40 ,towards the end ,i said a few words about ,our ,lady1 because it was the ,sunday within the octave of the ,assumption4 ,i told the lads to run to their ,mother in all their trials2 to be ,knights of ,our ,lady1 to think of her especially during their long hours of sentry duty at night1 and never to let a day go by without saying her beads4 ,then1 after ,i had given my blessing and had turned to unvest before my little portable altar1 my 8old soldier0 came forward and introduced himself4 ,he was a judge from my home province1 and he would be glad if ,i would permit him to say a few words to the men4 ,i was very pleased that he should do so4 ,a word was said to the officers in charge and the men were called to attention4 ,the judge stood up on the rifle box that ,i had just vacated1 and there in ,god's beautiful out of doors1 with the great green mountains looking up to their ,creator in silent humility1 this old ,catholic gentleman spoke to the lads in a wonderfully clear voice of their ,mother and his ,mother4 ,it was very edifying to hear this educated ,catholic layman speak so4 ,he concluded with a few words about the ,mass4 8,i have assisted at ,mass10 he said1 8in many large cathedrals in different countries2 but1 ,i think1 never with such devotion as ,i have this morning here in the open air before your little altar placed on the rifle boxes1 and ,god's beautiful sky and sunlight above us4 ,after all1 gentlemen1 it is the ,mass that counts2 the changing of the bread and wine into the ,body and ,blood of ,christ4 ,god could do it and ,god did do it40 ,when the old man finished ,i could not but say gratefully3 8,god bless you1 judge10 for ,i felt that his words would do very much good4 ,chapter ,,vii ,a ,,little ,,indignation ,the time passed quickly for me1 though ,i think for most of the men it went slowly2 they seemed always restless1 always longing to get to the front4 ,they used to come to me often with their little grievances4 ,they seemed to think that their troubles would disappear once they reached training-camp overseas4 ,i remember one ,sunday1 after ,i had finished ,mass and the last company had marched off the field1 two soldiers came forward from somewhere and saluted4 ,one of them1 the taller of the two1 acted as chief spokesman4 8,father10 he said1 8we have not heard ,mass today4 ,we were ordered to go to the ,protestant service40 ,excitement flashed in his eyes4 8,the service is just over1 ,father1 and we slipped over here to tell you40 ,it was strictly against ,k4 ,r4 ,o4 to order ,catholics to a non-,catholic service4 ,the lads did not belong to my battalion1 but to a construction battalion that had but lately come to camp4 ,headquarters of this battalion were not far away1 so ,i did not wait for my breakfast1 but obeyed the first impulse and went immediately to the training square of the ,no4 -- ,construction ,co4 ,the church parade was over and the chaplain had just finished packing his books and was preparing to leave the field with the adjutant4 ,i asked the chaplain if the ,catholics had been ordered to attend the service4 8,yes10 he said1 and then went on to explain that it was a universal church service and that all the men had been ordered to attend4 ,i asked him to look up a book entitled ,k4 ,r4 ,o4 ,i told him that it was a serious offense that had been committed2 that my men had a right to attend their own service2 that there was no such thing known in the army as a universal church parade4 ,when they saw they had made a mistake both chaplain and adjutant were very apologetic4 ,shortly after this1 when the battalion was to leave for overseas1 the chaplain wrote me a note asking me to hear the confessions of the ,catholics4 ,i think they came to a man2 two other chaplains came to help me4 ,this construction battalion was composed mostly of men who had moved quite a lot over different parts of the world1 and had grown a little slack in the observance of their religious duties4 ,big things were done for ,our ,lord that night4 ,perhaps many would have passed the summer without even coming to ,mass had not this great indignity been offered them4 ,so the days passed quickly1 and then one evening word came that we were to leave--but only for another camp4 ,there was great rejoicing at first1 for the lads thought that orders for 8,overseas0 had come4 ,chapter ,,viii ,,we ,,break ,,camp ,it was ,sunday1 ,october #ast4 ,it was the most beautiful day ,i have ever seen4 ,there had been a heavy frost during the night1 and in the morning the hills1 which had been green all summer1 but had lately begun to put on their autumn tints1 were glorious in bright scarlet1 yellow and russet1 with still here and there a dark-green patch of spruce4 ,the white frost was on the ground and a covering of ice one-eighth of an inch thick was formed on the basin of water in my tent4 ,the air was cold1 clear and invigorating4 ,the men were all in excellent spirits4 ,i said ,mass for my own men1 and then walked about two miles towards the entrance to the camp to say ,mass for the other soldiers who still remained in the different areas4 ,the ,sabbath-day stillness seemed more intense than ever4 ,perhaps it was on account of the very small number left in the camp4 ,when ,i turned around after ,i had said ,mass1 ,i could not but pause in admiration of the wonderful beauty of ,god's works4 ,i took for the text of my sermon3 8,o ,lord1 ,our ,lord1 how admirable is ,thy name in the whole world40 ,i told the lads that as ,our ,lord had made all things beautiful we ought to keep our souls beautiful in ,his sight1 and that one of the surest means of doing so was to come to ,holy ,communion4 ,then ,i preached on the ,blessed ,eucharist4 ,when ,i reached our own lines after ,mass nearly all the tents had been taken down and rolled up4 ,i had breakfast at one of the men's cook stoves4 ,we were to break camp at twelve o'clock4 ,i think ,i was the only one who was sorry to leave4 ,things had gone very well during the summer2 there had been many consolations in the ministry4 ,many men who had passed long years away from the sacraments had come into the white bell tent pitched in the open space in the valley and1 kneeling there1 had been reconciled after many years' estrangement from ,god4 ,i had watched the men in the evening and had noticed how cheerful they were1 how much like boys they were in the tricks they played on each other4 ,one evening1 shortly before we were to leave1 a great bonfire had been lighted4 ,all through the day the men had worked at the base of the slopes cutting down dry trees and carrying them out4 ,the fire was built in the square where the men drilled and took their physical exercises in the mornings4 ,it was a thrilling sight to watch the little tongues of fire darting in and out among the pile of dry twigs1 increasing in size and speed till they developed into one great waving pillar of flame that tore its way upward through the gigantic pile of dry old trees1 hissing1 crackling and roaring as it went4 ,the flames must have reached forty feet in height1 and at times the sparks swarmed down on the tents like bees to a hive1 and the soldiers had to beat them out4 ,the band marched around the flaming pillar and played1 keeping always within the circle of light made by the fire4 ,many soldiers followed in procession1 some of them performing comical acrobatic feats as they went4 ,there was an almost new tent floor up near the colonel's tent which some of the lads thought would make excellent fuel for the fire4 ,presently about eight of them were carrying it towards the flames4 ,the quartermaster1 who had charge of the movables of the camp1 saw them approaching and immediately advanced from his place near the fire1 angrily shouting orders to them to put down the tent floor4 ,they did1 though not till the indignant quartermaster was very near them4 ,then they turned and ran quickly away4 ,the quartermaster1 who was a heavy man1 did not pursue them4 ,he turned towards the fire1 but only to find that a number of rough tables and chairs had gone to satisfy the hungry flames6 ,he was very angry4 ,the lads had become like little children1 and ,i think their souls had become like the souls of little children4 ,and now we were going back to civilization6 ,our journey was one of about four hundred miles through many small towns and cities to a camp near the seaboard1 where we were to wait a few weeks before embarking4 ,we left ,valcartier at the time appointed1 and all that day and most of the evening our route lay along the noble ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,in the morning we came into our own ,province of ,new ,brunswick1 from the northern part of which our battalion had been recruited4 ,in many towns at which we stopped liquor was procured1 and soon there were evidences that many of the men had taken too much4 ,and when we drew near the town from the environs of which the majority of the lads had been recruited a great number gave signs of almost complete intoxication1 so that parents who stood among the great crowd which had gathered to see the lads as they passed through were greatly humiliated4 ,i felt sick at heart1 for a public holiday had been proclaimed and people had come from the whole surrounding countryside to see the battalion for the last time before going overseas4 ,it was a gala-day4 ,they had waited all morning1 and then many of the men who arrived were in every stage of intoxication6 ,it was very humiliating to the poor parents and the men had been so good all summer6 ,when the train pulled out1 ,i went back to my seat in the ,pullman4 ,two thoughts were working in my mind1 so that my head felt a little dazed and ,i did not hear the officers talking around me4 ,neither did ,i perceive when they spoke to me4 ,one thought was a very human one4 ,i felt terribly disheartened1 and ,i wondered if the people thought that the men had been drinking so during the summer1 and ,i fell to wishing that they could only know all about the men in camp4 ,the other thought was that ,i was grateful to ,god for having chosen me to minister to them4 ,for surely they needed a priest6 ,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,panel ,,of ,,silk ,the following ,sunday1 when all my ,catholic soldiers were assembled at ,mass in the church of the town where we were encamped1 ,i spoke of what had transpired during our journey from ,valcartier4 ,during the week ,i had thought out a plan1 and ,i had bought a few packages of blank visiting cards and a number of lead pencils4 ,i had cut the pencils in two and had put a part in every pew1 also a blank card for every person that would sit in the pew4 ,in the course of my little talk ,i spoke of how fine a thing it would be if they could take the pledge1 given in such a way1 however1 that they might be free to take the rum served in the trenches1 which1 under those circumstances1 could be considered medicine4 ,those who would take the pledge would write their names on the blank cards2 the cards would be gathered up after ,mass2 the names would be typewritten on a panel of silk2 the silk1 bearing the names1 would be used as a lining for my little portable altar1 and whenever ,mass would be said1 a special remembrance would be made for the lads who had taken the pledge4 ,when we gathered up the cards after ,mass they numbered almost two hundred4 ,they were typed on the panel of silk1 and the panel of silk1 with the names1 still rests in the little altar4 ,all through the war they have been remembered4 ,many of those names appear elsewhere on small white crosses 8where poppies grow10 so that now they are no longer mentioned in the memento of the living2 but there is another part of the ,mass when they are remembered--with 8those who have gone before us1 signed with the sign of faith1 and who rest in the sleep of peace40 ,chapter ,x ,,movement ,,orders ,we did not stay very long in our new camping ground4 ,for a few days the men seemed quite content4 ,everything was new to them2 but soon they began to wonder how long it would be before we would leave4 ,the nights often were very cold in the tents1 for it was now late in ,october4 ,we began to feel sure that orders for departing must come soon as no preparations were being made for going into winter quarters4 ,on ,sunday ,i had announced confessions for the following ,wednesday4 ,on the day set1 four priests came to help me1 but just as the men were being formed up to go to the church1 word came that we were to leave that evening for overseas4 ,the men were dismissed and soon there was a scene of general disorder2 but on all sides were happy faces4 ,all seemed glad to go4 ,they had been looking forward to it for so long a time4 ,i was obliged to tell the priests who had come so far that there would be no confessions4 ,i kept the hosts that the ,sisters in a nearby town had made for me1 as ,i hoped to hear the men's confessions on the boat on the way across the ocean4 ,all night long we stood around1 waiting for the train to come to take us1 but there had been some delay1 and so it was not till early in the morning that we left4 ,our journey was not a very long one1 but we were obliged to wait at many different stations till trains passed us4 ,as the movement order had called for a night trip1 no dining-car or buffet had been attached4 ,the men went hungry all day4 ,the last trip had been one of over-indulgence4 ,this was one of abstinence4 ,we had no breakfast and no dinner1 yet the men seemed quite content1 and joked pleasantly over the fact that they were hungry4 ,at one country station where we were side-tracked the bugler jumped out on the platform and blew the call3 8,come to the cook-house door1 boys60 ,but as there was no cook-house door to go to1 and no 8,mulligan battery0--the name given to the field-kitchen1 with its steaming odors of ,irish stew--they greeted the call of the smiling bugler with derisive laughter4 ,at four o'clock we were all aboard the ,s4 ,s4 ,corsican1 and at five we pulled out from the dock1 the band on the upper deck playing 8,auld ,lang ,syne40 ,many relatives of the lads1 who had arrived in the little seaport town1 waved their good-byes from the dock as the boat swung clear from its moorings and steamed slowly down the bay4 ,the boys swarmed up the rope ladders and cheered2 many little tugs far down on the water darted about1 shrieking shrilly their farewells4 ,we were off to the war6 ,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,high ,,seas ,the doctor and ,i had been alloted a stateroom together1 but ,i was subsequently given one down below1 where ,i said ,mass the first morning and heard confessions every evening4 ,the chief steward was a ,catholic and he was very kind4 ,i had permission to say ,mass in the second-class saloon1 which was the largest on the boat1 and nearly all the men came to ,holy ,communion4 ,our first ,sunday out ,i said ,mass for the lads below4 ,as ,i proceeded with the ,mass the seas became very rough1 so that the book fell off the altar three times2 the chalice1 however1 never moved4 ,many became sick1 and the ,red ,cross section was busy4 ,on the first day out we donned our cumbersome life-belts1 which we wore all the way across the ,atlantic4 ,i took mine off only while saying ,mass4 ,they hung on the berths at night4 ,during the day the men walked up and down the upper deck2 sometimes there were drills1 etc4 ,we saw no vessels4 ,every day we plunged forward through rough seas1 and in the afternoons1 as ,i sat in my little stateroom hearing confessions1 ,i could hear the dull pounding of the waves on the sides of the vessel4 ,i was very pleased with the example the ,catholic officers gave the men4 ,every one of them came to confession and ,communion on the way over4 ,one1 the old quartermaster1 who was confined to his cabin with a severe attack of la grippe1 could not come to ,mass with the others1 so ,i gave him ,communion in his cabin towards the last of the voyage4 ,the second morning afterwards1 however1 as ,i walked back and forth making my thanksgiving1 ,i stopped quickly and peered out over the sea4 ,i could see very faintly1 across the water1 a long1 serried line of hills that looked greyish-blue in the early morning--the hills of ,ireland6 ,i ran quickly to tell the quartermaster1 who had been born in ,ireland and had still a true ,irishman's great love for his native land4 ,he was not there4 ,i was surprised1 as the doctor had told me that he had given orders that he was not to leave his cabin till after we reached port4 ,as ,i went out on deck again ,i noticed1 up forward1 leaning over the gunwale and looking towards ,ireland1 a great muffled figure4 ,he wore one khaki great coat1 and another1 thrown loosely about his shoulders1 gave him a hunched appearance4 ,it was the quartermaster6 ,i went forward quickly3 8,captain10 ,i said1 8didn't the doctor tell you not to leave your stateroom till we docked80 ,he didn't say anything for a second or two1 and ,i noticed a mist had come into his eyes4 ,then he pointed far across the grey waste of waters4 8,ah1 ,father10 he said1 8but there's ,ireland60 ,chapter ,,xii ,,by ,,ireland ,all day long we sailed by ,ireland and she seemed strangely peaceful and quiet4 ,perhaps it was the great contrast with the sea1 the wide tumbling waste of waters that1 night and day1 was always restless2 or perhaps it was a benediction resting over the whole country4 ,anyhow it seemed that way to me as often as my eyes rested on the hills and fields of holy ,ireland4 ,since that morning ,i have seen many different countries4 ,i have come back to my own land over the same great distance of waters1 and it was in the early morning that ,i saw it first1 yet that strange spiritual peace that seemed to rest over ,ireland was decidedly lacking4 ,that early morning scene still comes back to me2 and all through the day1 whenever my eyes rested on the hills of ,ireland1 ,i felt that ,i was making a meditation and that ,i was being lifted in spirit far above the little things that bother one here below4 ,down below us on the water1 with the swiftness almost of swallows1 darted here and there the long grey anti-submarine boats4 ,seven or eight of them had come to meet us4 ,later on in the day appeared the mine sweepers1 low short steam boats painted for the most part red1 and carrying one yard sails4 ,the sails were of dark brownish-red color4 ,they worked in pairs4 ,chapter ,,xiii ,,england ,that evening we moved slowly up the ,mersey and at nine o'clock anchored out in the stream in full view of the city of ,liverpool4 ,we could not see it very well1 for throughout the city the lights were dimmed and windows were darkened4 ,all along the ,irish coast the impression was one of peace and quiet1 a spiritual something4 ,but ,england seemed to give one the idea of a great machine1 working slowly1 steadily1 untiringly4 ,one was spiritual2 the other material4 ,that was my first impression of ,england as a nation1 and that impression remained with me during my stay in the country4 ,every time ,i returned on leave from ,france ,i found it always the same4 ,england1 as a nation1 seemed to be wonderfully organized1 and that whole organization seemed to run smoothly1 powerfully1 and heavily4 ,each individual had his special work to do in that colossal workshop called ,england4 ,he knew how to do that1 and he did it1 quietly1 methodically1 and well4 ,but1 taken away from his own work1 he seemed to lack resource--the resource and initiative of the men from the ,new ,world4 ,we entrained early in the morning4 ,for most of us it was our first experience with the compartment cars of the ,old ,world--little compartments running the width of the car1 a door opening from each side of the car1 with two seats running from one side to the other1 each holding from three to five people1 who sat facing each other4 ,we passed through many quaint towns and many large cities1 and it was evening when we came into the quiet little station of ,liphook4 ,we were due there at two o'clock1 but there had been many delays along the way4 ,sometimes the lads had pulled the rope and had stopped the train2 and each time a stolid brakeman had opened the door of compartment after compartment1 asking solemnly3 8'oo pulled the reope80 ,of course no one gave him the information he asked2 whereupon he closed each door and went patiently on to the next compartment4 ,chapter ,,xiv ,,in ,,camp ,i have often remarked that ,english writers use the word 8depression0 much more frequently than do writers on this side of the water1 and ,i have often wondered what could be the reason for this4 ,i had not passed one week in ,england before ,i knew4 ,a few days in an ,english military camp will give one an idea of what depression is4 ,the military camp to which we were sent was ,bramshott--a great collection of long1 low1 one-story huts1 built row on row1 with a door at each end1 opening into muddy lanes that ran the whole length of the camp4 ,it was raining mildly the evening we arrived and we marched in the darkness for three miles along soft muddy roads1 and now and again we splashed through a puddle1 though we tried to avoid them4 ,there seems to be an especially slippery quality about the mud of ,england1--to say nothing of that of ,france--that makes it very difficult to retain one's balance4 ,my cane1 which according to military regulations ,i always carried1 for the first time now proved useful4 ,day after day as the soldiers of the camp drilled in the soft1 muddy squares1 their movements resembled sliding more than orderly marching4 ,sometimes thick pads of the soft1 yellow mud clung heavily to their feet2 very often a gentle drizzle of rain fell1 and nearly always the sky was dark grey and sombre1 so that one wondered no longer why the word 8depression0 should be so frequently used in ,english literature4 ,but notwithstanding the mud and the dark skies1 many of us grew to like ,england4 ,there were many quaint1 winding roads hedged in places with hawthorne bushes or spruce or boxwood4 ,these led us into delightful little country villages with their old free-stone churches1 sometimes covered with ivy that often ran for a long distance up the old ,norman tower4 ,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,cenacle ,not more than three miles from the camp was situated the convent of the ,sisters of the ,cenacle1 a beautiful three-story building of red brick and stucco hidden away among great hemlock1 spruce and cypress trees4 ,it is a kind of rest house1 where at certain seasons of the year retreats are given for ladies1 who come from different parts of ,england and pass a week at the convent4 ,all during the war there was an open invitation to the ,catholic soldiers of ,bramshott ,camp to visit the convent on ,sunday afternoon and assist at ,benediction of the ,most ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,there were three or four different ways of going to ,grayshott1 near which the ,convent of the ,cenacle was situated4 ,one of these was a foot-path which led first through a moor1 covered in summer with purple heather1 then through bracken1 almost as high as an average man1 and bunches of green gorse bushes that blazed light yellow at certain seasons with flowers resembling in shape the sweet-peas4 ,it was a quaint little path1 passing on its way 8,wagner's ,wells0 a chain of what we on this side of the ,atlantic would call ponds1 in a low1 wooded valley4 ,in summer these were very pretty when the full-leafed branches of the trees hung low over the ,wells1 and the water was almost wholly hidden by tiny white flowers that rested on the surface4 ,all during the war1 on ,sunday afternoons1 a long1 irregular line of khaki-clad figures went leisurely along the foot-path to ,grayshott1 passed scenery strange though pleasing1 mounted quaint rustic stiles till they came to the convent of the ,sisters of the ,cenacle4 ,the first ,sunday ,i visited the ,convent there were so many soldiers present that the little chapel could not contain all4 ,i learned afterwards that this had happened so frequently that1 in order that all might be present at ,benediction1 the good ,sisters had asked for and obtained a general permission to have the services on the lawn just in the rear of the chapel4 ,benediction was given by a little ,belgian who was doing chaplain's work among the ,canadians at ,bramshott1 while ,father ,knox1 a recently converted ,anglican clergyman1 led the soldiers in singing the hymns4 ,little red hymn-books1 which the ,english government had supplied the ,catholic soldiers1 were passed around to each soldier4 ,it was a beautiful sight there on that ,english lawn1 as all knelt grouped together1 officer and soldier1 priest1 sister1 while the white ,host was raised to bless us all4 ,then the lads sang strongly and clearly that beautiful hymn1 8,hail1 ,queen of ,heaven10 that was sung so often during the war under many different conditions4 ,the ,irishmen sang it as they advanced to take a difficult position that the ,english had failed to take at ,fstubert4 ,the ,sisters dispensed hospitality2 large teapots of tea and plates stacked high with thin slices of bread and butter1 and baskets of thick slices of yellow cake with currants in it4 ,then in the evening the soldiers walked back to camp through winding foot-paths and over stiles4 ,i am sure there are many men scattered over the country who will remember gratefully the ,sisters of the ,cenacle at ,grayshott4 ,it must have inconvenienced them greatly1 yet ,sunday after ,sunday1 all during the war1 soldiers went to the convent1 and always the ,sisters treated them most hospitably4 ,on ,sundays1 when the number of men present was not too large1 ,benediction was given in the ,sisters' chapel4 ,it was a very pretty little chapel and on the altar1 day and night1 the ,sacred ,host was exposed for perpetual adoration2 and always two ,sisters knelt to adore4 ,on the ,gospel side of the altar stood a beautiful statue of the ,blessed ,virgin which was almost covered with the military badges worn by soldiers of the different battalions4 ,in some way known to women the good ,sisters had draped a mantle about the statue1 and to this was pinned the badges of these modern knights4 ,after ,benediction the lads would all come to a large room where tea would be served4 ,often among the little khaki-clad groups a ,sister of the ,cenacle would be seen standing1 or sitting1 listening to the stories told of the country far away across the seas4 ,the ,sisters wore a black habit1 a small purple cape which reached to the elbows1 and a white cap covered by a black veil1 except for a one inch crimped border around the face4 ,sometimes1 when it was time to leave the convent1 a certain group would step forward to say good-bye to the ,sisters and to ask their prayers4 ,these would be men ordered to leave during the week as a draft for some battalion in the trenches4 ,and the lads 8would be remembered in the ,sacred ,presence there1 where remembrances are sacred and each memory holds a prayer40 ,day and night1 as the ,sisters knelt before the ,lord and offered their continuous prayers for a world that seemed to have forgotten ,him1 special prayers were said for those whose badges hung on ,our ,lady's mantle4 ,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,battalion ,,is ,,broken ,,up ,we were not in ,england three weeks when orders came for a draft of men to reinforce a battalion that had suffered severe losses at the front4 ,in a few days one hundred and fifty men left for ,france4 ,we thought at the time that reinforcements would soon come to us from ,canada1 but not much more than a week passed till we were called on for another draft4 ,this time the order was that three hundred and fifty men be sent to the ,eighty-seventh ,battalion4 ,this second order came as a shock to us all4 ,many of the officers had been in the battalion for almost a year2 they had watched it grow strong and numerous and had helped to form1 the thing most essential in a battalion1 an 8esprit de corps40 ,i had never thought of going to the front except as a unit4 ,the idea of our being broken up had never entered my mind1 but before ,christmas came our battalion had lost its identity as the ,one ,hundred and ,thirty-second ,battalion1 and the majority of the men had gone to join different units at the front4 ,it was impossible for me to be with all my men1 as there were no two drafts in the same brigade2 still1 ,i thought that ,i might be permitted to go as chaplain to the brigade in which was the largest number of my men1 so ,i obtained permission to go to ,london to explain matters to the senior chaplain4 ,he was very kind1 but he said ,i must await my turn2 there were other chaplains whose battalions had undergone the same process of annihilation as had mine4 ,these must go first2 work would be found for me in ,england till my turn would come to go to the front4 ,i returned to ,bramshott ,camp a somewhat wiser man as to the workings of things military4 ,but as ,i sat in the cold first class compartment1 with my feet on a stone hot water-bottle 7seemingly this is the only way they heat the cars in ,england7 my mind was busy with many things4 ,one was that ,i never should have offered my services as chaplain had ,i foreseen the catastrophe which had befallen us4 ,i had counted on being with my men till the last4 ,before leaving for overseas many of the mothers of the lads had come to me and had told me what a great consolation it was to them to have the assurance that a ,catholic priest would be with their sons4 ,now ,i was not going with them2 still1 ,i had been convinced that the lads would be well cared for spiritually4 ,at ,bramshott ,i became assistant for a time to the camp chaplain1 ,father ,john ,knox4 ,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,little ,,spaniard ,i had not been given very much information at headquarters as to how soon ,i might be sent to the front1 for they did not know how soon the call might come for chaplains4 ,in a few days the remnants of my battalion left ,bramshott for a camp at ,shoreham-by-,sea--all save a few1 who stayed as officers1 servants or clerks in different branches at headquarters4 ,one afternoon ,i was sitting before ,father ,knox's tiny fire-place in his little room1 talking of the ,sunday church parades1 when a very young soldier entered1 saluted1 passed ,father ,knox a letter and then stood at attention4 ,i did not notice the lad particularly1 as ,father ,knox read the letter in silence1 for my eyes were on the small heap of glowing coals in the grate before me1 and my mind was busy on a scheme to get all the men in the camp at two church parades on the following ,sunday4 ,as ,father ,knox began to write the answer1 he looked up from the paper and asked1 8,catholic80 ,then for the first time the lad began to speak1 hurriedly1 and with foreign accent4 ,his eyes took on a queer strained expression2 his head seemed to crouch down to his shoulders4 ,it transpired that he was a ,spaniard and had been brought up a ,catholic1 but after going to ,canada had been accustomed to go to ,protestant churches4 ,he was now orderly to a ,protestant minister and had received a few books from him including a copy of the ,new ,testament in ,spanish1 so at present1 his religion was the 8,lord ,jesus40 ,i had already turned from the fire and was watching the lad4 ,it was the first time ,i had ever heard a ,catholic speak so1 and ,i felt a great pity for him4 ,but quickly the pity gave place to other emotions1 for in reply to ,father ,knox's question as to what battalion he came over with1 he said 8,one ,hundred and ,thirty-second0--my own battalion6 ,slowly a dazed1 nauseating feeling chilled me4 ,such a thing to happen6 ,i was responsible to ,god for this man's soul2 and apparently he had lost his faith6 ,i questioned him a little1 only to learn that now he was orderly to a ,baptist minister and that it was he who had given him the ,new ,testament in ,spanish4 ,i appointed an evening for the lad to come to see me4 ,he came and we talked for a long time1 but he seemed to be strangely obsessed4 ,the more we talked1 the more ,i noticed the queer1 strained expression in his eyes1 and when he left me that night ,i feared ,i had not done very much towards reviving his faith4 ,it was many months before ,i saw him again4 ,chapter ,,xviii ,,the ,,garrison ,,church ,,hut ,the days passed quickly4 ,new battalions from home came and took up quarters in camp1 and to their surprise were broken up and sent in drafts to ,france4 ,every night ,father ,knox or ,i remained on duty in the little garrison hut1 that the lads might have an opportunity of going to confession before leaving for ,france4 ,the garrison church hut had been built by the military authorities for the use of all religious denominations4 ,it was used on ,sundays by the ,catholics1 or1 as the ,army ,equivalent has it1 ,r4 ,c4's1 at seven o'clock for the ,communion ,mass for the men4 ,the ,protestant denominations had the use of it all the rest of the day4 ,there was a little altar on which the ,anglicans offered their ,communion service1 but we never used this4 ,father ,knox had an altar of his own1 on rollers1 which was moved out in front of the other one before ,mass and wheeled back after ,mass4 ,just outside the entrance to the hut had been erected a large blackboard for announcements of services4 ,always on ,saturday night this board held the order of the ,anglican services4 ,we had never interfered with this1 as the ,anglican is recognized as the official religion of the ,british army4 ,however1 one ,saturday evening as ,i came out alone from the hut ,i happened1 in passing1 to glance at the board4 ,the customary announcements were not there2 instead1 was written in bold white letters the order of ,catholic services for the morrow4 ,not only was the notice of the camp service given1 but the ,benediction at ,grayshott ,convent was mentioned also4 ,for a few seconds ,i stood gazing at the sign1 in great surprise4 ,soldiers passing along the little lane paused to read and then passed on4 ,i knew ,father ,knox could have had nothing to do with it4 ,then1 as ,i stood there in the night looking at the announcement board1 ,i smiled4 8,tim ,healy10 ,i said1 8,tim ,healy60 ,tim ,healy was a lieutenant who had come over from ,canada with an ,irish battalion4 ,like many another it had been broken up and ,tim was waiting anxiously his turn at the front4 ,he had been born in ,ireland and was a near relative of the great ,tim ,healy4 ,the following afternoon ,i saw him at the ,convent of the ,cenacle4 ,i went across the room to where he was sitting1 and waited till he had finished his tea4 ,then1 without any preamble1 ,i said3 8,mr4 ,healy1 why did you erase the announcements on the board outside the church and put the ,catholic order on80 ,tim forced an expression of innocent wonder into his face1 which1 ,i thought1 was a little too elaborately done2 but almost simultaneously appeared a pleasant twinkle in the eyes of him4 8,no1 ,father10 he said1 8,i didn't10 then he smiled broadly and his eyes twinkled merrily4 ,i looked at him in great surprise1 for ,i was almost certain that he had done it4 ,but ,tim had not finished1 and as his eyes continued to twinkle said quietly3 8,but ,i sent one of my men to do it4 ,i hope he did it well40 8,oh1 yes10 ,i said grimly1 8,i think it was done well--if not too well40 ,however1 nothing ever came of it4 ,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,new ,,sacrifice ,things went much the same at ,bramshott4 ,spring came1 and for the first time ,i saw the primroses1 which are among the first flowers to bloom in ,england4 ,they do not belong to the aristocracy for one sees them everywhere2 along railway embankments1 along the roadsides1 near the hedge-rows1 everywhere patches of the pretty little yellow flowers smiled the approach of spring4 ,then one day when the spring birds1 nesting in the great old ,english trees1 were cheering up the poor war-broken lads that lay on their little cots in so many military hospitals throughout the country--,vimy ,ridge had been fought1 and many of the lads who had sailed with me had fallen that victory might come--word came that ,i was to join the ,fifth ,canadian ,division1 which was then preparing to go overseas4 ,it was a beautiful day when ,i left for ,witley ,camp where the ,fifth ,division was quartered4 ,the birds were chorusing their glorious melodies from hedge and tree and field2 but along lanes that should have worn a peaceful country setting went clumsily great motor lorries in different ways connected with the war4 ,witley ,camp was only six miles from ,bramshott1 so it did not take us long to speed over the ,portsmouth road through the beautiful ,surrey country4 ,i took up temporary quarters with my old friend ,father ,crochetiere1 and slept on a table in his office4 ,i was not very long there when another old friend dropped in to see me in the height of ,father ,hingston1 ,s4 ,j4 ,both priests welcomed me very kindly and told me ,i was just in time to help in the remote preparation for a stirring event4 ,they spoke with great enthusiasm1 and it was not long before ,i was made aware of the cause4 ,a ,solemn ,high ,mass was to be celebrated in the open air the following ,sunday1 and the ,catholic soldiers from all parts of the camp were to attend in order to be consecrated to the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus4 ,there were more than three thousand ,catholic soldiers in the camp4 ,the following ,sunday morning ,i was up very early to help in the preparations4 ,it was a beautiful morning4 ,the sun was up1 clear1 bright1 and warm4 ,the air was very still4 ,though preparations1 both military and religious1 had been most carefully made1 there was discernible in the manner of the priests who had worked so hard for the bringing about of this great religious ceremony some signs of anxiety4 ,they feared lest there be a hitch in the deliverance of orders1 so that all the men might not be present4 ,there was no need to fear1 for at #i3cj o'clock three thousand ,catholic soldiers drew up in the grove of pines on the border of the lake at the northwest corner of the camp and all anxiety disappeared4 ,there were ,french ,canadian lads from the ,province of ,quebec2 ,irish ,canadian ,rangers from ,montreal2 ,scotch laddies1 with feathers in their caps1 from ,ontario and ,nova ,scotia2 ,indian lads from ,eastern and ,western ,canada4 ,an altar had been built against one of the very few oak trees that stood in the grove of pines1 and above the cross that stood upon it1 a large picture of the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus was nailed to the tree2 surmounting all was a canopy of larch and ivy leaves4 ,daffodils1 tulips and larch stood out brightly among the candles on the white altar4 ,all about the carpeted elevation on which the altar had been built stood many potted plants4 ,as the parade was drawn up beneath the trees1 on the carpet of dry pine needles and the last year's oak leaves1 bands of different battalions played and the kilted laddies made music with their pipes4 ,father ,crochetiere sang the ,mass1 with old ,father ,mc,donald1 who had come over as chaplain to a ,scottish battalion1 as deacon and the writer as sub-deacon4 ,the choir of thirty voices which sang the ,royal ,mass so beautifully was under the direction of ,lt4 ,prevost of the ,one ,hundred and ,fiftieth ,battalion4 ,and so under the ,british oak where 8,druids of old0 once offered their pagan sacrifices1 the ,holy ,sacrifice of the ,new ,law was offered1 and ,canadian lads knelt to adore4 ,and there by the quiet lakeside the miracle of ,god's wonderful love was wrought1 and the promise made by the ,divine ,master on the border of another lake1 the day following the multiplication of the loaves and fishes1 was fulfilled4 ,for many of the soldiers had waited till this late ,mass to go to ,communion1 and under the beautiful sunlight that filtered through the trees they knelt to receive the 8,bread of ,life40 ,after ,mass a short sermon was preached in ,english and ,french by ,father ,hingston1 ,s4 ,j41 chaplain to the ,irish ,canadian ,rangers1 in the course of which he explained clearly and beautifully what the ceremony of consecration meant4 ,then ,colonel ,barr1 commanding the ,one ,hundred and ,fiftieth ,battalion1 read the ,act of ,consecration to the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus in ,french1 and ,major ,mc,rory1 officer commanding the ,one ,hundred and ,ninety-ninth ,irish ,canadian ,rangers1 read it in ,english4 ,each soldier was then presented with a badge of the ,sacred ,heart4 ,and just as of old the multitude who followed the ,divine ,master were blessed before they departed1 so1 after the ,consecration to the ,sacred ,heart had been made1 the lads knelt while ,benediction of the ,blessed ,sacrament was given1 and then all was over4 8,he blessed them and sent them away40 ,as ,i stood that day by the little altar near the lakeside1 while bands played and the lads fell in preparatory to departing1 ,i could not help thinking of the many different places where they had worshipped since they had left ,canada2 and though ,i could not foresee the strange scenes they would inevitably meet on the red road of war1 which they would shortly travel1 still ,i felt sure that one day would stand out in their memories in bold relief--the day they made the ,act of ,consecration to the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus1--the day when they knelt before ,god's altar built in the open air under the trees by the lakeside--and ,jesus passed6 ,chapter ,,xx ,,through ,,english ,,lanes ,the early summer in ,england1 especially in ,surrey1 is very beautiful1 and as the work was light we had many opportunities to walk through the lovely country roads4 ,but even prettier than the highways were the lanes that led off from them and went winding1 with their hedges1 through copse and field1 and quaint little red-brick villages1 each with its century-old1 ivy-covered church that had come down from the good old ,catholic days4 ,in some of them a statue of some saint still stood1 and in many were ancient holy-water stoops and baptismal fonts4 ,often gigantic chestnut or oak trees1 grouped near a quaint old gate1 told us of the entrance to some baronial estate or castle2 but nearly always our only view of the estate was a piece of road with very carefully trimmed box-hedge or a great blazing hedge-row of rhododendrons1 and a small white board1 attached to a gate-post or tree1 which informed the passing wayfarer that there was 8,no ,thoroughfare40 ,it was very pleasant to steal away from the camp and the sounds of shouted orders1 and practicing military bands and bugle notes1 to the quiet country where the birds sang blithely and the strange notes of the cuckoo's solitary call from some distant tarn or wood came sweetly to the ears2 one forgot1 for the moment1 the thought of war and all associated with it4 ,i remember one afternoon ,i had taken a walk with ,father ,hingston and ,father ,crochetiere down a shady lane that wound1 for the most part1 through a high woodland1 when we came suddenly to a small village of seven or eight houses4 ,to our right was a long box-hedged foot-path1 winding through a field or two till it was swallowed up in a grove of tall1 full-leafed beech and oak trees that stood presumably before a rich country seat4 ,but we did not take the foot-path to the right4 ,instead1 the priests1--both had been here before1--turned to the left and presently we had passed through a little gate into a very small but lovely rose garden4 ,a tiny path1 with a tiny boxwood hedge not more than a foot high1 led from the gate to the door of an old-fashioned white house4 ,just before the door was built a latticed portico1 over which climbing roses grew4 ,we were admitted by an elderly housekeeper and were asked to go upstairs4 ,there we found a priest whose age might have been forty-five and whose hair was just beginning to turn grey about the temples4 ,he was about medium height1 rather slight1 with an ascetic face4 ,he was sitting in a low room which was very bare save for a table on which were some morning papers4 ,across the hall was a room in which was a great old-fashioned fire-place with an ingle-nook4 ,the priest's name was ,father ,mc,carty1 but he spoke with a decidedly ,english accent4 ,he was a member of a religious community known as the ,salesian ,fathers4 ,knowing that he had such a very small parish1 ,i asked him if he found the time heavy on his hands4 ,he replied that he did not2 and that although he had only three or four families in all1 including the rich household of ,capt4 ,rusbrook1 whose large estate we had passed on entering the village1 he was quite busy1 as he was writing the life of the founder of his order1 ,don ,bosco2 he also from time to time helped the chaplains at ,witley ,camp4 ,chapter ,,xxi ,,at ,,parkminster ,there was a different spirit in ,witley ,camp than there had been at ,bramshott2 for in the whole division--twelve battalions of infantry and three brigades of artillery1 etc41--was the one feeling of expectation of soon going overseas4 ,any day the orders might come4 ,father ,hingston had made a retreat in ,london1 and ,father ,crochetiere had just returned from five days' rest and prayer at the wonderful monastery of the ,carthusian ,fathers1 at ,parkminster4 ,i decided to go there4 ,the following ,monday1 late in the afternoon1 ,i drove up the winding drive1 through hawthorn hedges1 to the gates of the monastery4 ,everything seemed very quiet2 no one appeared in garden or window4 ,a bell-rope hung outside the blue-grey door4 ,i pulled it quickly4 ,from somewhere within came a great clanging1 and almost simultaneously a clatter of heavy boots on stone flags4 ,inside1 a bolt shot back1 and immediately a white-garbed1 white-bearded old brother stood before me1 smiling in the opening4 ,he shook hands with me and bade me enter4 8,we have been expecting you1 ,father10 he said1 with that gentle courtesy that one finds in a religious house4 ,he took my grip1 notwithstanding every protest and led me along the rough1 stone-floored corridor to the ,guest ,house1 where ,i was given a large1 airy corner room1 plainly though adequately furnished4 ,snow-white sheets were on the bed--,i had not seen sheets for a long time4 ,the old white brother told me to sit down1--that presently the ,retreat ,master would come4 ,then he left me4 ,i went over to a window and looked out4 ,just below was a large garden with rose-fringed walks1 enclosed by a very high stone wall4 ,outside the wall green fields1 fringed with dark trees1 stretched far away4 ,beyond these1 rolling ,sussex downs1 looking greyish-blue in the summer haze1 rose to meet the skyline4 ,a strange peace was everywhere1 and save for a slight nervousness that seemed to have come to me with the great silence of the house1 ,i was glad that ,i had come4 ,in a little while a knock sounded on the door and the ,retreat ,master entered4 ,he was not very tall1 and rather slight1 and though his hair was grey he was not old4 ,there was nothing very distinctive in his face1 now rough with a three-days' growth of beard--the rule of the order is to shave every fifteen days--and there was not much color in his cheeks4 ,the eyes were small1 grey and almost piercing4 ,but there was that same indefinable atmosphere of peace about him4 ,it seemed as if he had stepped aside from the great noisy highway of the world to listen in silence to the voice of ,god4 ,yet1 as he talked1 the ,father seemed to take a childish interest in all that ,i told him of my experiences in a great military camp with officers and men of the world4 ,but away below the wonder that rippled over the surface of the spirit of the monk there seemed to be great depths of silence1 and as ,i tried to fathom these depths1 ,i felt a strange helplessness come over me4 ,i could not understand this man who sat smiling simply and cordially1 and at the same time seemed to be enveloped in an atmosphere not of this world4 ,before he left for the evening the ,retreat ,master pointed to a card that hung on the wall4 8,the ,order of ,retreat10 he said4 8,you will be able to follow it80 ,i assured the ,father that ,i would1 and then he was gone for the night4 ,my retreat passed very quickly--,i had only five days--and during that time ,i forgot all about war and preparations for war4 ,every day for about half an hour the ,retreat ,master came to my room and talked a little4 ,he told me many things about the monastic life that ,i found very interesting4 ,each monk1 he explained1 lived in a little brick two-story house which was attached to the great main corridor that formed a quadrangle about the church4 ,the lower story was a kind of workshop in which was a lathe and different kinds of carpenters' tools1 and to it the monk descended in his free time to do manual work4 ,a small garden1 in between the different houses1 was allotted to each monk1 where he worked for a while each day and grew vegetables for his own frugal board4 ,one day ,i told the ,retreat ,master that ,i had read a description of ,parkminster in one of the late ,monsignor ,benson's novels1 8,the ,conventionalists40 ,the monk smiled reminiscently4 ,he recalled the day that ,mr4 ,benson--he was an ,anglican at the time of his visit--in company with another minister1 had called4 ,mr4 ,benson had seemed very much interested4 ,the other had made some strange remark4 ,monsignor ,benson had never visited the ,monastery as a priest1 nor had he ever brought any one there to join the community4 ,the monk assured me of this1 and he had been ,guest ,master for many years4 ,yet when ,i had read 8,the ,conventionalists0 ,i had been almost convinced that the story related was a personal experience4 ,it may have been to some other monastery that the young man had gone1 although ,monsignor ,benson had said ,parkminster4 ,shortly before ,i left the monastery the ,retreat ,master came to have a last chat4 8,when you reach the front10 he said1 8tell your men that we are praying for them day after day1 night after night40 ,i felt a strange feeling of security on hearing these words1 but as ,i left the monastery gates and turned to say farewell to the old monk1 ,i felt a distinct sinking of my heart4 8,perhaps10 he said rapturously1 8you'll be a martyr60 ,chapter ,,xxii ,,orders ,,for ,,france ,not a week had passed after my retreat1 when one morning a runner from divisional headquarters came into my hut1 saluted and passed me a paper4 ,i was ordered to ,france4 ,this was good news1 for ,i had now been in the ,army over a year4 ,the battalion had been recruited to full strength early in #aiaf1 and ,i had hoped to be in ,france before the end of that year4 ,it was now ,june1 #aiag4 ,the following morning ,i left ,witley ,camp for ,london1 where ,i was to receive further orders and equip myself with bed-roll1 trench boots1 etc4 ,at headquarters1 in ,london1 ,i learned that ,i was to go to ,no4 #b ,canadian ,infantry ,base ,depot1 at ,etaples4 ,from there1 after a while1 ,i would be sent to the trenches4 ,etaples is a quaint little fishing village on the ,canche ,river1 about two miles from its mouth4 ,before the war it had been a famous resort for artists2 quite a colony had lived in the little town4 ,apart from its quaintness and the picturesque costumes of the townsfolk1 its chief interest for artists lay in its beautiful sunsets4 ,it was a glorious sight to look down the ,canche1 widening between the jack-pine-crested sand dunes1 as it flowed nearer the sea1 to the great golden sun sliding down towards the merry dancing blue waves of the ,straits of ,dover1 slowly turning red and redder as it sank among the long pencils or banks of reddening clouds fringed with gold4 ,when the sun would sink into the waves the water would be crimsoned for miles1 and for a long time after the great red disc had disappeared the distant sails of the fishing boats made a very pretty picture as they moved silently over the waves4 ,etaples1 besides being quaint1 was a very dirty little town4 ,at any hour of the day one might see a good housewife come to the door and empty a tub of soapy water that had served its use into the cobbled-street1 where it was mingled with other soapy waters that ran continuously along the gutters4 ,every morning piles of garbage appeared in the streets before the houses4 ,during the war almost every house bore a sign nailed to the door upon which was written or printed the word 8,estaminet10 which signified that within one might purchase wine1 beer1 coffee and other refreshments4 ,sometimes accompanying the sign was a smaller one1 bearing the ,english words1 8,eggs and chips40 ,all the narrow cobble-stoned streets that ran from every direction into the village stopped at the large market square4 ,market days were twice a week1 and then it was difficult to find one's way through the crowds who came to buy from the black- or white-hooded country women1 whose market wagons1 mostly drawn by donkeys1 were laden with everything imaginable from farm1 house1 and field4 ,it was a striking scene there in the old market square before the town hall4 ,soldiers from almost all the ,allied armies could be seen there1 while nurses from the great military hospitals1 about one-half mile from the town along the road that followed the ,canche towards ,camiers and the sea1 moved quickly1 nearly always two by two1 carrying small market-baskets4 ,chapter ,,xxiii ,,at ,,no4 #b ,,canadian ,,infantry ,,base ,,depot ,at the ,no4 #b ,canadian ,infantry ,base ,depot ,i had the most wonderful opportunity of the war to study the ,catholics of the allied armies--,irish1 ,scotch1 ,welsh1 ,english1 ,new ,zealand1 ,australian and ,portuguese4 ,for here were depot camps for all these troops4 ,often there would be as many as one hundred thousand men training at one time1 but after every engagement drafts would be called for up the line4 ,then they would be given their full equipment from the large ordnance stores at ,etaples1 and in the evening they would come to confession and ,communion4 ,there were two large ,catholic recreation huts1 with a chapel in each4 ,on ,sundays folding doors were opened and the whole hut became a chapel2 hundreds of soldiers came to assist at the different ,masses that were said in each hut4 ,in the evening great numbers came to confession1 and always crowds assisted at the early week-day morning ,mass4 ,every evening priests would be on duty in the little chapels hearing confessions and1 if soldiers had been called urgently and were leaving for the front1 giving ,communion4 ,it was my lot for the most part to hear confessions in the ,catholic hut to which came not only my own ,canadian lads1 but the ,irish of the famous ,sixteenth ,division3 ,connaughts1 ,leinsters1 ,munsters1 ,irish ,guards1 etc4 ,it was wonderfully edifying to sit evening after evening and hear the confessions of these ,irish lads4 ,they would usually begin by saying1 8,god bless you1 ,father60 ,they came in extraordinarily large numbers every night and always stayed a long while to pray4 ,the faith seemed to be part of their very being4 ,though they did not parade it1 these lads seemed scarcely to breathe without showing in some way the love for their faith4 ,when they met the ,catholic chaplain in the street1 they did not give him the salute they were supposed to give him1 in common with all other officers4 ,they always took off their hats4 ,they were the only soldiers who ever did this4 ,i asked an ,irish ,catholic officer about it one evening4 8,why1 ,father10 he said1 8they think the military salute not good enough for a priest4 ,it does all very well1 they think1 for a general or a field marshal or the ,king of ,england1 but it's not enough for a priest4 ,they must take their hats off1 although they break a military rule by so doing40 8,god bless them10 ,i said warmly4 ,the ,queen of ,england visited the hospitals and military depots of ,etaples while ,i was there4 ,happening to be near the ,irish depot when she was about to pass1 ,i stood among the great crowds of soldiers that lined each side of the road4 ,in about three minutes the ,queen would come along4 ,suddenly ,i heard the high1 effeminate voice of an ,english officer of superior rank calling out3 8,tell that man to put on his coat4 ,see here1 you60 ,looking in the direction towards which the colonel called1 ,i saw an ,irish soldier1 minus his tunic1 go galloping in his heavy military boots through a path that widened accommodatingly for him and closed behind him1 so that progress was almost impossible for the aristocratic colonel1 who perhaps wished to identify the man4 ,i remember one evening after ,i had finished confessions in ,oratory ,hut and had come back to the tent in my own lines1 finding a young ,scotch officer sitting at the little deal table waiting for me4 ,after talking for awhile1 he told me that for some time he had been wishing to become a ,catholic1 and that if ,i could spare the time he would begin instructions whenever ,i wished4 ,we began that night1 and a few weeks later ,i baptized him in the chapel of ,oratory ,hut4 ,an ,englishman--,i think his name was ,edmund ,hanley--stood sponsor4 ,during the ceremony the chaplain of the ,portuguese soldiers came in and knelt reverently4 ,when all was over and we had offered congratulations1 the ,portuguese priest shook hands with the neophyte2 then he came over to me and gave me both his hands warmly4 ,although he could not speak my language1 nor ,i his1 still we were brother priests1 and ,i was sure he knew the joy ,i felt over this new sheep coming into the fold of ,christ4 ,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,new ,,zealanders ,of all the lads of different nationalities who visited the little chapel in the evening and who came so often to ,holy ,communion in the early morning1 ,i think ,i liked the best the ,new ,zealanders4 ,they were nearly all tall1 lithe men1 dark-haired1 with long1 narrow faces1 and eyes that had a strange intensity of expression3 perhaps one might call them piercing4 ,they were quiet-voiced men and spoke with rather an ,english accent4 ,they were the gentlest1 finest men it was my good fortune to meet in the army4 ,they were excellent ,catholics1 many of them daily communicants4 ,the ,maoris1 the aborigines of ,new ,zealand1 were treated by the white men with the same courtesy that they showed one to another4 ,the ,maoris were the most intelligent looking men of the yellow race ,i had ever met4 ,in fact1 it was only by their color--which was almost chocolate--that one could distinguish them from the ,new ,zealanders themselves4 ,those of the ,maoris who were ,catholics were excellent ones4 ,i recall one incident which impressed me very much with ,new ,zealand courtesy4 ,i had come to a segregation camp1 just outside the little village of ,etaples1 to arrange for the ,sunday church parade of the soldiers on the following day4 ,the soldiers who were quartered in the segregation camp were men who had come in contact with those suffering from contagious diseases4 ,they usually stayed in this camp about three weeks4 ,if after this period no symptoms of any contagious disease appeared they returned to their different units4 ,the day ,i speak of1 three officers were sitting in the mess when ,i went to announce the services1 two ,englishmen and one ,new ,zealander4 ,i told the officer in charge that ,i should like to have the ,catholic men paraded for ,mass the following day1 suggesting to him to name the hour most suitable4 ,he1 an ,englishman1 said eleven o'clock4 ,i was about to say1 8,very well10 when the ,new ,zealand officer interposed gently but firmly4 8,you will have to make the hour earlier than that1 ,captain10 he said4 8,you know the ,father will be fasting till after his ,mass40 ,the ,english officer looked at me quickly4 8,why1 ,padre10 he said1 8it did not occur to me that you would be fasting4 ,certainly1 we'll have it earlier4 ,how about nine o'clock80 ,nine would suit perfectly1 ,i assured him4 ,as ,i was to say an early ,mass for the nurses at #g3cj1 ,i would just have time to move my altar to the dunes1 where ,i was to celebrate ,mass1 before the soldiers would arrive4 ,the ,mass was finished very early that ,sunday1 and there was no long fast4 ,i was very grateful to the ,new ,zealander for his thoughtfulness4 ,as ,i have said before1 they were the gentlest1 finest men ,i had ever met4 ,chapter ,,xxv ,,the ,,workers ,there was one thing about the natives of ,etaples that impressed me particularly1 and that was the respect each artisan seemed to have for his work4 ,in the little village were candle-makers1 bakers1 boot-makers1 makers of brushes1 etc41 and all these workmen seemed to be interested in their work and to have a great respect for it4 ,they worked slowly1 patiently1 and always thoroughly4 ,i noticed the same spirit in the fields4 ,just beyond the hill and the giant windmill that overlooked the village1 unfenced green fields sloped downward to green valleys1 then up over the hills again4 ,through this open countryside wound the white roads of ,france2 and always the great main roads were arched by ancient elms4 ,unlike ,england1 not even a hedge divided the property of owners4 ,here every day crowds of farm laborers1 mostly women and girls1 came early to work4 ,one noticed a total absence of all modern farm implements4 ,the women still used the old-fashioned reaping hook that was used long before the coming of ,christ4 ,what they cut they bound carefully into tiny sheaves4 ,the women1 for the most part1 were dressed as the woman in ,millet's picture1 8,the ,angelus10 from hood to wooden shoes4 ,here1 again1 the work was done patiently1 quietly1 and thoroughly4 ,the modern idea of saving labor seemed never to have come to them4 ,sometimes when not very busy ,i would take a walk through the long white roads1 leading into a white-housed red-roofed village1 the ,norman tower of the little church piercing the tree-tops2 then out again through more green unfenced fields to another little village two1 or three1 or sometimes four miles away4 ,often while on these walks1 ,i used to think of the rugged strength of these sturdy ,french peasants who went so steadily and quietly about their work4 ,they were strongly built people1 well developed1 and their faces were deep red--,i suppose from so much work out of doors4 ,chapter ,,xxvi ,,orders ,,again ,i had come down to my tent one evening a little later than usual to find a ,d4 ,r4 ,l4 ,s4 letter from the ,chaplain ,service awaiting me4 ,d4 ,r4 ,l4 ,s4 meant 8,dispatch ,riders' ,letter ,service40 ,i opened it quickly1 as a letter from headquarters1 brought by a dispatch rider1 might contain very important orders4 ,this was an order to report for duty at ,no4 #g ,canadian ,general ,hospital the following day4 ,i looked at my watch4 ,it was nearly nine o'clock4 ,it was very dark outside and the rain was beating on my tent4 ,no4 #g was at least two miles distant1 but ,i must see the chaplain before he would leave4 ,i put on my trench coat and stepped out into the rain4 ,as ,i drew near the hospital ,i was obliged to pass by a ,german prison camp4 ,i suppose my thoughts were wandering that night4 ,at least the first thing ,i realized was seeing through the rain the bright blade of a bayonet thrust at my breast2 then ,i heard the voice of the guard3 8,quick6 ,are you friend80 ,i stopped suddenly4 ,i had not heard him challenge me the first time1 which he surely must have done4 ,i realized in an instant my position4 8,yes10 ,i shouted1 8friend40 8,it's a good job you spoke1 sir10 warned the guard1 and then he said1 quickly1 8,pass1 friend40 ,although ,i had realized my position1 ,i had not felt the slightest alarm1 but now as ,i walked along in the darkness a strange fear took possession of me1 so that ,i shook almost violently4 ,i have been challenged often by sentries since that night1 but it has never been necessary to inquire more than once2 nor have ,i ever been halted so suddenly by a pointed bayonet4 ,i found the out-going chaplain1 ,father ,cot1 packing his bed-roll1 and as he packed he gave me all the advice necessary to an incoming chaplain4 ,the following morning he went up the line1 and immediately after lunch ,i left ,no4 #b ,c4 ,i4 ,b4 ,d41 where ,i had been most cordially treated by both officers and men1 and came to ,no4 #g ,canadian ,general ,hospital4 ,chapter ,,xxvii ,,hospitals ,,and ,,trains ,no4 #g ,canadian ,general was only one of a group of hospitals situated along the highway that led from ,etaples to ,camiers4 ,there were seven or eight large hospitals in all1 though only two were ,canadian1 the others being ,british4 ,although ,i was quartered at ,no4 #g1 ,i had also to attend the other ,canadian ,hospital1 ,no4 #a4 ,there were about #b1ejj beds in ,no4 #g1 and about #b1jjj in ,no4 #a4 ,at one end of ,no4 #a1 there was a marquee chapel-tent and at the rear of ,no4 #g there was a low wooden chapel called 8,church of ,our ,lady1 ,help of ,christians10 but this was used mostly by the ,british ,catholics4 ,the military hospital in ,france usually consisted of a number of long1 low1 detached one-story huts1 built in rows1 each row behind the other4 ,between the rows ran little lanes just wide enough to permit two ambulances to pass4 ,there was a door in each end of every hut1 so that it was very easy to go from one hut into the other4 ,each hut was a ward2 in some hospitals they were numbered2 in others they were lettered4 ,down each side of the aisle1 running from door to door1 was a row of beds--low iron beds covered with army blankets4 ,in most of the hospitals there were no counterpanes1 but there were always clean white sheets and pillow-cases4 ,at one end of the ward were two small cubicles1 one of which was the nurses' office1 the other a kind of pantry and emergency kitchen1 though nearly all the cooking was done in the general kitchen1 which was a special hut4 ,into these large1 quiet wards1 far away from the roar of the heavy guns1 the crackle of machine-guns and rifles1 the wounded lads came1 carried by train and ambulance4 ,many who will read these lines have seen the troop-trains1 with their hundreds of khaki-clad lads leaning out from car windows1 cheering1 singing1 and waving1 as they were carried swiftly by on their way to seaport or training-camp4 ,perhaps they have watched long companies of soldier boys march up dusty roads1 while flags waved and bands played and people cheered1 to the lines of cars waiting for them4 ,if so1 they will recall the great buoyancy of the lads--their gaiety as they passed on their way to training-camp or port of embarkation for overseas4 ,this light-heartedness accompanied them across the sea and went with them up through ,france as they journeyed in other troop-trains to the front4 ,and whenever thirsty engines stopped at watertanks1 or when a halt was made to exchange a tired engine1 little ,french children assembled and gazed wide-eyed at the soldiers who had come from across the seas4 ,they wondered1 too1 what those words meant that some one on the troop-trains always called out and which brought such a thundering response4 ,many trains went up along the same way through ,france and stopped1 as others had stopped1 and always some voice called out those words1 and always hundreds of voices roared back1 8,no60 ,so in time the ,french children learned them1 and whenever the trains slowed into a station the little ones would run to the cars1 and one of their number would call out1 8,har we doon-hearted80 ,then1 mingled with the laughter of the khaki-clad lads1 would come thundering the answer1 8,no60 ,after awhile trains bearing soldiers began to come down from the line4 ,but when the engines stopped at watering-tanks or stations the little ,french children that gathered about them noticed certain differences between these trains and the ones that went up to the front4 ,everything seemed very silent1 save for the slow panting of the engine4 ,on the side of every car was painted1 in the middle of a large white circle1 a red cross4 ,no groups of laughing faces appeared at open car windows2 though now and again the white1 drawn face of some one lying in a berth peered out through the glass4 ,sometimes a white bandage was tied around the head1 and sometimes on the white bandage was a dark-red patch4 ,no one called out1 8,are we downhearted80 ,trains kept coming down from the front somewhat irregularly2 silent trains with red crosses painted on white circles on the sides of the cars4 ,then one day there was a slight change in the appearance of these hospital trains4 ,the red cross was still there1 but painted near one end1 on the side of the car1 was an oblong of red1 white and blue about three feet long and two wide4 ,the little children knew well what this was--the tricolor of ,france4 ,but they did not know what the oblong of red1 white and blue painted on the side1 at the other end of the car1 represented4 ,the disposition of the color was different1 and the formation of the colored parts was not the same4 ,there were more stripes in this oblong1 and the stripes were narrower and red and white in color4 ,in the upper corner was a small blue square with many white stars on it4 ,then one day some one told the little children that this was the flag of the ,americans who had come from so far across the seas to help their fathers and brothers in the war4 ,as ,i write these words ,i recall the passing of the trains of ,france4 ,those that went up took light-hearted lads who leaned from car windows and sang and cheered as they went through ,french villages4 ,and the trains that came down1 with red crosses on them1 had for their passengers quiet lads who lay in berths1 bandaged in every conceivable way4 ,but although they suffered much1 and although occasionally a low moan escaped through pain-drawn lips1 those wonderful lads were still 8not downhearted40 ,they passed through many different hands after they were wounded and always they were well treated4 ,first1 stretcher-bearers picked them up and carried them to the regimental aid post1 which was usually a dugout in one of the support trenches4 ,here they received treatment from the medical officer of the battalion and his staff4 ,then they were carried by other stretcher-bearers down the trenches to the field station1 from which places motor ambulances took them to the advanced dressing station where bandages were re-arranged or improved4 ,then they went to the clearing station1 where they remained for perhaps two or three days until there was a clearing for the hospital to which they were to go4 ,ambulances took them to the ,red ,cross trains and stretcher-bearers carried them gently to berths in the cars1 and then they began their long journey to the base hospital--the big quiet hospital far away from the roar of the guns4 ,from time to time medical officers passed down the aisle of the car1 and sometimes a ,red ,cross nurse1 clad in light grey uniform1 gave medicine to the wounded lads or examined a dressing4 ,the journey from the casualty clearing station to the base hospital often took many hours4 ,it was usually evening when the long line of ,red ,cross cars came slowly into the smooth siding that had been built since the war4 ,the bugle call would sound and many hospital orderlies and stretcher-bearers would assemble1 as1 one after another1 the big green ambulances1 each one driven by a woman1 came swiftly down to the siding4 ,gradually their speed slackened1 and they moved slowly down the line of hospital cars1 in the sides of which doors opened4 ,then gently and carefully the wounded lads1 wrapped in thick brown army blankets and lying on stretchers1 were lowered from the cars and carried to the open ends of the ambulances1 where the stretchers were fitted into racks running their full length--two above and two below4 ,as soon as the stretchers were securely strapped the machine slowly moved off to the hospital1 which was just a few hundred yards away4 ,chapter ,,xxviii ,d ,i',s ,,and ,s ,i',s ,i remember the day ,i arrived at ,no4 #g4 ,the quartermaster allotted me a burlap hut in the officers' lines1 just large enough to contain a low iron bed1 a rough table1 made of boards from an old packing case1 a chair 7which was not there7 and a little stove when it was cold enough for one4 ,i hung my trench coat on a nail and asked the two men who had brought my bed-roll to place it where the chair should have been4 ,i gave just one look around the hut1 then went out again and up to the ,registrar's office1 first to ,no4 #a1 then back to ,no4 #g4 ,every morning a list was posted outside the ,registrar's offices1 on which were printed the names of the ,d4 ,i4's and ,s4 ,i4's2 those ,dangerously ,ill and ,seriously ,ill4 ,for obvious reasons the ,catholics of both classes were always prepared for death immediately4 ,i found a number of ,catholics in a critical condition and ,i administered the last sacraments to them4 ,it was long after six o'clock when ,i finished my work4 ,i was leaving ,no4 #g feeling a little tired1 for ,i had covered quite a lot of ground on my visits1 when ,i heard 8,padre0 called by one of the nurses1 who was coming quickly behind me4 ,i stopped until she came to where ,i was standing4 ,she asked me if ,i were the new ,r4 ,c4 chaplain4 ,on being answered in the affirmative she told me she had a list of men of my faith who should be seen by their chaplain immediately4 ,she passed me her list as she spoke1 and in a second or two ,i was comparing it with the names written in the little black book that ,i had taken from the left upper pocket of my tunic4 ,i had seen them all3 all had been 8housled and aneled10 had been prepared to meet ,god4 ,i told her so1 quietly1 and ,i showed her my little book4 ,she compared the names3 then she looked at me keenly4 8,my60 she said1 8how you ,catholic priests look after your men60 ,then she was gone again4 ,chapter ,,xxix ,,down ,,the ,,hospital ,,aisle ,although the emergency cases were attended at all hours by the chaplain1 it was in the afternoon that the general visiting was done4 ,each patient1 when he had entered the hospital1 had attached to the buttonhole of his shirt1 or overcoat if he was wearing it1 a thick waterproof envelope containing a card on which was written a description of the wounds he had received and the treatment that had been given them in the different stations through which he had passed4 ,sometimes1 though not often1 there was a smaller card attached to the large one--but we shall speak of this card later4 ,the nurse in charge of the ward kept the cards of her patients in her office4 ,as the religious denomination of the patient was always given on his card1 together with the number of his bed1 it was very easy for me to find my patients once ,i had written down the names from the cards4 ,the first question that ,i usually asked the men1 after ,i had inquired about their wounds1 was how long it was since they were at ,communion4 ,nearly always it was a few days or a week1 as most of them had gone to ,holy ,communion before going into the trenches1 though sometimes it was a month or two2 and sometimes a man looked up at me steadily and said1 8,ten years1 ,father10 or perhaps fifteen1 or perhaps more4 ,then ,i would say1 quietly3 8,it will soon be time to go again1 won't it80 ,usually the man smiled1 but generally he agreed with me4 ,when ,i would meet a man a long time away1 ,i would make a note in my little book so that ,i might make some special visits to him4 ,often1 ,i had the great joy of seeing men1 a long time away from the sacraments1 return to ,god4 ,one afternoon ,i stopped at the bed of a bright-eyed young ,canadian whose face lit up on seeing me1 for he knew ,i was the priest4 ,he had lost one of his arms above the elbow1 so ,i began to talk to him of the wonderful artificial limbs that were being made for those disabled in the war4 ,the lad just smiled quietly--he was not the least bit downhearted--as he said3 8,they can't help me much in my line1 ,father40 ,then he fumbled with his hand in the little bag in the small white locker that had been placed near his bed1 and when he found his pay-book he asked me to open it and read the newspaper clipping that was there4 ,the head-line said1 8,pat ,rafferty ,enlists10 and underneath1 in smaller print1 was a second heading3 8,champion ,light ,weight ,boxer of ,western ,canada ,goes to the ,front with the ---- ,battalion40 ,then there were two short paragraphs1 and below them was a picture of a young man in civilian dress4 ,i examined it a moment1 and as ,i looked at the original ,i felt a wave of pity well up within me4 ,yet the brave young soldier smiled4 ,it was not only ,canadian soldiers who came to the hospital1 for men of all the ,english-speaking armies were brought there4 ,i always enjoyed a talk with the ,irish wounded2 they had such a warm friendliness and reverence for the priest4 ,it really was not necessary for me to procure the number of their beds1 once these men knew that it was the priest who was coming down the aisle1 for ,i could have found them by the eager1 smiling faces that watched me as ,i came4 ,they always got in the first word2 before ,i quite reached their beds ,i would hear their truly ,irish greeting1 8,god bless you1 ,father10 and then as ,i would shake hands1 they would ask me eagerly how ,i was--,i had come to see how they were4 ,they always wanted a medal--they pronounced it more like 8middle0--and it was a little one that they wanted4 ,one day ,i spread out on the palm of my hand eight medals of assorted sizes1 and told a great giant to help himself4 ,among the medals was the tiniest one ,i have ever seen4 ,the great finger and thumb did not hesitate for a second1 but groped twice unsuccessfully for the tiny medal2 finally1 the third time they bore it away1 while over the large face of the ,irish lad spread the delighted smile of a child4 ,when ,i asked one of these lads which battalion he was in1 expecting of course to be told the ,first or ,second ,munsters1 or ,leinsters1 or ,dublins1 etc41 but that is what ,i never heard4 ,this is what they would say3 8,father ,doyle's1 ,father10 or 8,father ,gleason's1 ,father10 or 8,father ,maloney's1 ,father40 ,one afternoon1 just when ,i entered1 my eyes fell on a bright face looking up over the blankets4 ,i knew he was a ,catholic1 an ,irishman1 from the ,munster ,fusiliers1 though ,i judged from the manner in which the large blue eyes regarded me that he was not so sure about my religion4 ,i thought that there was also a hint of battle in the glint of his eye1 so ,i walked quickly over to his bed1 without the faintest flicker of a smile1 and said3 8,let me see now1 you're a ,baptist1 aren't you80 ,the blue eyes of the ,munster lad blazed as he looked up at me4 8,no1 sir1 ,i'm not6 ,i'm a ,roman ,catholic60 he said1 and as he panted for breath1 ,i said to him quietly3 8,well1 now1 ,i'm glad to hear that4 ,i'm a ,roman ,catholic1 too60 ,then swiftly the vindictive look faded out of the blue eyes of the ,irish lad and a smile floated over his face as he said1 somewhat shamefacedly3 8,excuse me1 ,father--,i didn't know1 ,father--,i'm glad to see you1 ,father10 7pronouncing the 8a0 in ,father like the 8a0 in ,pat71 and a big red1 brown-freckled hand was shyly offered me4 ,it was only three days since ,father ,gleason gave him and all his comrades ,holy ,communion1 but he would be pleased1 if it would not be too much trouble to ,his ,reverence1 to go again in the morning4 ,i wrote his name in the little book and promised to come in the morning with the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,chapter ,,xxx ,,the ,,two ,,brothers ,i had been visiting the two brothers for over a week--indeed one of them for over two weeks1 before ,i knew they were brothers4 ,one was in ,no4 #a hospital2 the other in ,no4 #g3 one had been wounded in the chest or shoulder2 the other in the knee4 ,i carried messages one to the other1 and they looked forward eagerly to my coming1 for it was three years since they had seen each other4 ,they used to anticipate with great pleasure the day when they would be convalescent and could see each other4 ,then one evening the lad who was wounded in the knee told me that the following morning there was to be an evacuation for ,england and that he was among the number4 ,although he was glad to hear this good news1 still he regretted very much not being able to see his brother before leaving4 8,it is so long since ,i've seen him1 ,father1 and he is so near10 he said wistfully4 ,i looked at the young fellow for a few moments1 wondering silently what ,i could do to bring about a meeting of the brothers4 ,first1 ,i thought ,i might obtain permission for the ambulance to stop at ,no4 #a on its way to the siding1 and that the young fellow might be carried in on a stretcher4 ,but on second thought ,i felt it would be very difficult to obtain such a permission4 ,finally1 ,i decided to ask the adjutant for permission to have him taken up to ,no4 #a on a wheel stretcher4 ,the adjutant was very kind1 granting my request4 ,that evening the two brothers met for the first time in three years and passed two hours together4 ,this little act of kindness did not pass unnoticed1 for ,i learned afterwards that it had met with the warm approval of many in both hospitals--,i suppose because it was just one of those little human touches that everybody loves4 ,but ,i could not help thinking of the numerous other meetings in the early morning1 or often at any hour of the day or night1 when through my ministrations two others were brought together1 sometimes after a much longer separation than that of the brothers4 ,one would be some poor broken lad who sometimes was a little bashful or shy about the meeting2 the other was ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,saviour of the world4 ,not many concerned themselves about these meetings1 but--there was 8joy among the angels40 ,chapter ,,xxxi ,,an ,,unexpected ,,turning ,it was now ,november4 ,the days were passing very quickly for ,i was kept busy2 convoys were coming daily4 ,passchendael was being fought4 ,i had to visit the ,d4 ,i4's and ,s4 ,i4's very often1 for many were being admitted4 ,one morning ,i stopped just long enough to prepare an ,australian for death4 ,he had been wounded through the throat and could not swallow1 so that it was impossible for me to give him ,holy ,communion4 ,i absolved him and anointed him quickly1 then ,i told him ,i must pass on as ,i had many more to visit4 ,it was almost impossible for him to speak1 and he did so with great pain1 but as he gave me his hand and his dying eyes looked at me1 he made a great effort4 8,cheerio10 he whispered4 ,truly these wonderful lads were not downhearted6 ,during the month of ,november thousands of patients passed through the hospital4 ,everybody was working extremely hard4 ,sometimes during the night1 convoys arrived4 ,the anaesthetist1 who sat next me at mess1 told me that he was beginning to feel that he could not continue very much longer2 for days he had been giving chloroform almost steadily1 as there were very many operations4 ,we were both longing for a little lull in the work so that we might get a few hours' rest4 ,there were many places where the officers of the hospitals used to go4 ,there was 8,the ,blue ,cat0 at ,paris ,plage1 a famous seaside resort about three miles from ,etaples1 where they went to have tea and bathe in the sea4 ,there was the village of ,frencq1 where a little old lady kept a small coffee house and made omelettes that were famous4 ,then there were two officers' clubs and an officers' circulating library at ,etaples4 ,i had been to the library at different times while at the base4 ,there was a large reading-room exceptionally well lighted1 for it was a part of an old studio4 ,tea was served every afternoon from #c3cj to #f3jj o'clock1 at which a number of old ,english officers assembled4 ,it was very amusing to listen to them relating past experiences1 in which often a good dinner was not forgotten4 ,they treated the soldier-waiter as if he were one of their own personal servants1 calling him often2 and although there was but one syllable in his name 7it was ,brown7 they managed to twist the last letter into a rather complaining inflection4 ,i watched ,brown a number of times1 and although he came 8on the double0 and stood head erect1 looking at his nose1 as all good butlers do1 still ,i thought ,i detected on more than one occasion a merry light in his bright brown eyes1 and he seemed to be exerting a little extra will power in keeping his lips composed4 ,then one day there came a lull in the rush of work1 and being advised by one of the officers to take a little recreation1 ,i obeyed4 ,i recall that afternoon particularly4 ,i went to the officers' circulating library1 which was at the rear of the town hall1 where ,i passed the afternoon very pleasantly looking through a delightfully illustrated edition of 8,our ,sentimental ,garden10 by ,agnes and ,egerton ,castle1 whose home ,i had visited while at ,bramshott4 ,the quarto volume contained many drawings of their pretty garden from different angles4 ,it was very restful sitting in the quaint old studio1 through the great windowed wall of which streamed the autumn sunlight4 ,towards five o'clock tea was served by my old friend1 the butler humorist4 ,then as the sun went quietly down into the sea1 far out1 ,i walked back to ,no4 #g1 feeling very much benefited by my visit1 meeting hundreds of soldiers1 nurses and civilians on the way4 ,it was dusk when ,i entered my little burlap hut4 ,i lit the lamp1 and as ,i did1 the light flashed over an open letter on my newspaper-covered desk4 ,all the feeling of exhilaration which had cheered my return walk left me suddenly1 and an overwhelming1 foreboding cloud came over my spirits2 for the letter said3 8,please come quickly1 ,padre1 there is one of your men dying in ,ward #c1 bed #ag40 ,it was signed by the adjutant of ,no4 #a hospital1 and the hour of the day was marked on the letter4 ,it had been sent at #b3cj4 ,it was now #f3jj p4 m4 ,i turned down the lamp and went quickly out of the little hut praying1 as ,i ran up the road1 that the lad might be still alive4 ,i walked down the ward1 not noticing the friendly faces that turned to greet me1 as was their custom4 ,the red screens were around the bed4 ,i moved them gently and stood quietly by the lad's bed4 ,an orderly moved a little to one side4 8,he's dead1 sir10 said the orderly4 8,died just a minute ago40 ,i put on my purple stole1 gave the lad conditional absolution and anointed him conditionally4 ,then ,i stood for a long while looking on his still white face1 wishing with all my heart that ,i had not left the hospital that day4 ,then the orderly made a little movement and ,i turned and went down the aisle of the ward1 repressing a great desire to burst into tears2 it was the first time1 through my neglect1 that ,i had ever missed a call to the dying4 ,in passing ,i talked to a few patients1 but there seemed to be a strange numbness in my brain1 so that ,i did not follow the words spoken by the occupants of different beds where ,i stopped2 one or two ceased speaking and looked at me keenly4 ,just as ,i was about to leave the ward little ,sister ,daughney came in4 ,she stopped and spoke to me1 and her words were as sweetest music to my ear4 8,ah1 ,father10 she said--,sister was from ,ireland--8,i sent for you this afternoon for the lad who has just died4 ,he would have been glad to see you1 ,father1 although there was no need2 for he said he had been anointed and prepared for death just six hours before up in the ,c4 ,c4 ,s40 ,i looked at the little sister talking so quietly and in such a matter-of-fact way3 while thundering in my ears was the desire to break forth into a great ,te ,deum ,laudamus4 ,she spoke to me of two or three new patients who might develop more serious symptoms1 then passed on to other duties1 whilst ,i went up the lane to my little marquee chapel to kneel before the tabernacle and make known to ,god my fervent gratitude4 ,and so1 after all1 ,i had passed a very pleasant day4 ,chapter ,,xxxii ,,private ,,belair ,the days passed quickly1 for they were well filled1 and sometimes at night the call would come2 my door would open quite abruptly1 awakening me1 and the light from a small flash-light would dazzle my surprised eyes1 while a voice called1 8,r4 ,c4 chaplain80 ,i recall one night in particular4 ,i had been awakened by the orderly calling1 to find him standing at the head of my bed1 his flash-light focused on a message written on white interlined paper that he held before my eyes4 ,the words read3 8,come quickly1 ,father1 ,wd #ad1 bed #g1 ,belair1 gassed40 ,it was signed ,sister ,kirky1 who weighed almost #cjj pounds4 ,in twelve minutes ,i was dressed and standing in the ward by ,private ,belair4 ,i was a little surprised to find him sitting up with just his tunic and boots removed4 ,he sat in such a way that his arms rested over the back of his chair which he faced4 ,he was panting terribly and was evidently suffering greatly4 ,every little while1 when he seemed to have sufficient strength1 he would begin to pray in whispered ,latin1 8,o bone ,jesu10 then his voice would die out in a trembling whisper and the prayer would become inaudible4 8,oh1 ,father10 he whispered1 8,i am--so glad--you came4 ,all my life--,i have prayed--to have the grace40 ,then he began to pray again1 and ,i made ready to hear his confession4 ,it did not take long for it cost him terrible agony to speak4 ,then ,i anointed him4 ,i had not brought ,holy ,communion1 being so eager to reach him that ,i had not taken time to go up to the chapel called 8,church of ,our ,lady1 ,help of ,christians40 ,my own marquee chapel had blown down a few days previous and ,i had removed the ,blessed ,sacrament to the above-mentioned church4 ,i told the sick man ,i was going to bring our ,blessed ,lord1 but that it might take a little while1 as very likely ,i should find the church locked and should have to find the key4 ,although the ward had been but dimly-lighted it was extremely dark on coming out1 for it was raining2 and in my haste ,i tripped over a tent guy-rope1 taut by the rain1 and fell on my hands and knees on the cinder walk4 ,then ,i walked on more carefully1 rubbing tiny particles of cinders from my stinging hands4 ,just as ,i reached the chapel ,i was challenged by the guard4 ,this time ,i answered quickly3 8,friend4 ,r4 ,c4 chaplain ,no4 #g4 ,can4 ,gen4 ,hospital40 ,i stood to be recognized4 ,then the guard spoke1 but this time softly1 and he peered at my rain-wet face4 8,ah1 ,father10 he said1 8it's you60 ,it was one of the ,irish lads from the ,sixteenth ,infantry ,base ,depot who was one of the guards for the ,german prison camp opposite4 ,he may have seen me saying ,mass at ,oratory ,hut1 or perhaps he had spent a few days at the segregation camp4 ,the door of the little church was locked1 and ,i did not know where to find the key4 ,i knew that an ,english ,redemptorist1 ,father ,prime1 chaplain to ,no4 #bf ,british ,general ,hospital1 said ,mass here every morning2 perhaps he might know where the key was kept4 ,it was half a mile to ,father ,prime's little hut at ,no4 #bf1 and ,i went very quickly1 praying all the while for the poor gassed soldier that he might have the great privilege for which he had prayed so much4 ,father ,prime was very easily awakened and seemed glad that it was not a call for him to go out in the rain4 ,he had the key1 and presently ,i was hurrying back to the little church4 ,the ,irish lad1 still on guard1 as ,i returned bearing the ,bread of ,life to the dying soldier in the hospital1 knelt on the rainy ground1 and ,i could just tell that he was bowing his head as the ,saviour passed4 ,the poor fellow was still alive1 though panting in great pain4 ,he received ,holy ,communion most devoutly4 ,i felt that ,i was in the presence of an exceptionally good man4 ,in the afternoon he died4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii ,a ,,little ,,nonsense ,it was hard work visiting the wounded1 listening time after time to each one as he described the nature and history of his wounds1 which in many cases were so similar4 ,often on leaving one hut only to enter another1 ,i have paused to look longingly out to the estuary of the ,canche1 where the sun would be sinking slowly1 and breathe the strong1 aromatic air coming from the sea and the marshes that grew from the river mud2 then in again to great wards of poor broken lads and the antiseptic odors of the hospital4 ,although the spirits of the lads1 on the whole1 were bright and merry1 and those who nursed them brought sunshine to their work1 still one would scarcely think of entering any one ward with the intention of being entertained4 ,yet frequently ,i have gone into a certain ward of ,no4 #g1 ,canadian ,general1 with no other intention than that of being amused4 ,for in this ward were the malingerers1 that is1 the men who were trying to 8put one over0 on the doctors4 ,the soldiers called them 8lead swingers40 ,the ingenuity of some of these men was really extraordinary4 ,i have seen a case come through three or four different posts1 diagnosed as measles1 until finally the doctor in the stationary hospital saw that the man had used a preparation of some oil to bring out the rash1 and had raised his temperature with cordite4 ,the first day ,i went into ,wd4 --1 ,i was somewhat puzzled4 ,i had not known that this was the ward of malingerers1 and so was surprised to find so many healthy looking men in hospital4 ,the nurse in charge looked a little surprised when ,i entered and said smilingly3 8,well1 ,padre1 what are you doing here8 ,nobody ever dies in this ward40 8,well1 ,sister10 ,i said1 8as far as ,i can see now1 every one has the appearance of being quite spruce40 ,then she said quietly3 8,p4 ,u4 ,o410 nodding her head a little after pronouncing each letter4 ,then she went into her cubicle to continue her work4 ,that evening at dinner ,i asked the doctor who sat nearest me what was meant by 8,p4 ,u4 ,o40 ,he smiled1 then said3 8,it means1 ,padre1 #8,praxis of ,unknown ,origin'10 and kept smiling as he continued3 8,we sometimes meet a case which really puzzles us1 but nearly always1 when you see #8,p4 ,u4 ,o4' on a medical history sheet you can count on its being a case of malingering40 ,he did not say very much till we had nearly finished our meal1 then he said3 8,wait1 ,padre1 after dinner and we'll see #8,boots'40 ,this was a nickname for the doctor in charge of ,ward --1 one of the jolliest ,m4 ,o4's in the mess4 ,we found him in the ante-room1 three or four others grouped around him2 but instead of the customary broad smile on his good-natured fat face1 there was a look of real indignation4 ,he was explaining to his smiling listeners something about a few cases that had been sent to him2 and as we drew near ,i caught these words3 8,dey had da hitch10--the doctor was a ,french ,canadian--8and dey were sent to my ward--height of dem6 ,sent to me1 and dem wit da hitch60 ,every one was laughing and trying unsuccessfully to suppress it4 ,then a young doctor interposed3 8,and what did you do1 ,boots80 8,do80 echoed the other4 8,what did ,i do8 ,i just took dare papers and sent dem up to the skin disease hospital4 ,dere's no room for men wit da hitch in my ward40 ,the mere thought of the indignity seemed almost too much for the good doctor1 so he paused for a little and his face grew red as he looked around on his smiling audience4 ,then he said3 8,da idea of sending men wit da hitch to me60 ,he had closed his lips tightly and was nodding to himself at the insult that had been offered his ward by having men with the itch sent to it1 when the doctor who had spoken previously spoke again3 8,yes1 #8,boots1' the idea of sending sick men to your ward60 8,boots0 looked at him quickly1 and suddenly the dark clouds were dispersed and the light of his broad1 sunny smile spread over his good-natured face4 8,dat's hit10 he said4 8,what do dey want to send sick people to me for80 ,the others laughed and moved on1 and presently ,i found myself making arrangements with ,captain 8,boots0 to visit his ward when his 8patients0 would be undergoing treatment the following morning4 ,the only condition the good doctor imposed was that ,i would not laugh4 ,this ,i promised4 ,the following day1 as ,i walked down the aisle of ,no4 --1 ,i realized how hard it would be to fulfill the condition the doctor had made for my visit4 ,the men were undergoing 8treatment02 some held the handles of a galvanic battery in their hands1 while their bodies squirmed and twisted1 but never for one instant did they drop the handles2 others had their feet on steel discs in tubs of water1 while others underwent electrical treatment in different ways4 ,the doctor moved from bed to bed1 inquiring with simulated solicitude as to the state of each patient1 offering a word of encouragement to some poor fellow who writhed under the current that passed through hands and feet4 8,dat's right1 my lad10 the doctor would say encouragingly1 8just keep your feet on de disc40 ,perhaps it did not occur to the good doctor that the man was powerless to take his feet off the disc6 ,to another he would say3 8,dere1 now1 my lad1 we'll soon have you in perfec health again0--and ,i would wonder how the strong1 rosy-cheeked lad would look when in perfect health4 ,i was not surprised to hear two or three lads inform the doctor that they thought they felt well enough to go back to their battalions again4 ,the doctor would always agree with them4 ,one fellow said1 within my hearing3 8,he might as well give us the chair at once60 ,i remember coming out of the ward that first day1 and when ,i was out of view1 ,i stood in the lane and laughed and laughed4 ,the fat doctor had been so funny1 and also the poor fellows1 squirming and twisting under treatment that was not at all necessary for them4 ,i made many subsequent visits to ,no4 --4 ,whenever ,i would feel tired out from the more serious work of visiting the wounded1 ,i would step down the lane and listen for awhile to ,doctor 8,boots0 passing up and down the aisle giving his electrical treatment4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,transfusion ,although the little wooden chapel called ,church of ,our ,lady1 ,help of ,christians was nearer ,no4 #g1 ,i always said ,mass in the chapel at ,no4 #a4 ,it was wonderfully edifying there in that little marquee chapel4 ,i don't know who had had it erected1 for it was standing when ,i went to ,no4 #a1 but ,i do recall the devout congregations of walking wounded in their hospital suits of light-blue fleeced wool2 the hospital orderlies who came so reverently2 the white-veiled blue-clad nurses who came in large numbers4 ,two ,masses were said on ,sunday so as to accommodate the different shifts of ,sisters1 and every ,sunday evening there was ,benediction and a short sermon4 ,i remember one morning noticing that the hospital orderly who served the ,mass trembled while answering the opening responses4 ,he was a tall1 well-built young fellow with light hair1 and usually his face had the glow of excellent health2 but when he passed me the cruets1 ,i noticed that his face had almost the pallor of death1 and that although it was a cold morning in early autumn little beads of perspiration stood out on his white forehead4 ,after ,mass ,i asked him if he were not well4 ,then he told me quietly that he felt extremely weak1 having given a quantity of his blood just a few days before to save the life of a wounded soldier who was dying from loss of blood4 ,the wounded man was now recovering4 ,it was not the first time he had given his blood1 and1 he said1 as he smiled painfully and with the appearance of great weakness1 he felt that it would not be the last time4 ,as he moved about slowly and wearily1 extinguishing the candles and covering the altar1 ,i felt a great admiration for this generous lad1 and ,i thought truly there are other heroic ways of giving one's blood than shedding it on the battlefield6 ,it was quite a common occurrence in different hospitals to go through the process of transfusion of blood4 ,the most necessary condition was that the blood of the donor be adaptable to the system of the patient4 ,chapter ,,xxxv ,,the ,,ministering ,,angels ,the nurses--8sisters0 we called them--throughout all the base hospitals were most attentive to the wounded1 without the slightest display of any maudlin sympathy2 but they worked hard and long and one never heard the least complaint from their lips4 ,it was a common occurrence at ,no4 #g to see a nurse being ordered away for a complete rest1 made necessary by the terrific strain of her work4 ,the ,catholic nurses were1 on the whole1 very faithful in the practice of their religious duties1 many being weekly communicants4 ,to communicate daily was not practicable for many1 as they were on duty during morning ,mass4 ,often ,i have seen a nurse come with five or six of her patients to ,holy ,communion3 some back-sliders that she had rounded up4 ,often1 while giving ,holy ,communion to a soldier in the ward of a non-,catholic nurse1 ,i had been annoyed by the lack of any special preparations on the part of the sister for the administration of the ,sacrament4 ,but one morning ,i found a spotlessly white cloth spread over the small locker1 a clean graduate glass of fresh water and a spoon4 ,there was also on the locker a folded white towel for the lad to hold when receiving ,holy ,communion4 ,it pleased me very much to see such care taken to prepare for the coming of ,jesus1 and it was with deep gratitude that ,i went to thank the sister in charge1 after ,i had given the lad ,holy ,communion4 8,sister10 ,i said1 8how did you know how to prepare everything so well8 ,it was so clean1 and everything necessary was there40 ,the good little sister seemed pleased that ,i had even noticed the preparations4 ,then she said3 8,well1 ,padre1 ,i knew just what was needed for ,i studied nursing in a ,catholic hospital40 ,as ,i went out of the ward the thought struck me how fine it would be if only all the non-,catholic sisters would prepare for the ,saviour's coming as had their sister nurse1 and as ,i thought ,i formed a little plan4 ,the following day ,i was notified by a non-,catholic sister to bring ,communion to a boy in her ward2 and there and then ,i tried out my plan4 8,sister10 ,i said1 8yesterday morning ,i was called to ,sister ----'s ward to administer one of my lads who is dangerously ill1 and ,i was very much surprised to find the table arranged as if it had been done by an ,r4 ,c4 ,sister40 8,how did she have it arranged1 ,padre80 she asked4 ,then ,i told her just how things had been prepared4 ,the following morning when ,i brought the 8,bread of the ,strong0 to the poor wounded lad1 ,i found1 as on the previous day1 everything spotlessly arranged for the visit of the ,guest4 ,after that1 whenever a non-,catholic sister told me that a ,catholic lad had need of my ministrations in her ward1 ,i told her how well the last sister had prepared locker1 etc41 and invariably the following morning1 when ,i went in silence to the bedside1 ,i found that all things had been made ready4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,more ,,orders ,december came4 ,during the first week of that month ,i prepared my hut to stand the cold of the winter months and began to look forward to a time of relative repose after the past five months of strenuous work4 ,the fighting was not to be so intense during the winter1 therefore there would not be so many casualties4 ,i had been given a fine little coal stove1 and ,i was beginning to enjoy coming into the hut at night to be greeted by its cheerful red glow4 ,there were worse places to dwell in1 ,i told myself1 than a burlap hut with a coal fire burning in it4 ,i was looking forward to peaceful winter evenings with books to read1 or perhaps a few hours writing1 when one evening just before dinner a knock sounded on the door and an officer stepped into my hut4 ,i had never seen him before4 ,he looked at me somewhat strangely for a second or two1 then asked if ,i had not been expecting him1 8for10 he said1 8,i am ,captain ,hawke1 the new ,r4 ,c4 chaplain to ,no4 #g ,canadian ,general ,hospital4 ,you are to go up the line40 ,for just a second a faint dizziness came over me1 and the vision of bright coal fires faded from before my mind and ,i thought1 with considerable falling of spirits1 of winter in the trenches4 ,i shook hands with the new chaplain and then ,i told him ,i had not been expecting him1 and that so far no orders had come to me to report at the front4 ,just as ,i spoke1 however1 another knock sounded on the door1 and before ,i had time to open it an orderly entered and passed me a ,d4 ,r4 ,l4 ,s4 letter3 ,i was to report at the ,seventy-fifth ,battalion the following day4 ,so on the morning of ,december #aath1 #aiag1 ,i left ,no4 #g with real regret4 ,i had always found the doctors very friendly and they had shown me many kindnesses4 ,i had grown to love my work in the hospital1 and the peace and quiet of the little marquee chapel at ,no4 #a ,can4 ,gen4 after the day's work was done4 ,now1 ,i must break new ground6 ,it was a cold morning when ,i took my place on the seat of the ambulance alongside the driver4 ,the waiters crowded about the door of the mess--the doctors had not yet come from their huts--and one of them1 an old ,scotchman wearing a glengarry1 who had already seen service up the line1 stepped forward and patted me on the back and wished me 8guid luck40 ,then the ambulance leaped into high gear and we were off to the station4 ,there were certain formalities to be gone through at the military station at ,etaples3 certain papers had to be shown to the ,r4 ,t4 ,o4 and instructions received from him4 ,it did not take long to give my instructions4 ,i was to take the train on ,no4 #i track4 ,i was to detrain at ,calonne-,ricouart2 there ,i would receive further instructions4 ,there was a great crowd of troopers on my train who leaned from car windows and sang merrily as the train passed through ,french villages4 ,then1 ,i remember1 as we stopped at one village1 ,i heard in the distance the sound of the guns1 and always as we advanced came clearer and clearer the deep booming4 ,for the first time ,i heard sounds of the actual conflict of the ,world ,war4 ,an officer whom ,i had met on the train accompanied me to the staging camp1 which was but a short distance from the station at ,calonne-,ricouart4 ,i presented my papers at the little office4 ,the orderly room clerk looked at me quickly4 8,why1 sir10 he said1 8you're in luck6 ,the ,seventy-fifth ,battalion is just a few yards up the road4 ,better stay here for lunch1 then ,i'll send a runner with you40 ,i may have been lucky in finding the ,seventy-fifth but there my luck ended for a few days3 for when ,i entered headquarters of the ,seventy-fifth1 which was in an old chateau1 ,i was told that there had been some mistake4 ,they had a chaplain1 a ,presbyterian1 who was then away on leave4 ,the ,r4 ,c4 chaplain of the brigade was quartered with the ,eighty-seventh4 ,the adjutant treated me politely1 but with a little suspicion4 ,he asked me for my papers4 ,then he requested me to be seated4 ,i did so1 but with a feeling of vague uneasiness2 now and then an orderly clerk looked at me quietly though searchingly and then continued his writing4 ,i wondered where the mistake had been1 and where ,i was really to go2 but most of all ,i wondered at the suspicious glances that were flashed at me by different ones who came into the room4 ,i waited for a long time1 almost two hours2 once or twice ,i was questioned by the adjutant1 and after each visit ,i wondered why he was questioning me so4 ,then the colonel came in1 and he had not questioned me very long till ,i became aware that ,i had been suspected as a spy4 ,i was asked to remain in the orderly room till more word might be received4 ,i felt very much like laughing at my predicament1 for ,i knew that it would not be very long before headquarters would learn my history4 ,in about an hour ,i was told that ,i might take the battalion chaplain's billet and that ,i was to stay with the ,seventy-fifth till orders would come4 ,there had been some misdirection of orders4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,held ,,for ,,orders ,i remained a week with the ,seventy-fifth before any further orders came4 ,the battalion was resting after the terrible fighting at ,paschendale4 ,after dinner in the evenings we would gather before the little open coal fire in our mess3 the second in command1 who was a lieutenant-colonel1 the doctor1 the quartermaster1 transport officer1 and chat pleasantly4 ,they were very friendly1 though at times experiences were related2 ,i think1 for no other end than--in the language of the army--to put my 8wind up40 ,i tried not to let them see how well they were succeeding4 ,i found the medical officer1 ,dr4 ,hutchinson1 to be the friendliest of the officers4 ,he was an ,american1 a young man with grey hair1 whose home town was not very far from that of ,irvin ,cobb4 ,the way he came to talk of ,cobb was on account of one of his stories that he happened to be reading4 ,i learned through the papers later on1 that ,dr4 ,hutchinson had won the ,victoria ,cross4 ,there was another officer in the mess with which ,i was quartered1 who kept us all in a continual state of anxiety4 ,he was a light-hearted1 merry1 boyish fellow and just a wee bit reckless4 ,it was on account of the cane he carried4 ,of course1 all commissioned officers in the ,british army are supposed to carry a cane or a hunting crop1 but not the kind of cane the young officer in question carried4 ,the cane was in reality a miniature breech-loading shot-gun which took a very small cartridge of very small shot4 ,he had already wounded one man slightly4 ,one day while taking a walk out through the country from ,calonne-,ricouart ,i saw for the first time the transport section of a battalion of the ,french army4 ,it was drawn up on the roadside1 all the wagons1 limbers1 etc41 were painted a grayish-blue color4 ,the horses were busy with their nose-bags1 and the soldiers1 in blue uniform1 were standing in little groups about limbers taking their dinner1 which consisted of cold beef1 white bread and red wine4 ,they were all small men1 most of them with long black1 silky beards4 ,they chatted among themselves1 and all along the village street ,french women and children looked out from windows2 ,i noticed tears in the eyes of some of the women4 ,it was a scene that had been enacted many times in the history of ,france4 ,it was very interesting to watch those blue-clad soldiers of the ,old ,world standing in small groups in the little lane4 ,perhaps1 ,i thought1 in the many wars of ,france there have been many such halts in this tiny village4 ,i was walking along musing so1 when for one reason or another ,i turned my eyes from the transport column and looked down the road4 ,coming towards me on horse-back was a trooper of the ,canadian ,light ,horse4 ,he was a large1 clean-shaven man under his wide-brimmed hat4 ,he sat with perfect ease in the saddle1 and looked quietly over the ,french transport section as he went4 ,there seemed to be some indefinable atmosphere about the man that made one think of great1 illimitable spaces1 of unrestricted freedom of movement4 ,a few seconds previous ,i had been thinking of the romance of old ,france1 but ,i had not been prepared for this inset4 ,a breath1 strong and clear1 of my homeland came to me1 and ,i felt proud of my countryman4 ,i used to say ,mass every morning in the little church of the village1 the pastor of which was a very delicate looking young ,french cur4 ,two black-bearded ,french soldier-priests said ,mass before me4 ,then at #g3cj1 when the ,masses were finished1 the parish priest taught catechism to the children of his parish4 ,later1 in many places where we came to rest1 ,i saw early in the morning little children assembled in their parish churches for catechism4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,the ,,front ,,at ,,last ,i had been with the ,seventy-fifth ,battalion about six days when one evening the adjutant gave me a letter which contained orders to proceed the following morning to ,camblain ,l',abbey4 ,it was well on towards evening when the large motor lorry1 on the seat of which ,i sat next the driver1 pulled into the village of ,camblain ,l',abbey4 ,the old stone church stood on a hill1 looking down over the town1 and at the base of the hill in a long1 level field stood row upon row of one-story ,nissen huts1 in which were the headquarters of different branches of service of the ,canadian ,corps4 ,the lorry stopped at the end of a large plank walk1 down which ,i was directed to walk till ,i should come to the headquarters of chaplain service4 ,this did not take very long1 for presently ,i was standing before one of the huts1 on the door of which appeared the letters ,c4 ,a4 ,c4 ,s4 7,canadian ,army ,chaplain ,service74 ,i knocked on the door and stepped in4 ,three military chaplains were sitting in the office2 one who bore the insignia of lieutenant-colonel1 was signing some papers for a young chaplain who was a captain4 ,the third chaplain1 a major1 sat in a far corner eating nut-chocolate bars4 ,i looked from one to another4 ,i did not know any of them4 ,i had been expecting to meet ,father ,french1 who was the senior ,catholic chaplain of the ,canadians in ,france4 ,i made myself known1 only to find that all the chaplains were ,anglicans1 and that ,father ,french was absent on duty and would not be home for two or three days4 ,that night ,i dined with many of the staff officers of the ,canadian ,corps1 and slept in the quaint little presbytery of the ,french cur on the hill4 ,the following evening towards sundown1 in company with ,lt4 ,colonel ,mc,grear1 chief chaplain for the ,church of ,england1 ,i went to ,carency1 where ,i became attached for quarters and rations to the ,sixteenth ,canadian ,scottish1 which was one of the battalions of the ,third ,canadian ,infantry ,brigade of which ,i was now ,r4 ,c4 chaplain4 ,my other battalions were the ,thirteenth1 ,fourteenth and ,fifteenth4 ,all1 with the exception of the ,fourteenth1 were kilted battalions1 and each one had its own band of bag-pipes4 ,i was somewhat disappointed to find myself attached to the ,sixteenth as the ,catholic chaplain who had proceeded me had been quartered with the ,fourteenth in which was an average of four hundred ,catholics2 in the ,sixteenth the average was about eighty4 ,there was some military reason for my appointment1 so all ,i could do was to obey orders4 ,we left ,camblain ,l',abbey and the motor went quickly over the well-kept road4 ,soon the town1 with all the houses still intact1 was left far behind1 and presently1 not far ahead1 ,i saw a large sign-board attached to two posts about fifteen feet high4 ,at the top1 in large black block letters1 were the words 8,gas ,alert10 and beneath were words to the effect that from now on all troops must wear their gas masks 8at the alert40 ,this meant that instead of carrying the mask at the side1 with the bag closed1 it must be tied about the chest1 with the bag open1 so that in a moment the mask might be raised to the face4 ,a little nervousness came over me1 for now on all sides were signs of great devastation--broken and torn buildings1 crumbled walls1 fields deeply marked with shell-holes2 and the road became rough1 for it had been mended in many places after being rent by shells4 ,less traffic appeared along our way2 everything seemed quiet4 ,on our right1 in the distance1 ,i noticed what seemed to be a square forest of miniature trees1 which1 as we drew nearer1 became regular in shape and equidistant from one another4 ,as we came still nearer ,i noticed low mounds1 8row on row40 ,what had seemed to be trees were crosses--a great forest of little low crosses--and between the rows and rows of crosses were the long lines of 8the little green tents where the soldiers sleep40 ,we passed two or three other military cemeteries1 then the ruins of a small village or two1 where many soldiers looked out from cellar windows or low huts built of pieces of broken stone and scraps of corrugated iron1 with a piece of burlap hanging and weighted at the end for a door4 ,dugouts were built into the hill that sloped up from the roadside4 ,the silence of the whole countryside seemed uncanny4 ,we came up a little hill where1 on our right a few hundred feet back from the road1 were perhaps a dozen corrugated iron stables1 open at the sides1 but with a partition the whole length of the hut running through the middle4 ,in the foreground was the basement of what had once been a long1 narrow dwelling-house4 ,here we stopped1 for we had come to headquarters of the ,sixteenth ,battalion1 or1 to give them their full name1 the ,sixteenth ,canadian ,scottish4 ,they were a kilted battalion1 hailing from ,british ,columbia4 ,the colonel told me to remain in the motor till he returned from the orderly room1 which ,i did4 ,in a few minutes he came back with the adjutant and two soldiers4 ,the adjutant welcomed me kindly2 the two soldiers picked up my bed-roll and began to carry it towards headquarters4 ,i shook hands with the colonel as he said good-bye4 ,then ,i accompanied the adjutant to headquarters4 ,i had arrived at the ,western ,front4 ,chapter ,,xxxix ,a ,,strafe ,,and ,a ,,quartet ,my room was a partitioned off portion at the end of the cellar in which was headquarters3 there was no fire in it and the month was ,december4 ,through cracks in the portion of the building that was above ground1 blew the cold1 wintry wind4 ,that night at dinner in 8the mess10 which was in the portion of the cellar adjoining my billet1 ,i met a number of the officers--though the majority were still in the line--and they were among the finest men ,i had ever met4 ,the commanding officer1 ,colonel ,peck1 one of the best-loved men on the ,western ,front1 was a huge man with a black drooping mustache which gave him a rather fierce appearance1 but there was a look of real kindness in his eyes4 ,he possessed the ,distinguished ,service ,order ,medal1 and later he won the highest decoration of the ,british army1 the ,victoria ,cross4 ,at that time1 although we did not know it till later1 he had been elected a member of the ,canadian parliament4 ,when ,i returned to my billet ,i found a lighted candle sticking to the bottom of an upturned condensed milk tin2 some one had been showing me an act of kindness4 ,i had no sooner entered than there was a knock on the door4 ,a young soldier opened it and came in4 ,he said he had come to open my bed-roll and prepare my bed4 ,i looked at the berth1 which was a piece of scantling about seven feet long running the width of the room1 to which was attached two thicknesses of burlap about a yard wide that were fixed to the wall4 ,i wondered how ,i was going to sleep1 for ,i was shivering then4 ,suddenly the young soldier ceased tugging at the straps1 listened quietly for a second or two1 then not looking at me1 but keeping his eye fixed on the bed-roll1 he said slowly and solemnly1 as if addressing some imaginary person in the bed-roll3 8,all is quiet on the ,western ,front40 ,he neither smiled nor looked at me1 but continued his work4 ,for months ,i had read those words in the daily papers of ,england2 but now there was something so comical in the lad's manner of saying them that ,i could not help laughing as he went on with his unpacking4 ,but it was not for long that 8all was quiet on the ,western ,front40 ,suddenly ,i heard a far-distant rumble which had the rhythmic roll of snare-drums1 yet the sound was much stronger and it was increasing quickly in intensity and volume4 ,soon it was a great thundering roar with a minor rattle4 ,the earth seemed to be trembling4 ,i looked at the soldier4 8,a bombardment80 ,i questioned4 8,no1 sir10 he said quietly1 8that's just a strafe over on the ,la,basse front4 ,those are our guns4 ,fritzy'll open up after they stop4 ,you should go outside and see it1 sir40 ,i stepped out1 almost falling into a trench that was just outside my door4 ,away to the northeast for about a mile flitted short1 sharp yellow flashes of light4 ,although the rumbling of the guns was so loud1 ,i judged them to be five or six miles distant4 ,everything was quiet about where ,i stood4 ,it was a moonlight night and along the white road1 as far as ,i could see1 was a line of broken trees1 with here and there the irregular walls of a ruined village4 ,presently there was a lull1 then complete silence2 in the clear moonlight1 the devastated countryside gave one a weird impression4 ,then 8old ,fritzy opened up10 and although the rumble of his guns was not so distinct1 ,i judged that he was giving us about as much as we had given him4 ,i wondered how much harm would be done1 and whether many of our lads would be killed4 ,then slowly the firing ceased and presently again 8all was quiet on the ,western ,front40 ,i was just about to renter my quarters when ,i received another surprise4 ,from a hut just a few yards away came sounds of singing4 ,i listened3 it was a low1 sweet song that ,i had never heard before--a quartet1 and the harmony seemed perfect4 ,i had never before heard such sweet singing4 ,an officer came out of the mess and stood near me1 listening in silence4 ,then he said3 8,that's pretty good1 ,padre40 ,i agreed with him1 but ,i confessed ,i had never heard the song before4 8,why1 ,padre10 he said1 8the name of that song is #8,sweet ,genevieve'4 ,strange you never heard it6 ,wherever men are congregated one will hear that song4 ,it's an old song1 ,padre4 ,strange you never heard it60 ,so ,i had heard two sounds that ,i had never before heard3 one was the sound of a 8strafe0 on the ,western ,front2 the other was the singing of 8,sweet ,genevieve40 ,chapter ,,xl ,,the ,,valley ,,of ,,the ,,dead ,when ,i rentered my hut ,i found that the young soldier had opened my bed-roll and removed the few little articles that were in it4 ,the bed-roll was arranged for the night on the burlap berth4 8,you haven't enough blankets1 sir10 he said4 ,then he was gone2 but in about five minutes he was back again with two thick brown army blankets4 ,after ,i had thanked him1 he looked around to see if he could improve anything before leaving for the night4 ,not seeing anything1 he was just about to open the door when he turned and said3 8,if old ,fritz comes over to bomb us tonight1 sir1 the safest place for you will be down in the trench4 ,it's a moonlight night and ,fritzy likes to be out in the moonlight40 ,there was no bombing that night1 but it was so extremely cold that ,i could not sleep4 ,i spent the night changing from one position to another in the hope of getting warm1 but ,i remained awake till daylight4 ,about seven o'clock the following morning ,i heard a fumbling at the latch of my door4 ,i had just finished my prayers4 ,i waited1 for ,i knew the door was not locked2 then as the latch was raised the door opened1 assisted by the foot of the one entering4 ,first there appeared a large granite iron plate of steaming porridge and a smoky hand holding it1 then a granite iron mug of something steaming1 and another smoky hand holding it4 ,then appeared the kindly soldier of the night before1 his pleasant face a little begrimed1 but smiling1 the arm of the hand which held the mug hugging to his side a small earthen jar of sugar with a spoon in it4 ,i went to his assistance and soon we had the things spread out on an upturned ration box which had been the seat4 ,now it was the table1 and the bed was my seat4 8,how did you sleep1 sir80 asked the soldier4 ,i told him4 ,then he said he must try to find something to make a stove4 ,he went on to tell me that he and the cook had built one1 but that it was not working well4 ,he held up his hands as evidence1 and ,i looked at his face4 8,the cook is out there now10 he said1 8trying to cook the breakfast1 and swearing1 for there's more smoke coming out around the stove than there is going up the chimney40 ,i poured from the earthen mug a little of the hot diluted condensed milk over the steaming porridge1 and the soldier told me to take all the sugar ,i wanted as there was plenty4 ,he stood beside me for a while waiting to see if ,i would make any comment on the porridge4 ,i had never been in the habit of eating any cereal at breakfast1 but this morning ,i was very cold and also very hungry4 ,i tasted the porridge2 it was hot1 piping hot4 ,it tasted slightly of smoke1 but that didn't matter4 8,it's fine10 ,i said4 8,not smoky80 he asked4 ,i assured him that if it was a little bit smoky it made no difference4 ,he went out again2 but ,i had not quite finished the porridge before ,i heard another fumbling at the latch1 and in a moment he appeared again with another granite iron plate on which were two rashers of bacon and a large slice of toast2 in the other hand was a large mug of hot tea4 8,is this dinner80 ,i asked4 ,the lad smilingly told me to eat all ,i could1 that when a man loses sleep the best way to make up for it is by a good meal4 ,he picked up the empty porridge plate and the empty mug1 leaving the sugar-bowl1 and went out again2 but in about three minutes he was back with a jar of compound jam1 strawberry and gooseberry4 8,has the cook stopped swearing yet80 ,i asked4 8,yes10 replied the lad1 8,i told him you said the porridge was good4 ,he knew it wasn't1 and when he saw your empty plate he smiled4 ,he'll be all right now for awhile40 8,what is the name of this place80 ,i asked4 8,carency10 he replied1 8in the ,souchez ,valley4 ,just across the road1 on the other side of the valley1 is where the sixty thousand ,french soldiers and civilians were gassed4 ,their own turpinide gas that they had sent over against the ,germans came back on them4 ,the wind had changed4 ,there are some of the victims in the wood that have never been buried4 ,the valley is called ,valley of the ,dead40 ,he went on to tell me of the great battles that had already been fought in the area where we now were4 ,i learned that we were almost at the base of ,vimy ,ridge4 8,what is the difference between a #8strafe' and a #8bombardment8'0 ,i asked him4 8,well10 he said1 8a bombardment is usually all thought out beforehand and a lot of preparations are made for it and it usually lasts a long time4 ,a #8strafe' is just a firing that might start up any time1 and it generally lasts only a few minutes4 ,sometimes a green hand in the line brings off a #8strafe' that might last half an hour with the loss of many lives and the cost of thousands of dollars4 ,the first night in the line every minute or two some fellow thinks he sees some one coming across #8,no ,man's ,land' and sometimes he #8gets the wind up' pretty bad and fires4 ,then old ,fritz thinks some one is coming towards him and he fires back2 then two or three of our fellows answer1 and immediately old ,fritz comes back stronger4 ,then the whole line opens up and the machine-guns begin to rat-tat-tat1 and an ,s4 ,o4 ,s4 flare goes up for the artillery1 and presently the earth is rocking under a #8strafe' and everybody except one wonders who started it all40 ,as the lad then began to gather up the empty dishes1 ,i made apologies for having eaten so much2 always my breakfast had been just a little bread and jam4 ,his only comment was1 8,sorry1 sir1 ,i didn't have a couple of eggs for you40 ,long after he went out ,i kept thinking of the horrors of war2 what catastrophes might transpire through the changing of the wind or through 8getting the wind up40 ,after ,i had returned home from the war ,i was giving a series of lectures in a little town4 ,in one of them ,i happened to mention the terrible tragedy of the turpinide gas4 ,many among my audience found it hard to believe that there had been so many victims4 ,the following day the priest with whom ,i was staying asked me many questions about the ,valley of the ,dead4 ,a day or two later1 as we were sitting in his office1 one of his parishioners came in on some business4 ,i was about to leave the room when the priest motioned me to stay4 ,when the man had finished his business1 he looked at me and said3 8,so you have been to the war1 ,father80 ,i said ,i had been there4 8,well10 continued the man1 who had come a long distance1 8,i met a lad who was through it all1 and he told me he found the gas worse than anything4 ,he said he was in a place1 one time1 where thousands and thousands had been froze stiff by a strange kind of gas4 ,he said that there was a church there1 filled with people sitting in the pews1 and the windows were all up1 and this gas came right in through the windows and froze all the people in the pews4 ,they're all there yet1 and if you pay a quarter you can see them40 ,the man was most serious4 ,i did not dare look at the priest till he had gone4 ,for a moment the priest shook with laughter1 then he said to me3 8,father1 send for that returned man and make him your assistant4 ,he can tell the story much better than you40 8,well10 ,i said1 8considering that it was ,france1 they might have made the admission fee one franc instead of a quarter40 ,however1 my story had not been exaggerated4 ,chapter ,,xli ,,new ,,friends ,shortly after the young soldier left there was another knock on my door1 and as ,i stood up to go to open it ,i heard outside the voice of a man speaking as if to a child4 ,when ,i opened the door1 there stood a kilted officer over six feet in height1 with the pleasant face of a boy4 ,he was accompanied by a billy-goat1 the mascot of the battalion4 ,the officer greeted me warmly and then looked at the goat1 saying3 8,shake hands1 ,billy1 shake hands with the new ,padre40 ,so ,billy and ,i shook hands1 or rather1 ,i shook ,billy's raised hoof4 ,in the afternoon ,i took a walk along the ,valley of the ,dead4 ,away in the distance ,i noticed a large balloon far up in the air and1 seemingly1 two men standing in the large basket attached to it4 ,it was the first time ,i had ever seen a balloon and ,i was a little surprised to find that it was not round1 but shaped like a sausage4 ,it was a greyish-khaki color4 ,the sun was just setting far away behind the broken trees when ,i walked back from ,neuville ,st4 ,vaast2 the sky was pink with here and there a pencil of red clouds4 ,along the skyline flew three homing airplanes4 ,as ,i turned to see if any more planes were coming1 ,i noticed the large balloon being hauled slowly down towards the earth4 ,when ,i entered my little billet1 ,i found the young soldier at work putting up a stove that he had found and patched with a piece of tin4 ,i asked him what the great balloon was doing up in the air4 ,he told me that it was an observation balloon1 and that the two men in the aerial car were observing with field-glasses what was going on behind ,fritz's line4 ,the airplanes that ,i had seen wending their way against the winter skyline were scout planes that had been patrolling the sky for hours4 8,now10 he said1 8they are going home to roost40 ,before the stove was finished the ,third ,brigade interpreter--the men always called the interpreter 8the interrupter0--came to visit me4 ,he was the first ,catholic ,i had met since coming to the ,sixteenth4 ,he seemed very friendly and kind4 ,the badge of his office was a sphinx4 ,it was ,napoleon who designed this badge for interpreters--,i suppose to remind them that although they would learn much that was occurring1 it was part of their office not to divulge it4 ,the interpreter's work was made very hard at times by the good peasants of ,france4 ,sometimes1 while marching through a rich farmland1 a soldier lad would 8annex0 a hen1 or a head of cabbage1 or some grapes1 or apples1 etc42 then the irate owner would seek the interpreter and oblige him to conduct him or her before the proper military authorities1 where compensation would be demanded from the government4 ,the cook also came in to see me2 he1 too1 was a ,catholic and seemed to be a lad full of energy4 ,i was surprised to learn that in private life he was a tailor4 ,before he left1 he made arrangements for going to confession4 ,then1 by some strange association of ideas1 ,i asked him if his stove still smoked4 ,it was going much better now1 he said4 ,that evening after dinner as ,i sat wiping my eyes with my handkerchief1 when it was not being applied to my nose--for besides giving real warmth1 the new stove emitted a quantity of smoke--an officer knocked and came in1 followed by two soldiers carrying his bed-roll4 ,i had been expecting him1 for in the mess just before dinner ,i had heard the officers planning the allotment of sleeping space for the night4 ,a number had been sleeping in their bed-rolls on the floor of the mess2 and now two or three other officers were coming back from leave4 ,i had heard an officer say3 8,we'll put #8,wild ,bill' with the ,padre40 ,the others had agreed to this4 ,i had been wondering who 8,wild ,bill0 was4 ,i did not think the officers were playing a practical joke on me1 for ,i had always found officers most respectful to the priesthood4 ,but now 8,wild ,bill0 had entered1 and as ,i looked through the slight smoke-screen1 my eyes rested on one of the gentlest-mannered men ,i have ever met4 ,without being in the least effeminate1 he came quietly over and shook hands4 ,i understood now why they called him 8,wild ,bill0 for ,i recalled that at college one of the slowest moving lads ,i had ever met1 had been rechristened 8,lightning40 ,i felt grateful to the other officers who had billeted 8,wild ,bill0 with me4 ,he slept in his bed-roll on the floor1 after he had spread a rubber ground sheet over it4 ,gradually the room became sufficiently warm to sleep in4 ,the soldier had found some coal4 ,and as the smoke died away ,i fell asleep and did not awake until morning4 ,chapter ,,xlii ,a ,,little ,,burlap ,,room ,the following day was ,saturday and ,i began to think of my duties for the morrow4 ,i had learned that the ,thirteenth1 ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth battalions would remain in the trenches till ,monday4 ,i called at the orderly room of the ,fourteenth only to learn that they would be moving ,sunday4 ,when ,i returned to my billet ,i found a letter from ,father ,mac,donnell1 telling me to call to see him at the ,transport ,section of the ,seventy-second ,battalion4 ,i did1 and found a little man1 dressed in ,scotch military costume--tartan riding breeches1 round-cornered khaki tunic and glengarry cap4 ,the ,seventy-second was a ,scotch battalion from ,canada1 but its chaplain was a ,canadian from ,scotland4 ,he had been a member of the ,benedictine ,monastery1 at ,fort ,augustus1 ,scotland4 ,he was then busy composing a little work on the ,holy ,name1 for he was anxious to establish the ,holy ,name ,society among not only the ,catholic soldiers1 but also all other denominations4 ,this was accomplished later with the co-operation of the general commanding officer of the ,canadian ,corps1 ,sir ,arthur ,currie4 ,he was not a young man3 his hair was beginning to turn grey4 ,i took him to be about fifty years old4 ,he wished me to work with him on ,sunday4 ,this ,i did1 saying ,mass in a large ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a4 tent1 while he said ,mass some distance farther down the valley4 ,i did not have many at ,mass1 but a good number came to ,communion4 ,most of the men were in the trenches4 ,in the afternoon1 towards three o'clock1 ,i heard the inspiring strains of a military march coming up the ,valley of ,death4 ,i knew the march well4 ,it was 8,the ,great ,little ,army10 one of the most popular marches on the ,western ,front4 ,i stepped outside and looked down the valley4 ,a battalion of infantry was marching back from the line4 8,it's the ,fourteenth10 said a young soldier standing nearby4 ,i watched them carefully4 ,the ,fourteenth was one of my battalions4 ,i had heard of it before2 it had been the sacrificed battalion in one of the big battles4 ,the men had advanced without support in order to give the enemy the impression that we were stronger than we really were4 ,they had suffered terrible casualties1 but their manoeuvre had met with great success4 ,i watched them till they disappeared round a turn in the road--,hospital ,corner1 ,i think it was called--and still ,i stood listening to the band4 ,very likely ,i would meet these lads on ,christmas ,day--which meant within the week4 ,i had no sooner returned to my 8room0 when the young soldier who had been so thoughtful of my interests came in4 8,sir10 he said1 8the colonel and all the headquarters' officers have gone to ,chateau de la ,haie2 the battalion is going there tomorrow4 ,i think you should take the colonel's room before any one else gets it40 ,in ten minutes all my belongings were in the room just vacated by the colonel4 ,it was a warm room completely lined with burlap3 ceiling1 walls and floor were covered with it4 ,there was a small burlap-covered table and a low bench1 about three feet long1 also with a covering of burlap1 but above all else1 there was a tiny stove with two doors that slid back so that one could see the fire burning in it4 ,since then ,i have been in very much worse quarters on the ,western ,front4 ,the following morning ,i said ,mass on the little table1 and the cook1 who had now only four officers to provide for1 came to ,holy ,communion4 ,the next morning the interpreter1 with a young soldier who was being called home to ,halifax to care for his wife and child who had just passed through the terrible disaster1 knelt reverently in the little burlap room to receive their ,lord4 ,chapter ,,xliii ,,christmas ,,at ,,the ,,front ,we had planned to have midnight ,mass in one of the large moving-picture huts at ,chateau de la ,haie1 for here in reserve were four full battalions3 one belonging to ,father ,mac,donnell1 one to ,father ,murray1 a young chaplain whom ,i met just before ,christmas1 and two1 the ,fourteenth and ,sixteenth1 belonging to me4 ,my other battalions were only about two miles beyond these1 the ,thirteenth at ,petit ,servans and the ,fifteenth at ,grand ,servans4 ,but ,first ,divisional ,headquarters1 which was then at ,chateau de la ,haie1 reconsidered the matter4 ,they thought the ,catholic soldiers coming in at such an early hour might disturb others who would wish to sleep2 and1 also1 that there might be too many lights used1 so that some aerial ,santa ,claus from across the line might wing his way above the camp1 dropping a few ,christmas bombs in passing4 ,we then decided to have two ,masses in the large hut at ,chateau de la ,haie and one in the church at ,petit ,servans4 ,fathers ,murray and ,mac,donnell were to say the ,masses at ,chateau de la ,haie and ,i was to go to ,petit ,servans4 ,i found that not only had ,i to notify the men of my own battalions1 but also all the units in my area4 ,as there were about ten other units--labor groups1 engineers1 divisional trains1 etc4--this took me quite a while4 ,in fact1 it took all ,monday afternoon4 ,but the following morning1 which was ,christmas1 when ,i turned around after the gospel to say a few words to the lads1 ,i felt more than repaid for any inconvenience1 including my four mile walk from ,carency to ,petit ,servans before ,mass1 for the church was filled4 ,all the seats were occupied and the large space in the rear was packed with standing soldiers--kilted laddies from the ,thirteenth and ,fifteenth1 with their officers2 soldiers from the engineers2 members of the labor groups2 stretcher-bearers from the ,first ,field ,ambulance4 ,with a full heart ,i thanked the ,christ ,child for bringing together all my ,catholic men4 ,it was the first time in four months that ,i had been able to assemble such a large number4 ,at the hospital1 naturally1 the groups were small4 ,and as ,i looked at the sea of faces1 so reverently attentive1 many bearing marks of the terrible conflicts through which they had passed1 ,i felt a twitching at the throat1 so that it was a few seconds before ,i could begin to speak4 ,it was a long while that ,christmas ,day before ,i finished giving ,holy ,communion1 for nearly all the men in the church came4 ,on my way home ,i learned from ,father ,murray that the ,fourteenth and ,sixteenth had attended ,mass in a body in the moving-picture hut at ,chateau de la ,haie1 and that great numbers had gone to ,holy ,communion4 ,my ,christmas dinner was a piece of dry roast beef1 almost burnt1 some potatoes1 bread and margarine1 with a little apricot jam and a cup of tea2 that was all4 ,yet ,i think it was the happiest ,christmas ,i ever spent1 for1 as ,i thought of that first wonderful meeting with those ,canadian ,catholic soldiers on the ,western ,front1 ,i felt that in their midst those words1 written so long ago1 8,there was no room in the inn10 could not be said that ,christmas ,day4 ,chapter ,,xliv ,,back ,,to ,,rest ,every morning for a week or two ,i was in the little church where ,i had said ,mass on ,christmas ,day1 and every evening while ,i was there men came to confession4 ,then one morning the young soldier who had been so attentive to my wants1 and whose name ,i had learned was ,george1 came into the burlap room in a state of evident excitement and said3 8,we're going back to rest1 sir40 ,i did not know exactly what 8back to rest0 really meant1 but ,i judged from ,george's sparkling eyes that it was something very good4 8,that's good news10 ,i said4 ,but one had to be a soldier of the line to realize what good news it really was4 ,one must be actually in the trenches when the word comes to comprehend fully what those words 8back to rest0 mean4 8,we're going back to rest1 chummy10 somebody says1 and the word is relayed quickly down the front line trench4 ,and tired-faced lads1 many of them with faint1 dark rings around their eyes1 smile broadly as they stand half-crouching in the muddy trench4 ,onward the glad tidings go1 whispered or uttered in low voices3 8,out to rest1 ,bo2 the relief's coming in tonight at half-past ten4 ,hooray60 ,but the 8hooray0 does not express adequately the feelings of the speaker4 ,it must do1 however1 as a loud cheer is not permitted in the front line trench4 ,when it is dark1 the relief comes in very quietly and takes over the different posts2 then1 as quietly1 the lads go down the support trenches till they slope up to the great wide road that seems so spacious and airy after the deep1 narrow trench they have been standing in for days4 ,on they go1 past long rows of broken trees that once were majestic1 full-leafed elms1 then through masses of ruined buildings and broken stone walls1 with here and there a small corrugated iron hut or shack1 built just lately4 ,at times1 not very far away1 a long yellow flash1 followed by a thundering report1 tells them that our heavies are at work4 ,somebody begins to whistle1 8,there's a long1 long trail a-winding10 or 8,over ,there10 then others catch the lilt1 and in a few seconds hundreds are whistling to the swinging1 sweeping thud of marching feet4 ,when they get a little farther on their way1 the whistling ceases and a song is struck up1 though not too loudly4 ,above them are the silent stars peacefully shining4 ,away behind them shrapnel bursts savagely and sprinkles its death-bearing message4 ,but that is far behind1 and now they are going out--out to rest6 ,perhaps they march all through the night1 carrying their equipment and their heavy packs on their backs1 and as the dawn comes1 they notice at every cross-road a great cross1 and nailed to the cross the figure of the ,crucified--white1 blood-streaked1 the thorn-crowned head bent in the agony of suffering1 the face livid with pain and misery4 ,and many a lad under his weight looks up4 ,he understands it all much better now than when he first came to the front4 ,some breathe a little prayer4 ,they are going out to rest--but they will be coming back again6 ,they continue their march till the morning sunlight begins to brighten all the land and the roar of the guns has become but a faint distant rumble1 then1 perhaps1 they sit on the roadside1 or along the edge of a field1 the grass of which looks so fresh and green after the rolling1 shell-torn ,no ,man's ,land they have been looking over for days1 where never a blade of grass could be seen2 only the grey shell-pitted earth1 with here and there a line of white chalk which made one think of a white-capped1 angry sea4 ,birds begin to sing in field and green wood1 and from many field kitchens and little red fires built on the roadside comes the odor of frying bacon4 ,some of the lads take off their packs and go to sleep on the roadside1 their faces grey with the dust from marching feet4 ,much traffic goes by--khaki motor lorries1 general service wagons1 dispatch riders on motorcycles4 ,then from the distance come the strains of a military march played by a brass band that is approaching2 it may be 8,colonel ,bogey0 that they play1 or 8,sons of the ,brave10 etc4 ,it is the band of the battalion coming to meet the lads and play them back to rest4 ,when every one has eaten his bread and bacon and has finished his pint of hot tea1 they fall in1 feeling much refreshed4 ,then there is a rumble from the big drum and a rattle from the smaller ones and the inspiring music of a military march breaks on the air4 ,the lads straighten momentarily under their packs1 and there is a new swing to their tired feet4 ,perhaps they pass through many fields lined with tall elms4 ,perhaps they pass many ,french peasants1 old and young1 going to work in the fields1 who smile pleasantly4 ,they may go through a quiet little village or two till they come to a more flourishing one in which is a large chateau4 ,then the band1 which for the last fifteen minutes has given place to a few buglers and drums1 strikes up the battalion's own march and the order comes ringing down the line1 8,march to attention40 ,then the tired lads know that they are coming into rest billets4 ,the organization in 8rest0 is done very quickly4 ,one battalion takes over from another1 and in a very short time enamel signs are hung out of billets which tell where are the different officers and orderly rooms4 ,if there is a cur in the village1 and if it so happens that the ,catholic chaplain of the brigade is quartered with the battalion that has come to rest here1 a little sign hangs from the cur's gate1 bearing the words 8,r4 ,c4 ,chaplain10 for the soldiers' priest is nearly always billeted with the parish priest of the village2 and on the church door a paper is tacked giving the hours of ,mass1 confession1 etc4 ,sometimes there is no cur in the village2 perhaps he has been called to join the soldiers of ,france2 perhaps at one time the village has been heavily shelled and he has followed his people4 ,in this case1 often it is necessary to renovate the little shell-torn church1 but this is quickly done4 ,and in the morning1 after ,mass has been said1 a tiny lamp burns in the church which tells the soldiers that the ,master has come and is calling them4 ,at twelve o'clock the soldiers' work for the day1 when they are out in rest1 usually finishes1 and they receive any papers and magazines that may have come to them from friends across the sea4 ,these are very welcome arrivals1 and so are the boxes of good things that sometimes come from home4 ,then1 as the lads sit under trees1 or in front of tents1 or in low hay lofts to eat their dinner1 papers are opened and those who have received boxes or parcels from home pass around candies1 cake1 etc41 to those who have not1 and so a very pleasant hour passes4 ,the afternoon is usually given over to games and athletic sports4 ,if different troops happen to be quartered together in the same village the competition between the two becomes very interesting4 ,perhaps a baseball game is arranged between ,american and ,canadian lads1 while ,english lads look on1 it must be admitted1 with irritation4 ,they cannot understand why one side should shout such things at the other2 why they should try to rattle the pitcher4 ,to them it seems quite abusive1 and judging from their talk1 they are disgusted4 8,call that a gaime10 one will say1 8when one side keeps on 'ollerin' at the blighter bowlin' that ball1 so's 'e caunt throw well80 8,call that sport80 8,call that fair ply80 8,i carn't see where the fair ply comes hin when they tike such bloomin' hunderanded wys o' tryin' to win40 ,his mate agrees with him1 and presently they move off to some other scene of amusement4 ,meanwhile1 little ,french boys who have come to watch the baseball game go racing about the field1 imitating some of the plays in the game which is so strange to them1 and as they go sliding to some imaginary home-plate1 one can hear such expressions as 8,safe60 and 8,hat a-boy40 ,it was early in the morning when we left ,chateau de la ,haie1 for we were not under observation and it was not necessary to move by night4 ,we assembled on one of the squares near a long1 tree-fringed avenue which was one of the approaches to the chateau4 ,for some time before we fell in ,i heard from all quarters strange1 unearthly noises1 and in every direction ,i turned ,i saw1 at quite a distance from each other1 kilted figures walking up and down bearing their wide-branched bag-pipes1 each one emitting the weirdest wails imaginable2 they were the pipers of the ,sixteenth pipe band tuning up4 ,however1 when we started off the sound was quite different1 for the pipes and kettle-drums make merry marching music4 ,i know of no other music that can make tired men march so briskly and with such a swing as that of the pipes4 ,i had never before marched with any unit which seemed to draw such universal attention as did the ,sixteenth ,canadian ,scottish ,battalion1 and ,i think it was owing chiefly to the strange music of the pipes and the uncommon uniform of the kilted laddies4 ,for as we entered village after village1 doors and windows began to open1 and old and young and middle-aged ,french peasants quickly filled them1 smiling their admiration as the pipers played and the soldiers marched4 ,little 8gamins10 not content with regarding us1 followed along at a trot1 singing and cheering2 the more enterprising among them1 picking up a block of wood and an old ration sack and1 tucking them under their left arm while they spread out three or four pieces of sapling or old laths1 gave an imitation of our brave pipers who played so valiantly4 ,i began to think1 after all1 there might be some truth in the story of the ,pied ,piper of ,hamlin4 ,chapter ,,xlv ,,bruay ,our destination was ,bruay1 a mining town of about twelve thousand souls in the department of ,calais1 or1 as the ,french write it1 8,pas de ,calais40 ,we marched into the town at about two o'clock and fell out at the square4 ,my billet was in a miner's house4 ,it was a very nice room with a stove in it1 and as there was a coal mine just across the road1 ,i did not want for fuel4 ,the transport mess1 which was composed of the transport officer1 quartermaster1 paymaster and chaplain1 was billeted in a large house not very far away4 ,we had a dining-room all to ourselves1 but our cook operated on the same stove as did old ,madame1 who was the head of the house4 ,we were obliged to pass through the kitchen on our way to the dining-room1 and ,i found it a very pleasant passageway1 especially in the evening1 for then it was crowded with happy faces4 ,old ,madame and our cook both moved about the glowing stove where numerous pots and saucepans1 boilers and frying pans1 hissed and bubbled and sizzled1 chatting away as they worked2 for our cook was a ,french ,canadian4 ,four or five soldiers sat about in the dim lamplight and numerous children played up and down4 ,two young ,french boys1 one about sixteen1 the other fourteen1 snow-white from head to foot1 were often there2 for old ,madame had quite a large bakery on the premises1 and these two lads1 together with an old man whom we seldom saw1 did the baking4 ,now and again we saw two women1 the mothers of the children1 who attended the bake-shop1 which was in the front of the house4 ,i asked ,george one day how the cook liked his stove4 ,i learned that he liked it very much1 but that he had his own little troubles1 sometimes4 ,when he would have some deep red coals just ready for making toast1 old ,madame would inadvertently throw a shovelful of fuel on the fire2 or1 sometimes1 when the water in the kettle had just come to the boiling point and the cook was just about to make some tea1 ,madame would judge that the kettle needed replenishing and would immediately pour in about a pint of cold water2 or1 sometimes1 a saucepan or some dish that needed quick cooking was moved by ,madame from the front to the rear of the stove4 8,he finds it a little exasperating at times10 said ,george1 8but he's delighted with the billet40 ,we passed a very pleasant time in rest billets4 ,every morning we were awakened by the pipe band playing up and down the streets of ,bruay4 ,the tune they played was that of an old ,scotch song1 8,hi ,jonny ,coup are ye sleepin' yet40 ,i said ,mass in the ancient church of the town1 and while ,i did so the old cur taught catechism to a large number of children4 ,while ,i made my thanksgiving a soldier-priest from one of the ambulances said his ,mass4 ,he wore a mustache1 but no beard1 as did many of the ,french soldier-priests4 ,it seemed strange to see a priest1 robed in the vestments of ,mass1 wearing a black mustache4 ,there was an ,irish chaplain at ,no4 #bb hospital1 and ,i arranged with him to say ,mass for the ,thirteenth and ,sixteenth at ,bruay the following ,sunday1 while ,i went to ,houdain to say ,mass for the ,fourteenth and ,fifteenth and some details which were quartered there4 ,the church at ,houdain was a beautiful old stone structure built on the crest of a very high hill that overlooked the town4 ,a long road zigzagged up the hill1 breaking the steep ascent4 ,the first time ,i went to the church the old cur1 a large red-cheeked man1 pointed out the different villages far over the countryside4 ,in one1 the village of ,arnette1 he told me ,st4 ,benedict ,joseph ,labre had been born1 and in another--,i think it was ,cauchy--,general ,petain1 of the ,french army4 ,i was interested to learn that ,i was so near the birthplace of ,st4 ,benedict ,joseph ,labre1 since my parents had given to me the same names1 ,benedict ,joseph4 ,i had a large crowd at ,mass1 and for the first time ,i had the pleasure of seeing the ,fourteenth ,battalion on church parade4 ,they were a fine crowd of lads2 many came to confession that day4 ,every evening from five till six ,i was on duty either at ,bruay or ,houdain1 so that any one who wished to come to confession might have the opportunity4 ,i remember one evening at ,bruay1 while awaiting the arrival of a soldier whom ,i was going to baptize and make a child of ,god1 seeing a little girl with a shawl thrown over her head praying before a statue2 near her1 on the floor1 was a bag made of some netted material with quite a large mesh4 ,in the bag were two large rolls of ,french bread1 and of course through the mesh the bread touched the floor2 but the child paid no attention to this4 ,she was rapt in prayer4 ,i could not help looking at her from time to time1 she reminded me so much of the pictures of little ,bernadette that were so common in ,france--except for the two rolls of bread lying nearby in the dust4 ,the little one prayed for nearly an hour1 and ,i don't think she turned her head once--not even to look at the bread6 ,chapter ,,xlvi ,,fosse-,,dix ,we were in rest nearly two weeks when orders came to go back again to the line4 ,we left one morning immediately after breakfast and were reviewed on the march by ,general ,sir ,arthur ,currie1 commander of the ,canadians4 ,along the way we were greeted by the same outspoken admiration as on our passing out4 ,on a veranda in front of a little estaminet an old ,frenchman1 wearing the glazed1 peaked yachting cap which was the most common head-gear among men in this part of ,france1 tried to dance the 8,highland ,fling10 to the great amusement of half the people in the little street and the voiced encouragement of the passing soldiers4 ,fosse-dix was a very small village2 it cannot be found on the map1 but ,sains-en-,gohelle can be seen1 of which ,fosse-dix was a suburb4 ,we were to wait here a few days in reserve before going into the trenches2 the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth were here and the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth at ,bully-,grenay4 ,i was billeted with the cur at ,fosse-dix and ,i found him a very pleasant little man and one of the most zealous priests ,i have ever met4 ,from three neighboring parishes the pastors had been called to the colors2 so this little priest1 who was none too robust--otherwise1 he1 too1 would have been called--tried to attend the shepherdless flocks1 and succeeded remarkably well4 ,it was a mining district we were in3 all over the countryside could be seen the high smoke-stacks of the blast furnaces4 ,this was the part of ,france said to contain the most natural wealth1 and the ,canadians were proud that they had been chosen to defend it4 ,on ,sunday ,i was to say two ,masses3 one at ,fosse-dix at nine o'clock1 the other at ,bully-,grenay at ten-thirty4 ,so on ,saturday ,i went around to arrange for these1 taking nearly the whole day to visit the different units in the area4 ,bully-,grenay1 unlike ,fosse-dix1 had been almost totally demolished by shell-fire4 ,the church had been damaged in places1 though not too seriously2 but when ,i came in sight of the cur's house my heart turned sick4 ,nearly the whole of the second story had been blown off1 but the brave old priest still lived in the lower story4 ,i picked my way through little piles of broken stone and plaster1 with a few pieces of splintered wood amongst the debris4 ,i knocked at the door and the old pastor himself opened it4 ,he was a stout1 white-haired1 kind-faced man who smiled brightly as he shook my hand4 8,ah10 he said1 8,i have not seen you before6 ,you are a new arrival4 ,is it not so80 ,i assured him that ,i had just lately come to the ,third ,brigade1 but that ,i had been on active service in ,france since early in the past summer4 8,ah10 he said again1 and he stood back and looked me over from head to muddy boots4 ,then he called his old housekeeper1 and when she had come he said3 8,he has but just lately come10 and the old housekeeper looked at me quietly and smiled in a motherly way1 then she went to prepare a bowl of hot coffee for the 8newly arrived40 ,as the old cur and ,i sipped the black coffee1 ,i asked him about his life2 why he stayed there1 etc4 ,he told me that many times the little village had been shelled1 and often the ,germans had drawn very near its outskirts1 but always he had stayed4 ,they had struck his house on different occasions4 ,many of his people had gone1 but there still remained about eighty1 all told2 those1 with their families1 who were in different ways connected with operations of the mine4 ,some of his flock were obliged to stay here1 and--well1 he must not leave them shepherdless4 ,so the old pastor remained4 ,when we had finished our coffee1 he rose to his feet4 8,come10 he said1 and ,i followed him through a tiny passageway into a darkened room1 for all the panes of glass had been shattered in the window-frame and the opening had been boarded across1 save a small opening where a piece of translucent paper had been pasted4 ,it was a few seconds before my eyes became accustomed to the semi-darkness1 but when they did ,i was scarcely prepared for what they viewed4 ,in the middle of the room1 reaching almost to the ceiling1 rose a great pyramid of bags of sand2 in one side was an opening1 and in this1 on the floor1 was spread a mattress and some bedding2 this was where the old man slept4 ,as ,i walked up the sunlit street after ,i had said 8au revoir0 to the priest and his kind housekeeper1 ,i was filled with profound admiration for the old pastor4 ,i think it was the greatest admiration ,i have ever felt for any man1 and ,i quoted to myself3 8,the good ,shepherd loveth his flock40 ,the following morning1 as ,i stood in the shell-torn church of ,bully-,grenay after ,i had officiated for the lads of the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth at ,fosse-dix1 ,i found the church packed with the lads of the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth4 ,there was scarcely room in the church for them all4 ,i said a word about the old pastor and--well1 ,i don't think it was often that the collection plate was so well filled at ,bully-,grenay as it was that morning4 ,i returned to the church in the afternoon to hear confessions and give ,holy ,communion1 accompanied by ,father ,mac,pherson of the ,fifth ,divisional ,artillery4 ,we found the old pastor in the church teaching catechism to the few little ones of his flock4 ,they sat on the high-backed chairs which are also used as kneeling-benches by the people of ,france4 ,and whenever one or the other of us would come to the altar-rail bearing the ,bread of ,life to a group of soldiers1 the old white-haired ,shepherd1 with his little flock1 would kneel1 while through the roof1 which had been pierced in many places by shells1 trickled the rain to drop on the floor beneath1 carrying with it powdered plaster and flakes of calcimine4 ,chapter ,,xlvii ,,the ,,little ,,cur ,,of ,,fosse-,,dix ,every evening at #d3cj the cur of ,fosse-dix gave ,benediction in his little church for the school children and any of the village people who could attend4 ,after ,benediction he usually said the beads1 the ,litany and a few other prayers1 and before he finished my boys used to arrive for confession4 ,as the confessional was in the rear of the church1 facing the altar1 ,i often saw the children coming down the aisle4 ,first1 an old ,sister of ,charity1 her wide white coronet flapping on either side like two white wings1 backed slowly down the aisle1 the children coming two by two1 facing her4 ,generally as they came they sang a beautiful hymn to the ,sacred ,heart1 but ,i can only recall the last two lines1 which they always repeated4 ,translated1 they would read3 8,heart of ,jesus1 heart of clemency1 save1 save ,france in the name of the ,sacred ,heart60 ,the children would walk in perfect order till they reached the door where the old fat ,sister stood watching them4 ,although ,i could not see them then1 ,i always knew when each couple had passed the good ,sister2 a scampering of feet and sometimes a little shouting were the signals4 ,one evening while the children were going out in the customary way1 singing their beautiful hymn1 ,i noticed five or six soldiers in the ,french uniform of grey-blue4 ,they remained quiet while the children were singing the first stanza1 but when they came to the lines ,i have quoted above1 a great chorus sounded as soldiers joined with the children in imploring the ,sacred ,heart to save ,france4 ,every evening1 after coming from our mess1 ,i stepped into the cur's room to have a chat with him4 ,sometimes ,i had a box of good things that had come from relatives back in ,canada1 for our ,christmas boxes were only now beginning to arrive4 ,i remember one evening opening a parcel while the little priest voiced his simple wonder at the strange things from across the seas4 ,he had never seen chewing gum before1 so ,i gave him a few sticks of ,spearmint4 ,in a little while ,i looked at him1 but his jaws were motionless and the gum was nowhere to be seen4 8,where is your gum1 ,father80 ,i asked4 ,he looked at me keenly1 not understanding my question1 so ,i repeated it4 ,again he looked at me1 but this time he answered me4 8,why10 he said1 8,i swallowed it60 ,then1 because ,i laughed heartily1 ,i had to explain to him how the people of the ,new ,world use gum4 ,one day while ,i was absent1 working among the soldiers1 a shell came whistling over the village1 bursting in the road near his garden tearing several holes in the brick wall of his house4 ,when ,i returned he took me out to see the havoc that had been wrought1 pointing out with minute care every place where a splinter of shell had struck4 ,he seemed to be taking the whole thing so solemnly that ,i could not but become solemn1 too2 so ,i said to him1 as ,i pointed to quite a large hole that had been torn through the frame of a ladder resting against the house1 supposing he had been walking there1 and that the shell had burst in the road about that time1 and his head had been bent a little as the piece of shell went through the ladder--,i looked at him1 shaking my head ominously at the thought of what might have happened4 ,he looked at me quickly4 8,oh1 if6--if6--if60 he said4 8,one could take ,paris and put it in a bottle--if--it would go in60 ,he had a pass from a ,british general which permitted him to stop any military lorry going in his direction and take passage on it4 ,it was always a mystery to the military chaplains how he had obtained it4 ,during the day he was off searching for chaplains whose men were in the line and who could attend one or more of his shepherdless flocks the following ,sunday4 ,at different times throughout the early spring campaign ,i was able to help him with his work1 and ,i always felt glad of the opportunity2 for he was truly a man of ,god4 ,chapter ,,xlviii ,,into ,,the ,,line ,the following ,sunday at ,fosse-dix ,i gave the men a general absolution and then ,holy ,communion1 for they were going in the line immediately2 after the service was over ,i asked them to leave me the addresses of their next of kin4 ,both ,sundays1 while at ,fosse-dix1 a young lieutenant served my ,mass4 ,the address that he gave me was that of a ,mrs4 ,maxwell-,scott1 ,london1 ,england4 ,i asked him if this was his mother's address and he said it was4 ,then ,i said1 by way of a passing remark1 8,i suppose you are a relative of ,sir ,walter ,scott40 ,to my surprise1 he said he was4 ,in the course of the week some little pamphlets arrived for the soldiers1 and as ,i was examining them ,i noticed that the name of the author of several was ,mrs4 ,maxwell-,scott4 ,the next time ,i met the young officer ,i asked if the author of the ,catholic pamphlets was a relation of his4 ,he smiled4 8,my mother10 he said4 ,as not half my soldiers were in the trenches the first week1 ,i did not spend all my time in the line4 ,there were confessions1 and ,masses to say for those who were out4 ,but ,i recall quite vividly the morning before ,i went in the line for the first time4 ,i felt a great uneasiness1 so that ,i could not stay very long in the same place4 ,i remember particularly the last hour before the time to go arrived4 ,i took a clean sheet of paper1 sat down at a table and made my last will and testament4 ,this ,i folded and placed in my pocket ,bible4 ,then ,i sat quietly for a while in the little room till ,george came to tell me that a groom was at the door with my horse1 and that ,i was to meet the officer with whom ,i was to go at the mess4 ,we rode over through ,bully-,grenay1 then up through ,grenay1 where we left our horses with the groom2 from there on we walked through ruined buildings till we came to a great open waste1 zigzagged with long white trenches4 ,i had always expected to find the trenches brown1 but here they were chalk-white4 ,we passed ,crucifix ,corner1 then left the road and walked through a field or two above the trenches4 ,i was wondering when my companion would go down into them1 for we could now see ,fritz's line4 ,we passed ,loos1 on our right1 which was nothing but a few shattered walls standing1 and the slag heap of a ruined mine2 then on our left1 a place called ,hulluch4 ,i was rather anxious to be down in the communication trenches2 the countryside appeared very level and always we were drawing nearer the ,german front line4 ,my companion1 a veteran of the ,boer ,war1 did not seem to feel the slightest timidity4 ,he had not spoken now for a few minutes and the silence was oppressive4 ,as far as ,i could see1 the whole countryside was criss-crossed with trenches2 hardly a living person could be seen1 yet in the twinkling of an eye the great gridiron before me could be alive with thousands of men now burrowing in the earth like foxes4 ,i began to wish that ,i1 too1 were between two walls of friendly earth4 ,then the captain spoke3 8,we're under observation now1 ,padre4 ,fritz can see us walking along40 8,then1 why doesn't he fire at us80 ,i asked1 but what ,i really wished to say was3 8,well1 why don't we jump down into the trench and walk along it80 but ,i did not say it4 8,well10 he replied1 8we're a little too far for good rifle shooting1 and shells cost too much to be wasted on just two men40 ,i drew a long breath1 and felt grateful for the high cost of shells6 ,then ,i heard words that were like music to my ears3 8,suppose we step down into the trench1 ,padre40 ,i did4 ,chapter ,,xlix ,,called ,,up ,although the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth ,battalions were in the line1 the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth were still in reserve and support1 and every evening ,i was on duty at ,bully-,grenay or ,bracquemont to hear the confessions of these troops4 ,i remember one evening while on my way from ,fosse-dix to ,bracquemont1 where the ,thirteenth was now quartered1 hearing the strains of an accordion1 and a number of male voices singing some ,french song4 ,i stopped and looked back4 ,down the little street came a strange procession4 ,first1 a young man1 badly crippled from some hip trouble1 limped rather quickly for one so stricken4 ,high above him1 from a pole that he carried1 waved a large tricolor of ,france4 ,immediately behind him1 still wearing his soldier's uniform1 came a ,french soldier who had been wounded4 ,it was he who played the accordion4 ,then behind him1 and spread out the whole width of the street1 was a column of young men of about seventeen or eighteen years of age4 ,all were bedecked in gay colors--sashes of crimson or yellow or green1 etc41 around the waist and over the shoulders2 streamers of different colored ribbons waving from their hats or caps4 ,as they advanced1 they danced some strange continental dance which now and again called for the crossing of feet1 and sometimes the resting of the hand on the shoulder of a neighbor4 ,when they drew opposite me the singing and dancing stopped1 and they fell into a regular marching step1 while the wounded soldier played 8,father of ,victory0 march on his accordion4 ,they passed me1 marching briskly and cheering irregularly4 ,doors flew open in the little village of ,bracquemont as they entered1 and mothers and sisters ran to them to see the young lads as they passed4 ,when ,i came out from the church that evening the lads were just coming back from the next town4 ,again they were singing their song and dancing their fantastic dance4 ,just as they neared the church1 the ,thirteenth pipe band came behind them playing merrily4 ,hearing it1 the lads quickened their step till it was almost in time with the ,scotch music4 ,on they went1 keeping ahead of the band1 which was obliged to slacken its pace a little1 but it did so accommodatingly4 ,i stood near an old man watching the procession4 ,alongside us were three middle-aged women who smiled as it passed2 but ,i saw tears on the cheeks of one woman while she smiled4 ,the old man told me that this was the procession of the young men who had just received their call to the colors4 ,tomorrow they would leave4 ,on my way back to ,fosse-dix ,i was wondering why it was that a lame man carried the flag2 then suddenly it came to me that on account of his lameness he could not go to the war1 and that very likely for this reason each class1 when called1 showed him the courtesy of appointing him to lead the procession4 ,chapter ,l ,,bully ,,les ,,mines ,the following week the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth moved up to the front line from reserve and we went to ,mazingarbe1 only about four miles distant from ,fosse-dix4 ,here1 again1 ,i was billeted with a cur2 a comparatively young man1 who was very distant in manner1 though most kind in helping me with my work and seeing that ,i had everything ,i needed4 ,his church had been hit several times and part of the sacristy had been blown off2 the parish was being shelled periodically4 ,mazingarbe was the name of the town1 but as there were two churches in it1 within a mile of each other1 the parish in which ,i was billeted was namely ,bully-les-,mines4 ,here ,i met for the first time1 ,father ,madden1 ,o4 ,m4 ,i42 chaplain to the ,second ,brigade1 and ,father ,lockary1 chaplain to the ,first ,brigade4 ,they gave me very good advice concerning the performance of my duties1 for both had been at the front for many months4 ,father ,madden had been there longer than ,father ,lockary1 and he wore the little purple and white ribbon of the ,military ,cross4 ,i found my work very easy the following ,sunday4 ,on ,monday morning1 fully equipped with 8steel lid10 trench boots1 pack on my back1 ,i started for the trenches1 where ,i remained till the end of the week4 ,we had a little trouble getting up to headquarters1 for ,fritz was shelling them when we arrived2 but we managed to make it between shells4 ,headquarters was in the basement of what was once a hospital at ,st4 ,pierre4 ,the first night in the line ,i slept in a cellar which had been roofed over4 ,on going from headquarters to this cellar ,i was accompanied by an orderly2 suddenly ,i heard a report like a pistol-shot1 and then a hissing1 as of an extra large sky-rocket tearing its way up through the air4 ,my companion caught me by the arm and told me not to move4 ,then the hissing object turned1 burst into a brilliant light and began to descend very slowly1 lighting up the battle front for almost a mile4 ,then the light went out and we went onward4 8,a ,verey light10 said the ,corporal4 8#8,old ,fritz' must be getting #8windy'4 ,he's been shooting off a lot of ,verey lights on this front4 ,always stand perfectly still1 ,padre1 when you see or hear a ,verey light40 ,i had a companion in the cellar1 the medical officer of the ,thirteenth1 ,captain ,cochrane1 who was a ,catholic and an ,american4 ,all the wounded from the line were to pass through his hands4 ,we did not have very many wounded4 ,my first visit to the ,front ,line trench was made the second day of my visit4 ,i went with the orderly officer for the day1 ,lieutenant ,j4 ,mc,ivor1 ,m4 ,c41 who was the only ,catholic officer in the ,sixteenth4 ,the chalk trenches were so similar1 and so high1 that ,i could not tell when ,i was in the ,front ,line4 ,mr4 ,mc,ivor had been looking at me for awhile1 then he whispered3 8,we're in the ,front ,line now1 ,father4 ,old ,fritz is just across the way40 ,it seemed strange3 above us shells1 going and coming1 passed1 making sometimes a soft1 sweeping sound3 at others1 a shrill1 whining noise4 ,everything was intensely quiet in the trenches4 ,we were so near the ,german line that the occupants could be heard coughing1 although ,i did not have the unique experience of hearing them cough4 ,i stood up on the fire-step and peeped out over ,no ,man's ,land4 ,not a blade of grass could be seen1 nothing but the grey earth1 that had been churned and riddled and tossed about by every missile of war4 ,a little to my left a long green spar like a flag-staff stood up in 8,no ,man's ,land20 a little beyond this1 and behind ,fritz's line1 was a partly demolished town4 ,i saw all this in a second or two1 then ,i felt a hand on my shoulder and a whisper came to my ear3 8,not too long1 ,father40 ,i stepped down from the fire-step4 ,as we went back towards battalion headquarters1 ,i asked the officer the name of the town ,i had seen4 8,lens10 he said4 ,chapter ,,li ,,the ,,one ,,that ,,was ,,lost ,the winter passed quietly1 each battalion of my brigade moving from reserve to support1 from support into the line1 then back to reserve again4 ,and always in those little churches up near the line1 whenever there was a chaplain1 confessions were heard from five o'clock every evening4 ,here the work was most consoling1 for my soldiers1 moving about the village in the evening time1 used to find their way to the church and there make a little visit or go to confession and ,holy ,communion4 ,often some would stay a long time praying4 ,they had left mothers and fathers1 wives and children1 but the sanctuary lamp1 burning softly1 sent to them the silent signal1 as it did at home1 that 8the ,lord was in ,his holy temple40 ,often as ,i sat in the confessional in those little churches of ,france ,i thought of ,god's wonderful ways2 of the ineffable graces that flowed so continuously to the souls of those lads4 ,and many times1 when the evening's work was done and the last soul shriven1 ,i have left my confessional and walked up the aisle to the altar-steps1 and1 kneeling down1 have thanked ,god with a full heart for having made me a priest4 ,on one of those evenings1 after ,i had finished hearing confessions in the church at ,bully-les-,mines1 ,i noticed an old soldier sitting in one of the middle pews4 ,he must have been nearly seventy2 his hair was quite gray4 ,i waited in my confessional for a short time1 thinking perhaps he might wish to come1 but as he did not1 ,i stepped out from the box and began to walk up and down the aisle2 and the old soldier stayed on4 ,at last ,i stopped at his pew and asked him if he wished to go to confession4 ,he said 8,no10 and then went on to tell me that he had been to prayers the night before1 and that he had come back again thinking there would be more prayers4 ,but he repeated that he did not wish to go to confession4 ,i told him there would be the ,way of the ,cross the following evening1 which was ,friday4 ,the cur was having ,lenten devotions twice a week4 ,i was just about to leave the church then1 as there was no one else to go to confession1 when the old soldier spoke again4 8,father10 he said1 8would you like to talk to me80 ,it seemed rather an unusual way to ask the question4 ,usually men said3 8,father1 ,i'd like to speak to you a minute40 ,however1 if this man had anything he wished to say to me1 ,i was there to hear it and also to help him by any advice ,i could4 ,so ,i said that ,i would like to talk to him1 if he wished4 ,i then sat down beside the old man and slowly he began to speak4 8,father10 he said1 8,i don't want to go to confession--,i haven't been to confession for forty years4 ,i've led an awful life1 ,father4 ,all that time ,i have been trying to do without ,god4 ,lately1 though1 ,father1 ,i have begun to think that ,i can't do it4 ,since ,i've come to ,france ,i've seen a lot1 and ,i've been thinking a lot4 ,i've come to the conclusion that there is some power directing all things4 ,for even to run a peanut stand there must be some one behind it to direct things4 ,i believe in ,god1 ,father--but ,i don't want to go to confession40 ,he stopped speaking for a second or two1 and we sat in silence4 ,up before the tabernacle the little flame in the sanctuary lamp leaped a few times4 ,then he spoke again3 8,but1 ,father1 ,i have led an awful life60 ,he began then and there to tell me the history of his life4 ,i listened quietly1 and as he continued telling me of forty years' estrangement from ,god1 ,i prayed with all my strength to the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus for grace to bring this poor lost sheep back into the fold4 ,surely the ,sacred ,heart would hear my prayer4 8,i will give to priests10 ,he had said1 8the power to touch the most hardened heart40 ,for a long time ,i sat there and the old man continued to talk4 ,now and again ,i would ask a question by way of encouraging him in his recital4 ,at last he finished1 and his head moved a little from side to side1 very slowly1 as he said3 8,father1 ,i've led an awful life60 8,yes10 ,i said1 8and now if you will come with me into the confessional and ask ,god's pardon from the bottom of your heart for all those sins1 ,i will give you holy absolution40 ,it was late that evening when the old man stepped out from the confessional1 but before he did he said to me3 8,father1 if ever you wish to make known all that has gone on this night1 either by writing or word1 you have my permission to do so1 for it might help some other poor soul40 ,all through his confession ,i had been praying for grace to know what to do next4 ,i wished to give him holy communion1 for one never knew when a missile of death might drop--just about that time a giant enemy shell had crashed into the village so unexpectedly that ,i saw a red-faced officer of the line turn a sickly white4 ,and yet the old soldier had been such a long time away from the sacraments4 ,but before he left the confessional ,i had decided what to do4 8,now10 ,i said1 8you will just go up to the sanctuary rail and pray a little and then ,i will give you ,holy ,communion40 ,a few moments later ,i tip-toed softly out of the church and left the old man happy with ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,saviour of the world4 ,frequently1 since ,i have come home1 when ,i relate some of the wonderful ways of the ,master with these soldier lads people say to me3 8,ah1 ,father1 they came back to the sacraments because they were afraid40 ,to me1 who have witnessed these miracles of ,god's grace1 such words always sound harsh1 and ,i then try to explain to the people what these men really went through4 ,i describe the long vigil in the muddy front line trench during the cold1 silent hours of the night1 when there was much time to think4 ,perhaps for the first time in years some men began to do a little serious thinking4 ,under ordinary circumstances1 when the voice of conscience speaks1 one has a thousand ways of deafening the ears4 ,in the trenches there was no means of silencing the still1 small voice4 ,all things conspired to make one think seriously of death and the fragility of human life4 ,it was these thoughts mostly that brought so many men back to ,god4 ,he spoke to them and they heard4 ,i remember once having explained this state of things to an old woman who had said to me that the men came through fear4 ,i had done my best to convince her that the reason the men came was that they had grown serious under hardship4 ,she looked at me calmly and knowingly1 and said3 8,that's it1 ,father6 ,they were afraid60 ,chapter ,,lii ,a ,,vague ,,unrest ,the spring was drawing near1 and a certain vague feeling of unrest was over the troops4 ,word was being passed about that old ,fritz was preparing for something4 ,on our side there were no visible preparations for a spring offensive4 ,and so the lads were restless4 ,very often1 when the wind was favorable1 large enemy toy-balloons floated high over our lines1 and as the long piece of smouldering hemp attached to each balloon burned up to a knotted cord1 a package of propaganda articles was released and a great flock of fluttering leaflets came slowly down through the air1 falling at last among the troops in the back areas4 ,usually these articles told of a big offensive that was to begin and went on to say that as the ,germans had no hatred for the ,canadians1 and as they saw no reason for the ,canadians taking part in this war1 they advised them not to take part in it any longer4 ,i remember one batch of leaflets gave us just seventy-two hours to get out of the war4 ,although we laughed at such propaganda1 we were undeniably restless4 ,for instance1 we were especially watchful till the seventy-two hours had passed4 ,we knew ,fritz was going to strike1 but we did not know when or where4 ,just about the middle of ,march we moved out to ,hersin1 a little town about three miles from ,fosse-dix1 to rest4 ,i was billeted with the cur1 a most lovable man1 to whose house was attached a large garden4 ,there were a few peach trees in the garden and they were already in bloom4 ,while at ,hersin ,i was able to help the cur of ,fosse-dix by going to one of his adopted parishes1 ,bouvigny1 about five miles from where ,i was billeted4 ,while taking breakfast with him1 he showed me a small photo of the interior of the church at ,bouvigny after a recent bombardment4 ,half the church seemed to be filled with broken beams and pillars1 and looking out from the debris1 untouched in any way1 was an almost life-size statue of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,i was struck by the serene1 calm expression of ,our ,lady1 but this seemingly miraculous preservation of statues and crucifixes was a common occurrence on the ,western ,front4 ,just before ,i left a number of airplanes hummed by overhead1 and casually ,i asked the cur if he had ever been up in an airplane4 ,he surprised me by saying he had1 during some great public event at ,paris4 ,when he had reached solid earth again after his flight1 a society lady1 standing nearby1 had said3 8,now1 my ,father1 you will know the way to heaven60 ,he had replied1 he said3 8,yes1 ,madame1 and whenever you wish to know the way to heaven1 ,i will be very pleased to teach you it40 ,that was the last time ,i ever saw the little cur of ,fosse-dix1 for on ,thursday1 ,march #bast1 something happened and we were ordered back suddenly to ,mazingarbe4 ,i remember the date very well for it was the ,feast of ,st4 ,benedict and my birthday4 ,the unrest was no longer vague4 ,chapter ,,liii ,,the ,,great ,,offensive 8,old ,fritz0 had struck at a vital part of the ,allied front1 planning nothing less than a separation of the ,french and ,british armies4 ,he was attacking on a sixty-three mile front4 ,he had 8opened up0 with a terrific bombardment2 it was no ordinary barrage1 but one he had been preparing for weeks4 ,he had begun the bombardment at five o'clock1 a4 m41 and before noon had broken through the ,british line in many places4 ,for four or five days we waited in ,mazingarbe2 the whole ,first ,canadian ,division was now standing to arms ready to go whenever they might be needed4 ,every morning from four o'clock till nearly seven the ,third ,brigade was 8standing to0 on the square1 fully equipped for battle2 for it was always just before dawn that attacks were made4 ,fritz did not attack on our front1 but on ,wednesday1 the #bgth1 orders came for us to march4 ,i left ,mazingarbe at about two o'clock for our assembly area1 which was ,chateau de la ,haie4 ,i arrived there about four o'clock to find every battalion of the ,third ,brigade quartered in the huts about the chateau4 ,on learning that we were going to be here till ten o'clock1 p4 m41 ,i immediately went around to all the orderly rooms and announced confessions4 ,there was a tiny house on the grounds that had once been a private oratory2 the stretcher-bearers were quartered here1 but on hearing that ,i wished to have the use of it1 they very kindly gave it over to me for four hours4 ,i heard confessions here for the time allotted1 then when it was time for the occupiers of the hut to prepare for departing ,i stepped outside1 still wearing my purple stole1 and stood under a tree1 near which were tethered horses4 ,there was a long line of soldiers waiting4 ,each man walked up1 told his little story1 received absolution as he stood there under the stars1 then passed on a few paces to say his penance1 while the next in line moved up4 ,for a long time ,i stood there while soldiers1 going and coming1 passed along the road near which the men were in line4 ,at midnight long lines of hooded motor lorries glided over smooth roads from three different directions towards ,acq4 ,on coming to the point where the roads crossed they came slowly to a stop2 then thousands of soldiers who had been sitting or standing along the roads began quickly to 8embus40 ,we waited for almost an hour1 till the last lorry had moved off1 then ,i fell in with the transport section4 ,i could have gone in one of the lorries1 but ,i wished to go with the transport section as then ,i might be in a better position to watch the movements of the whole brigade4 ,we went south1 marching all through the night4 ,it was a beautiful moonlight night4 ,we went up hill and down hill1 and always before us moved the long irregular line of the transport4 ,there were vehicles of almost every description--limbers1 general service wagons1 8mulligan batteries10 the 8pill cart10 7which was a two-wheeled affair with a red cross painted on either side of the hood71 mess cart1 water cart1 etc4 ,we passed through one silent moonlit village after another1 sometimes halting to rest awhile4 ,now and again an upstairs window opened cautiously1 and a night-capped head peeped over the window-sill at the long line of the transport resting in the village street4 ,towards the dawn we were passing through a beautiful countryside in which were many old stone chateaux1 built far back from the main road1 with green fields bordered by high trees before them4 ,for the past six or seven days we had not been having very much sleep1 and as daylight began to break ,i began to feel very weary2 once or twice while actually marching ,i fell asleep1 only to be awakened by falling against the man marching before me4 ,often during the night1 as we reached the crest of some hill1 we could see the yellow flashes of shrapnel as it burst in the air1 and always we were drawing nearer4 ,but with the dawn we seemed to have drawn away from the war area2 for now there was neither sign nor sound of the enemy guns4 ,whenever we stopped to rest1 men would crawl into the ditches or lie down near a hedge-row or an open field and go to sleep4 ,once in a sunken road ,i noticed a number of cyclists sleeping2 they were leaning against the high banks which sloped upwards and away from the road4 ,there was just enough slope to the banks to see that they were not standing4 ,their faces were almost black from the road dust4 ,on two or three bicycles were strapped large wicker baskets1 and in each basket hopped about two or three carrier pigeons4 ,these were to be used in an emergency4 ,in an open field a number of men from the transport sections were preparing breakfast1 their horses drawn up on the side of the road1 busy with their nose-bags1 and the odor of frying bacon was wafted on the morning air4 ,we did not breakfast1 as we had no rations with us4 ,two general service wagons with rations for the whole battalion were to join us farther on4 ,once1 on leaving a quaint little village grouped about a small1 perhaps century-old stone church1 we caught a glimpse of a wide stretch of green countryside4 ,we had been ascending a hill for quite a distance before coming to the village4 ,the ground mists had cleared and the sun was out4 ,from different directions1 but converging towards the same point1 were a number of white roads along which were moving or resting the long1 irregular lines of transport sections from many different battalions4 ,just for an instant everything seemed to be changed4 ,i thought ,i was back in my own peaceful country and that ,i was looking at a wonderful assembling of gipsy caravans4 ,up in the clear air a small bird soared singing its blithe1 carefree song4 ,it was the first time ,i had ever heard a lark4 ,the joyous melody seemed but to emphasize the fantasy4 ,then suddenly my dream vanished and ,i was back to ,france1 sitting on the roadside on the #bhth day of ,march1 #aiah1 tired1 sleepy and hungry1 wondering at about what time we would meet the oncoming ,german army6 ,when towards noon we entered a little town called ,couturelle1 word was passed along the line that we were going to halt here4 ,i had just finished saying to ,george that ,i should not care to have to make the march over again when ,i noticed the quartermaster of the ,thirteenth ,battalion come galloping up the road1 smiling and calling out3 8,we've come to the wrong place40 ,he waved his crop to me as he passed1 saying3 8,we have to go back to the ,arras area1 ,padre60 ,i looked in wonder at ,george4 ,we had left the ,arras front last night towards midnight4 ,i had just said ,i should not care to make the march over again4 ,now we were to do so6 ,we came to a halt in an open part of the village1 and there we had lunch2 perhaps ,i should say breakfast4 ,after the meal ,i went down to the little church to make a visit4 ,when ,i came back all the men were sleeping4 ,i then lay down in the ditch1 put my haversack under my head1 and although it was the #bhth of ,march ,i was soon sound asleep4 ,in about two hours we were awakened4 ,chapter ,,liv ,,agnez-,,lez-,,duisans ,i did not walk back to the ,arras front4 ,i went in a lorry4 ,as we drew near our destination ,i was surprised to see so much traffic--but it was all coming towards us4 ,at every cross-road we were stopped by the traffic police1 just as one might be stopped in a large city4 ,it was the first time ,i had ever witnessed a retreat4 ,great stores were in ,arras belonging to the military and the ,british ,expeditionary ,force canteens4 ,most of these stores were being removed1 and the city of ,arras1 as well as the country villages near it1 was being evacuated4 ,up to this time ,i had seen the effect of war on combatants only4 ,now ,i was continually passing scenes that made me turn sick at heart2 for all along our way came little groups of ,french peasants--mostly old and young women1 and children1 though now and again an old man was passed4 ,sometimes a yoke of oxen1 hitched to a large farm wagon1 were guided to the right of the road by a woman or young boy4 ,and sometimes an old woman led a cow or calf1 while an old man pushed a large wheel-barrow full of bedding4 ,once1 while we stopped at a cross-road1 ,i tried to study the faces of those who passed4 ,on no face did ,i see the marks of any great strain or fear4 ,all were attired in their ,sunday garments4 ,none of the children cried or seemed hysterical4 ,all had a good color1 and their large eyes looked solemnly about at the strange scenes surrounding them2 but not one of them hopped or jumped or smiled at us4 ,the expression in their faces was one that ,i noticed in those of the older people4 ,i can only describe it as one of stolidity4 ,here were these people leaving homes where perhaps whole generations of them had lived1 going they knew not where1 leaving behind them many things of value2 but they must sleep on the way and the nights were cold1 therefore they had all brought bedding along with them4 ,for the first time since ,i had enlisted ,i recalled a short and succinct definition of war given by ,general ,sherman4 8,general ,sherman was right10 ,i said grimly4 ,presently we came into a little village1 at the entrance of which was a large ,calvary on the roadside1 the great white figure drooping from the cross in agony4 ,tomorrow would be ,his day4 ,perhaps it was the continual passing of these wayside ,calvarys that gave patience to the peasantry4 ,i was glad when the driver told me that this was our destination4 ,the lorry stopped before a large camp of ,nissen huts4 ,a gentle mist had been falling for the last hour or two1 but now it was developing into quite a drizzle4 ,i walked across the muddy square1 then down a little lane through rows of huts till ,i found my billet4 ,in one part of the hut the rain was leaking through the roof1 but ,i did not mind this4 ,there were no berths1 but we had our bed-rolls and all that was necessary was to roll them out on the floor4 ,i had been sleeping on floors now1 from time to time1 for over a year and ,i cannot say that it ever inconvenienced me very much4 ,just as ,i was leaving the hut to go to the church to make a visit--for it was ,holy ,thursday--two ,scotch ,highlanders accosted me4 ,they wished to know to which battalion ,i belonged4 ,when ,i told them1 they became very friendly and told me that they had just come from the ,front4 ,fritz had pushed them back a little that morning1 but they had been holding him since dinner-time4 ,this was good news1 and ,i hoped that ,fritz would continue to be held4 ,i had been praying before the lighted repository in the village church for a few minutes when ,i heard footsteps coming1 then ,i felt a hand touch me on the shoulder1 then a military chaplain walked by me into the sacristy4 ,i followed him4 ,when he turned1 ,i recognized him immediately4 ,it was ,father ,christopher ,sheehan1 an ,irish chaplain whom ,i had met at ,st4 ,michael's ,club1 ,london1 just about a year before4 ,he had come to ,london to receive the ,military ,cross from ,king ,george of ,england4 8,don't you know me1 ,father80 he asked4 ,i smiled and told him his name and when and where ,i had met him2 also what ,i was doing there and when ,i had come4 ,when ,i had finished his brown eyes lighted up pleasantly1 as with the enthusiasm of a boy he began to tell me that ,i was 8in luck40 ,for he was billeted at a convent school and had charge of all the livestock on the premises4 ,then ,father ,sheehan went on to prove that ,i was 8in luck20 and as he enumerated all the articles he had at his disposal1 ,i quite agreed with him4 ,the ,sisters had left him bottles and bottles of preserved pears1 peaches1 and strawberries1 many different kinds of vegetables and a large number of hares1 etc4 ,his eyes sparkled with delight at the thought of being able to share his good things with some one4 ,he looked at his wrist-watch2 it was nearly six o'clock4 8,dinner-time10 he said1 8,father1 come60 ,i followed him up the road1 thanking ,god that ,i had fallen in with this warm-hearted ,irish priest4 ,on the way he told me that the lad with him was an excellent cook4 ,i think the way the good things disappeared that evening was sufficient evidence of my appreciation of his culinary art4 ,yes1 gentle reader1 it was ,lent--but1 then1 you know it was war time6 ,just as we had finished ,george came in2 but he was scarcely in till he found himself seated at the table that ,father ,sheehan and ,i had just vacated1 and presently the cook and ,george had set to work4 ,they went at it earnestly1 carefully1 and methodically1 giving it all attention4 ,the cook had prepared an enormous quantity of potatoes2 an ordinary vegetable dish would have been too small to hold them all1 so they were piled high in a large white milk basin4 ,father ,sheehan and ,i had decreased the pile considerably1 but now under the skillful treatment of ,george and the cook the remainder disappeared with extraordinary rapidity4 ,it was good to watch the lads2 they worked with such dispatch and so whole-heartedly4 ,it was a wonderful example of the adage1 8,what you have to do1 do it well10 and ,i felt loath to leave when ,father ,sheehan asked me to come with him to one of the class-rooms4 ,chapter ,,lv ,,the ,,refugees ,father ,sheehan1 opening the door of the class-room1 stood back for me to enter4 ,i did1 and then fell back in surprise1 for the little class-room was almost filled with ,french civilians and piles of bedding4 ,the seven or eight little children looked wide-eyed at me1 but they smiled brightly when they saw ,father ,sheehan4 ,the older people greeted me simply1 as is the way of the ,french peasant with the stranger4 ,they were refugees from ,dainville and were stopping at the convent over night4 ,tomorrow1 ,good ,friday1 they were to continue their sorrowful journey4 ,they were mostly women1 though there was one old man among them who did most of the talking4 ,he seemed somewhat apologetic as to his position4 8,do you think10 he said to me1 8that if it were not for these women and children ,i would be here8 ,i1 sir1 would stay to meet the enemy4 ,in #ahgj ,i was a soldier in the army of ,france1 and ,i was a prisoner of war1 but now ,i must look after these women and children40 ,i expressed my sympathy with the old soldier and asked him a few questions about the ,franco-,prussian war of #ahgj4 ,when ,i had finished1 he looked at me keenly4 8,you1 monsieur1 you are an ,englishman80 8,no10 ,i answered1 8,i am a ,canadian1 chaplain to the ,canadian soldiers40 ,the keen look in the old man's eyes became more intense as they searched my face4 8,ah60 he said with a slow intake of breath4 8,ah60 he repeated4 ,then he stood erect4 8,the soldiers of ,canada are good soldiers10 he half-shouted4 ,as ,i bowed my appreciation of his praise1 he turned and spoke to the women1 but his words were uttered so rapidly that ,i could not catch their sense4 ,presently he turned to me again1 and there was a bright1 hopeful look in his eyes4 8,are the ,canadians going to remain here80 he asked4 ,i said ,i thought we were1 for we had come to stop the ,german advance4 ,i did not add 8if we are able10 for ,i wished to give him courage4 8,ah60 the old man said again4 ,the next morning as ,i came down to the convent to breakfast ,i met a great number of refugees1 only this time instead of leaving their homes they were returning to them4 ,almost in the lead of the procession1 pushing a wheel-barrow stacked high with bedding came the old man that ,i had talked with the previous evening4 ,he greeted me warmly1 as did the women2 the little children smiled4 8,we are returning home10 the old man said4 8,i don't think the enemy will advance any farther now40 ,as ,i left him and his companions and turned in towards the gates of the convent1 ,i felt a great gladness coming over me4 ,yesterday these poor people were going out from their homes2 but since then the ,canadian lads had come and now were lined up between the homes of these ,french peasants and the enemy4 ,these people knew the ,canadian soldiers1 so they were going back to their homes4 ,i felt proud of my ,canadian lads4 ,chapter ,,lvi ,,arras ,that afternoon1 accompanied by ,father ,sheehan1 ,i went up to ,arras to visit my brigade1 for most of the soldiers were billeted in the city4 ,arras was being heavily shelled by the enemy4 ,long before we reached the suburbs we could see the sudden spurts of black smoke rising in many places from large buildings2 and as we drew nearer we could hear the dull1 quick-echoing crash as shell after shell shrieked its way into the great chalk buildings and exploded4 ,our own field artillery was busy on the outskirts of the town1 returning the ,german fire4 ,a fine mist of rain fell4 ,it is extremely hard to describe the strange1 unfamiliar depression that came over one entering the city2 for everything was silent1 save when a shell shrieked horribly and then burst1 while almost simultaneously came the sound of falling stone and mortar and the tinkle of broken glass4 ,nobody walked in the silent streets2 and in the great empty dilapidated buildings there was no movement1 save now and then the flutter of torn window-blind or soiled curtain in some empty window-frame4 ,in one part of the city blood was mingled with the rain water that ran slowly along the gutter4 ,we came to the giant statue of ,neptune1 which faced us and divided our street4 ,we followed the street which ran to our left1 passed the ,monument and presently were at the hospital of ,st4 ,john1 which was in charge of some ,french nuns--,i think they were of the ,augustinian ,order4 ,they had given over one large wing of their hospital to the ,canadians1 who were using it as an advance dressing station4 ,there was a really beautiful chapel attached to this hospital1 and there was an ,english military chaplain quartered near it1 who said ,mass there every morning4 ,i arranged with him to have the use of the chapel on ,easter ,sunday to say ,mass for my lads1 but when on ,saturday ,i went to ,brigade ,headquarters1 which was in ,arras1 to announce the hours of service ,i was told that there would be no church parades1 as the shelling was so continuous that no congregating of the men above ground would be permitted4 ,the battalions of the ,third ,brigade were scattered in different billets throughout the city4 ,i was very sorry ,i could not have the men for ,easter ,sunday1 but since it would have endangered their lives1 ,i recognized the wisdom of the order4 ,before ,i left the city that evening there was not the slightest doubt in my mind but that the brigade officers had acted with great prudence1 for ,i was the only one on the long road leading out of ,arras1 save occupants of an ambulance which came screeching up the road1 passing me with terrific speed4 ,when its sound had died away ,i became more than ever aware of the shells that dropped so perilously near that ,i could hear the splinters falling on the cobbles just behind me4 ,chapter ,,lvii ,,easter ,,sunday ,since ,i could not have a parade of my men at ,arras ,i decided to do what good ,i could at ,agnez-lez-,duisans4 ,we had early ,mass for the civil population1 and as their cur was serving in the army ,i acted as parish priest that morning4 ,following my ordination to the priesthood ,i had been sent1 as assistant priest1 to a parish where ,french only was spoken4 ,for three years ,i ministered to these people and when ,i had left them ,i felt that ,i had a fair working knowledge of their language1 though when ,i first went among them1 ,i received quite a shock4 ,during my classical course ,i had studied the ,french language for four years2 my theological course had been made at the ,grand ,seminary of ,quebec1 where the great majority of the students were ,french-,canadians4 ,i had left the ,seminary thinking that ,i had an adequate knowledge of the ,french language2 nevertheless1 ,i took a whole week to prepare and memorize my first ,french sermon in the little parish4 ,i entered the pulpit a little fearful1 though when ,i found my words flowing with no great effort ,i warmed to the work4 ,i went down to the altar feeling that ,i had done fairly well2 but after ,mass1 while receiving a ,mass offering from a gentle old lady who had come into the sacristy leaning on a cane1 ,i asked her very simply how ,i had preached4 ,i shall never forget the kindly look with which the old lady regarded me1 as she said3 8,it was all right1 ,father1 all right6 ,we all knew what you were trying to say40 ,and ,i had been preparing for eight years6 ,however1 when ,i left these good people ,i think they used to know what ,i was saying4 ,and this ,easter morning1 in far-away ,france1 as peasant after peasant came to me to confession1 ,i recalled these golden days of my early service for the ,master when the first fervor of the young priest was strongly aglow and all the world was at peace4 ,on ,monday morning ,i took ,holy ,communion to an old woman who was an invalid and could not come to the church4 ,everything was spotlessly prepared and all the people knelt reverently when ,i entered the house bearing the ,divine ,guest4 ,i tried to tip-toe softly in my big heavy military boots1 but as they were built for marching on long roads ,i did not succeed very well4 ,it seemed very strange there in the soft1 carpeted room2 two or three women knelt near the bedside2 the feminine touch was everywhere2 for the first time since my enlistment ,i felt the lack of cassock and surplice4 ,somehow1 ,i felt a little awkward4 ,she was an old woman1 and her life must have been a very holy one4 ,simply and with great faith she received the ,divine ,guest and ,i knew ,our ,lord would feel at home4 ,when ,i was leaving one of the women pressed into my hand a five-franc piece4 ,it was the first ,i had ever seen2 but when ,i wished to return it1 the woman seemed determined that ,i should keep it4 ,i did--as a souvenir4 ,chapter ,,lviii ,,the ,,ronville ,,caves ,on ,wednesday morning while ,i was taking my breakfast in the mess of the ,sixteenth ,battalion1 ,george came in with a cup of tea and some good news4 ,all the battalions of the brigade were quartered in the ,ronville caves--over three thousand men underground4 ,this was1 indeed1 good news1 for now ,i could do some work among the men1 which ,i had been longing to do4 ,the ,ronville caves were just beyond the railway station1 under the outskirts of ,arras4 ,nearly all the buildings of the city1 including the ,cathedral of ,arras1 were built of chalk4 ,this chalk had been quarried from the depths of the earth1 as near as possible to the city4 ,when all the chalk necessary had been excavated1 lo6 there remained the chalk caves of ,ronville--a series of caves at the end of short tunnels that branched off from a great main tunnel miles in length4 ,after breakfast ,i went down to the convent and found ,father ,sheehan seated in his dining-room4 ,yes1 he knew well the situation of the ,ronville caves and would be only too pleased to accompany me to them4 ,in a few minutes we were on our way to ,arras4 ,we went through the city1 turned to our right just before we came to the railway station1 passed over the iron overhead bridge crossing the railway tracks1 turned a little to our left1 and presently we were walking through a quadrangle1 pitted deeply with old and new shell-holes1 towards the entrance of the caves4 ,we passed through the opening and almost immediately were in complete darkness4 ,we stumbled along for a little1 ,i happening to be in the lead1 then suddenly a long shaft of light shot silently ahead of me1 illuminating the long white chalk corridor4 ,father ,sheehan's small flash-light was at work4 ,then as we came around a curve in our road we heard from far down in the corridor a muffled complaint2 our light was shining in the eyes of some poor oncomer2 so immediately we were in darkness again1 though far down the corridor1 seemingly attached to the wall1 a light as from a candle glimmered4 ,we advanced slowly1 ,father ,sheehan flashing his lamp intermittently on the ground just ahead4 ,i visited all the battalions except the ,thirteenth and had arranged to have the men come to confession and ,holy ,communion the following day1 when we almost collided with two kilted officers in the ,thirteenth ,battalion tartan4 ,one was the chaplain of the battalion1 then ,captain ,graham1 ,m4 ,c41 7afterwards ,major ,graham1 ,m4 ,c41 ,d4 ,s4 ,o47 a ,presbyterian1 a brave soldier and a thorough gentleman2 the other was a young ,catholic officer who had but lately returned to his battalion after having been wounded4 ,they had been looking for me4 ,captain ,graham introduced the young officer1 who was ,captain ,e4 ,waud1 and then left us4 ,captain ,waud began very gently yet firmly to take me to task2 8,you have not been giving us an opportunity lately to go to confession1 ,father10 he said4 ,i jumped interiorly1 for this was the first time ,i had been accused of not giving the men every opportunity of approaching the sacraments1 but ,i liked that young officer then and there4 8,well1 captain10 ,i said1 8no later than last ,wednesday night ,i stood under a tree in ,chateau de la ,haie waiting for all the soldiers who might come2 the ,fourteenth and ,sixteenth showed up well1 but many of the ,thirteenth did not show up40 8,oh10 he said1 8we were at a concert that evening60 8,well10 ,i returned1 8,i had announced confessions before supper1 and if the men missed the opportunity of going by attending a concert it was not my fault4 ,however10 ,i continued1 8,i have just announced confessions for tomorrow at all the battalion orderly rooms1 excepting the ,thirteenth4 ,i am on my way there now40 ,the young officer seemed very pleased1 and promised to have all the ,catholic soldiers of his company in ,new ,plymouth cave the following morning at ten o'clock4 8,god bless you60 ,i said to him4 8,if all my ,catholic officers were as eager to come to confession1 and bring their men1 as you are1 my work would be made very much easier40 ,chapter ,,lix ,,the ,,banquet ,,hall ,the following morning after breakfast ,father ,sheehan and ,i went down on our bicycles to the parish church4 ,then each of us1 wearing a white stole over our uniform1 went to the little tabernacle and after genuflecting silently1 took from it one small military ciborium full of consecrated ,hosts4 ,then silently we left the church bearing our precious burden4 ,when we entered ,arras1 which was now known as the 8,city of the ,dead10 we found1 as usual1 empty streets and the contour of many sections of the city fast disappearing under the unceasing bombardment of ,german guns4 ,we left our bicycles in care of the guard on the bridge near the entrance to the ,ronville caves and walked through the quadrangle1 which contained many more shell-holes than it did on our previous visit4 ,for this reason our passage was made very quickly4 ,the long main tunnel was much better lighted1 however1 lighted candles being attached at intervals on either wall4 ,we turned to our right and entered a subsidiary tunnel1 above the entrance of which was a sign-board bearing the names of three or four different caves1 ,new ,plymouth was one to which the tunnel led4 ,new ,plymouth was wide and low1 and although one of the smaller caves1 could very easily accommodate comfortably five or six hundred men4 ,at one end farthest from the entrance was what proved to be an excellent altar table4 ,the chalk had been quarried in such a manner that what appeared to be a large chalk altar remained4 ,father ,sheehan and ,i looked at each other in some surprise2 then placed our ,sacred ,burden on the altar1 covered the two ciboriums with a small white cloth we had brought1 and lighted two candles which we placed on either side--we had brought our pockets filled with small pieces of candles from the church4 ,we then sat down on our steel helmets1 placed on piles of chalk1 for already we could hear the sound of many voices coming along the corridor4 ,presently a large crowd of men from the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth entered the dimly-lighted cave1 removed their caps1 genuflected before the altar and then knelt in little groups on the hard chalk floor1 silent in prayer--for the ,lord was in ,his holy temple6 ,quickly the men came to confession1 and every ten or fifteen minutes either ,father ,sheehan or ,i stood up1 went to the altar while some soldier said the 8,confiteor20 then as the little white cloth was passed from one soldier to another they received with deep reverence their ,lord4 ,as each little semi-circle of men received ,holy ,communion1 they moved back into the more darkened portion of the cave where they knelt to make their thanksgiving4 ,we had been dispensing 8the mysteries of ,god0 for nearly an hour when a large number from the ,thirteenth came in and knelt down near me4 ,just before them knelt their young captain4 ,he had done as he had said2 all his ,catholic lads were with him4 ,for a long time they knelt there on the hard chalk floor1 and as now and again my eyes fell on the earnest faces of the lads as they prayed reverently1 my thoughts would go back to the early ages of the church when the first ,christians adored ,god in the ,catacombs of ,rome4 ,in a little while ,i gave the young officer and his lads ,holy ,communion4 ,at the time there seemed to me to be some earnestness about the young captain--as if this communion were a great and holy preparation for some event that ,i knew nothing of4 ,while he knelt back in the gloom1 silently returning thanks to ,god1 ,i could not help associating him with the knights of old4 ,then when he had finished his thanksgiving1 strengthened by the coming of the ,lord1 he left the cave at the head of his men1 ready1 like a true knight1 for whatever was to come4 ,all day we worked in the ,banquet ,hall2 all day long1 with the exception of one or two short intervals1 came the banqueters4 ,at about half-past twelve a soldier came quickly into the cave calling loudly1 8,r4 ,c4 chaplain60 ,i stood up and went in the direction from which the voice had come4 8,quick1 sir60 said the soldier4 8,the ,m4 ,o4 of the ,fourteenth says one of your men is hit and for you to come quick40 ,without delay ,i followed my guide down the tunnel till we came to the medical aid post of the ,fourteenth4 ,there1 lying on a table with the doctor of the ,fourteenth ,battalion working over him was one of the ,catholic lads of the ,thirteenth bleeding in many places from a number of wounds4 ,he had stepped out from the cave for a minute and had been caught in the enemy fire4 8,is it long since you've been to confession1 lad80 ,i said4 ,he looked at me through clear eyes1 though he was in great pain4 8,just about an hour ago1 ,father10 he said4 ,the doctor whispered in my ear1 8,he's going1 ,padre10 so ,i put on my stole and prepared the lad for death4 ,i always carried the ,holy ,oils in my pocket4 ,just as ,i finished anointing the dying soldier one of his friends was admitted for a last word4 8,what will ,i tell your people at home80 asked the friend1 who was a ,protestant4 8,tell them--0 he labored a little for breath--8tell them10 he repeated1 8,i had the priest60 ,shortly afterwards he was taken by ambulance to the ,field ,ambulance at ,agnez-lez-,duisans1 and the following morning he died4 ,i returned to ,new ,plymouth cave and there ,i found ,father ,sheehan very busy1 for the ,fourteenth ,battalion was now coming4 ,we heard them quickly1 however1 as it was but a few days since they had come to confession at ,chateau de la ,haie4 ,that evening1 after the last man had left1 ,father ,sheehan came over to me4 8,father10 he said1 8wasn't it a great day's work80 ,i could scarcely speak for the great joy ,i felt4 ,there had been such consolation throughout the whole day6 ,great things had been done for our ,divine ,lord1 who had waited all day long in the dimly-lighted cave1 giving ,his deep1 sweet peace to the souls of these lads of 8good will40 ,centuries before ,he had come to another cave1 when 8glad tidings0 had been announced to the shepherds4 8,yes1 ,father10 ,i said1 8it was one of the happiest days of my life40 ,then1 simultaneously1 we thought of the things of earth4 ,it was time to go back to ,agnez-lez-,duisans1 for1 with the exception of one slice of bread and margarine between us1 we had eaten nothing since early morning4 ,it was now evening4 ,the following morning while at breakfast a letter from headquarters was given to me by the waiter4 ,i opened it quickly3 ,it read1 8,capt4 the ,rev4 ,r4 ,m4 ,crochetiere was killed in action ,april #bnd1 near ,bailleulmont40 ,this place was just a little to the south of ,arras4 ,not a year before he had sung the great open-air ,mass at ,witley ,camp when the ,catholic soldiers had been consecrated to the ,sacred ,heart4 ,just yesterday he had gone home to the ,sacred ,heart to receive the reward of his stewardship4 ,i sat back from the breakfast table and wondered who would be next4 ,then ,i went down to the convent4 ,almost every morning ,i went down to the convent1 for there was a lovely garden there where ,i could walk up and down under the trees and read my ,breviary4 ,often as ,i passed through the court before the main building1 on my way to the garden1 ,i paused before a beautiful statue of the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus4 ,the base of the statue was surrounded by a wide circle of green lawn1 bordering which was a fringe of forget-me-nots1 planted very likely by the good ,sisters as a symbol of their devotion to the ,sacred ,heart4 ,every morning the children whom the ,sisters taught before they went away came to the convent and asked a young woman--a kind of lay-,sister who came daily to do some work about the building--when the ,sisters were coming back4 8,very soon1 perhaps--tomorrow1 perhaps40 ,and the little ones would stay through the morning and play till they were tired2 then they would sit on the low benches and sing in their sweet childish voices the beautiful hymns that the ,sisters had taught them4 ,the presence of the sky-blue1 yellow-centered forget-me-nots always brought to my mind the love of the ,sisters for the ,sacred ,heart2 the sound of the children's voices in the morning always brought to my mind the love of the children for the ,sisters4 ,just beyond the convent1 on the other side of the ,scarpe ,river1 which here was only about six feet wide1 was a group of ,nissen huts that had up to a few weeks before been used as a ,casualty ,clearing ,station1 but at the beginning of the ,german advance the patients and staff had been removed4 ,now it was being used by a ,field ,ambulance for dressing wounds or some emergency operation of casualties from the ,arras front4 ,father ,whiteside1 an ,english chaplain1 was on duty here1 though usually he called me when any of my ,canadian lads came in4 ,across the road from the ,field ,ambulance was a large military cemetery where regiments of weary soldiers rested softly1 each under the shadow of a little white cross4 ,it was the following ,sunday afternoon that ,i had my first burials in this cemetery4 ,at two o'clock a procession of soldiers1 mostly kilted laddies from the ,thirteenth1 came slowly up the long aisle of the cemetery3 in the lead1 following the pipe band that played the 8,flowers of the ,forest10 walked nine groups of six men1 each carrying shoulder high1 one of their late comrades who had answered bravely the last call4 ,one was an officer1 the young knight who had passed his vigil in ,new ,plymouth cave4 ,while leading his men out of the ,ronville caves he had been mortally wounded1 passing away a few hours afterwards4 ,of the dead1 only ,captain ,waud and the young soldier from the ,thirteenth whom ,i had anointed in the cave1 were ,catholics4 ,and often as ,i passed through the court before the main building of the convent and paused to look at the sweet forget-me-nots fringing the lawn around the base of the statue of the ,sacred ,heart1 ,i recalled the two who1 among others1 had remembered their ,creator1 and ,i felt now they were not forgotten3 8,turn to ,me and ,i will turn to thee10 had said the ,lord4 ,chapter ,,lx ,,the ,,sheehans ,we waited at ,agnez-lez-,duisans a few days longer1 but 8old ,fritz0 did not strike on the ,arras front1 though all the world knows that he continued to gain elsewhere4 ,two or three times during the week1 ,father ,sheehan went up to ,arras with a quantity of provisions to two ,poor ,clare ,sisters who lived on in the basement of their ruined convent in order to pay court to their ,king4 ,in the evening we were kept busy hearing confessions and giving ,holy ,communion to soldiers in the parish church4 ,one evening when we had heard the confessions of all the men present1 ,i stepped into the sacristy to say a word to ,father ,sheehan1 who was just going out to give ,holy ,communion4 8,ah1 ,father60 he said in his gentle1 friendly manner1 8,i am glad you came in4 ,will you please go down there to ,pat and tell him not to go to ,communion now4 ,you see1 ,father1 he was there this morning1 and he's such a pious lad that when he sees the others going to the rails1 he might forget that he was there this morning and go up again40 8,all right1 ,father10 ,i said1 but somehow or other ,i found great difficulty in suppressing a strong inclination to smile as ,i walked down the flagged aisle of the church4 ,pat--,father ,sheehan had pointed him out to me--who was intently reading his prayer-book1 looked up kindly at me as ,i drew near4 8,god bless you1 ,father10 he whispered1 as ,i stooped over him and he disposed himself elaborately to listen4 ,it actually pained me to keep from laughing as ,i prepared to deliver my message4 8,pat10 ,i said1 8,father ,sheehan sent me to tell you not to go to ,communion again4 ,he is afraid that you might forget you were there this morning and go back again40 ,pat just looked at his book and shook his head as he smiled indulgently4 ,then he looked at me1 still smiling1 8,shure1 ,father dear1 ,i had no intention of going again60 ,then he said1 as if to himself1 8,god bless ,father ,sheehan60 ,pat's words were echoed strongly in my heart2 for every one that met ,father ,sheehan would feel like wishing him the very best they could1 and what is better than the blessing of ,god8 ,just about this time ,i received from my mother a birthday present1 which had been delayed along the way4 ,it was a large volume entitled 8,canon ,sheehan of ,doneraile10 by ,father ,heuser4 ,i had long enjoyed the works of the gentle ,canon1 and ,i had always felt that ,i owed a lot to this seer and prophet4 ,i had long wanted to read the life of one who had made many such unerring prophesies as the following some twenty years before the signing of the ,armistice3 8,meanwhile1 the new ,paganism1 called modern civilization1 is working out its own destruction and solving its own problems4 ,there are subterranean mutterings of a future upheaval that will change the map of the world as effectually as did an irruption of ,vandals or ,visigoths4 ,in the self-degradation of women2 in the angry disputes between ,labor and ,capital2 in the dreams of ,socialists1 and the sanguinary ambitions of ,nihilists2 in the attitude of the great ,powers to each other1 snarling and afraid to bite2 in the irreverence and flippancy of the age manifested towards the most sacred and solemn subjects1 in the destructive attempts of philosophers1 in the elimination of the supernatural1 in the concentration of all human thought upon the fleeting concerns of this life1 and the covert1 yet hardly concealed1 denial of a life to come2 in the rage for wealth1 in the almost insane dread of poverty--and all these evil things permeating and penetrating into every class--there is visible to the most ordinary mortal a disintegration of society that can only eventuate in such ruin as have made ,babylon and ,nineveh almost historical myths1 and has made a proverb and by-word even of ,imperial ,rome4 ,where is the remedy8 ,clearly1 ,christianity2 and still more clearly the only ,christianity that is possible1 and can bear the solvent influence of the new civilization4 ,nothing but the poverty of ,christ1 manifested in the self-abandonment of our religious communities2 the awful purity of ,christ1 continued in a celibate priesthood and the white sanctity of our nuns2 the self-denial and immolation of ,christ1 shown again wherever the sacrificial instinct is manifested in our martyrs and missionaries2 the love of ,christ1 as exhibited in our charge of the orphaned1 the abandoned1 the profligate1 the diseased1 the leprous and insane--can lead back the vast masses of erring humanity to the condition not only of stability1 but of the fruition of perfect peace4 ,for what is the great political maxim of government but the greatest good to the greatest number--in other words1 the voluntary sacrifice of the individual for the welfare of the ,commonwealth8 ,and where is that seen but in the ranks of the obscure and hidden1 the unknown and despised 7unknown and despised by themselves above all7 members of the ,catholic church40 ,i took the book down to the convent to show it to ,father ,sheehan4 ,to my question if he had ever met ,canon ,sheehan1 looking at me in that quizzical half smiling way that one regards a questioner when the information to be given far exceeds that asked1 he said3 8,yes1 ,i have met him4 ,i knew him1 and he was my cousin40 ,chapter ,,lxi ,,ecoivres ,april was passing quickly4 ,very early in the morning1 from the old trees about the convent1 one heard the sweet1 clear call of many birds2 the leaves were unfolding2 the fresh1 revivifying odors of new grass and early spring flowers were in the air4 ,all around us were signs of destruction by the ingenuity of man2 yet nature was steadfastly following her laws1 restoring1 expanding1 and quickening to new life--and cheering wonderfully many tired and war-weary men4 ,on all sides ,fritz was making advances1 but we were holding him at ,arras4 ,i made frequent visits to this ,city of the ,dead1 and every time ,i passed through its gates--,arras is a walled city--an appalling sense of loneliness gripped me4 ,only seventy people of the thirty thousand inhabitants remained2 and to see1 now and then1 a solitary civilian moving along the street1 or about some shattered dwelling-place1 only emphasized the awful stillness4 ,i visited the ruins of the great cathedral and saw the statue of ,our ,lady standing unscathed in her little side chapel4 ,i walked through the corridors of the shattered seminary1 where for many years young ,frenchmen had walked silently1 listening to the voice of the ,spirit of ,god1 forming them for the work of the holy ministry4 ,the young men who should now be here were in the trenches1 clad in the light-blue uniform of the soldiers of ,france4 ,not far from the seminary1 in the basement of their shattered convent1 lived two ,poor ,clare nuns who had remained to adore our ,divine ,lord on the altar4 ,i do not know how it had been arranged1 but there was ,perpetual ,adoration of the ,blessed ,sacrament in that poor cellar4 ,perhaps it was for this reason that the ,canadians held ,arras4 ,it was to these holy women of ,france that ,father ,sheehan made many visits1 carrying pieces of meat1 rolls of bread1 etc4 ,the quartermaster of the unit from which he drew rations was an ,irishman1 and many of the lads gladly stinted themselves so that he could lay by a little food for the ,poor ,clare ,sisters at ,arras4 ,then1 one day just after lunch1 orders came to move4 ,we were not going very far away--only to the little village of ,ecoivres at the base of ,mt4 ,st4 ,eloi1 about five or six kilometers distant4 ,i stayed with ,father ,sheehan for tea1 and at four o'clock left alone for ,ecoivres4 ,i had never been there before1 but ,father ,sheehan had given me minute directions and ,i knew ,i would have no difficulty finding the large chateau of the village4 ,i had not gone more than a mile on my way when ,i noticed shells dropping into many of the little villages that lay scattered over the green countryside before me4 ,i must pass through two of these villages before arriving at my destination4 ,i suspected some big attack on the part of the ,germans1 as it was their invariable custom to shell heavily the back areas ,in order to prevent us from bringing up fresh troops4 ,as ,i was revolving in my mind how pleasant it was going to be for me to run the gauntlet of fire1 ,i heard the terrifying shriek of a shell1 and as ,i turned1 was just in time to see a great black shell burst only a few feet behind me4 ,a group of men had been standing on the roadside but not one was hit4 ,i stood for a few moments dazed by the suddenness of it all1 my ears ringing from the terrible explosion1 while teams drawing general service wagons galloped noisily by and men ran like startled hares towards points of safety4 ,presently ,i continued my walk1 every nerve tense1 expecting another shell-burst4 ,none came1 however4 ,i passed through the two villages and no shell dropped near me till ,i came to the outskirts of ,ecoivres1 then shell after shell came screaming through the air1 exploding in the high bank that sloped up from the roadside4 ,a few soldiers coming behind me on bicycles dismounted and crouched low as each one tore its way across our road4 ,i felt sick1 dazed and frightened and whenever the others crouched1 ,i did also2 but we reached the little town in safety4 ,i passed the church1 which was untouched1 though many stone buildings about it were almost completely demolished4 ,then ,i came into the court before the chateau1 where a great number of soldiers were quartered4 ,it was an old chateau1 the ancestral home of a long line of ,french counts1 which had been commandeered early in the war4 ,the present owner1 however1 still had a room or two allotted to him4 ,i went up an old winding stairway and walked from the landing along the hall till ,i came to a great wide room where a number of officers of different battalions of my brigade stood talking in little groups4 ,they greeted me with true military friendliness1 but ,i could see that they were restless and ill at ease4 ,fritz had struck again and broken the ,british line1 taking many prisoners and great quantities of supplies4 ,and as the officers talked1 shells screamed into the village4 ,just before dinner ,george came to the mess and his face lighted up when he saw me4 ,he had come before me by a different route1 and some of his companions--although none of our own brigade--had been killed1 together with a number of horses4 ,there was in ,george's eye that hurt1 dazed look that ,i was to see so often in the eyes of men when the shells screamed by and took toll of their companions4 ,george told me ,i was to be billeted in a large room with a number of other officers4 ,while he was speaking1 however1 the billeting officer joined us to say that he had a fine billet for me2 it was a little hut outside in the grounds4 ,it had been reserved for the colonel1 but as he wished to remain in the chateau1 the billeting officer1 remembering that ,i preferred1 when possible1 to have a billet alone1 so that the men might the more easily come to see me1 had given me the little hut4 ,after dinner1 which was late that evening1 ,i went down through the chateau grounds1 crossed a bridge over a small river that ran through them and followed the road until ,i came to a little burlap hut built on the river bank under the willow trees1 that had just hung out their fresh green draperies4 ,and as ,i stood surveying my billet1 ,i became aware that the shelling had ceased2 the stars were coming out2 just the faintest rustle sounded among the tree-tops2 there was a very pleasant tinkle and gurgle from the running water2 from all around the wide green grounds came the low murmur of talking from groups of soldiers bivouacked here and there under the trees4 ,george came up presently with four or five letters and a box of caramels that had come with the ,canadian mail4 ,it was one of those strange interludes that came fairly often during the campaign1 when one actually forgot for a little while war and its gruesomeness4 ,in the morning1 after a very pleasant night's sleep by the softly running waters1 ,i went down to the parish church to say ,mass4 ,the cur was a large man and very kind2 evidently the billeting officer had tried to place me with him1 for he took great pains to explain to me that his house was extremely small1 and already it was full on account of the presence of some of his relations who had been evacuated from the ,arras area4 ,i told the cur how pleasantly ,i was situated1 and that the softly running water had sent me to sleep4 ,he smiled1 helped me to put on my vestments and then served my ,mass4 ,after ,mass1 as ,i made my thanksgiving before the altar1 ,i noticed on the ,gospel side a large alcove4 ,in it were five or six prie-dieux1 and a communion rail ran the width of it4 ,it was somewhat similar to a box in a theatre4 ,on the wall in the alcove opposite to where ,i knelt was a large copper slab bearing the inscription3 ,to the ,memory of ,m4 ,edward ,mary ,alexander ,viscount of ,brandt of ,calometz ,died in his castle of ,ecoivres the #ith4 ,october #ahid ,r4 ,i4 ,p4 ,i concluded that this was the part of the church where the people of the chateau came to assist at ,mass in the old days before ,france printed on her coins 8,liberty1 ,equality and ,fraternity40 ,i saw the present owner of the estate a few days later1 and ,i wondered if he sat in the alcove to assist at ,mass on ,sundays4 ,he was a tall1 heavily built man in old rough clothes1 and looked more like a laborer one would see sitting idly about the docks4 ,he had a large1 heavy red face and a thick black mustache4 ,when ,i saw him first he stood facing a pointed bayonet--though he kept at least three feet from the point--and an angry sentry at the entrance to the chateau was telling him in ,english that he could not enter4 ,the owner of the chateau1 still more angry than the guard1 shouted in ,french that he would enter2 that these were his grounds1 though his manner of putting in practice his words resembled more the advancing of a horse on a treadmill4 ,i was about to offer my services as interpreter and general peace-maker when an officer approached the angry guard and told him that it was the owner of the chateau whom he was keeping from entering4 ,the guard sprang to attention1 and as the angry owner entered his grounds looked after him sheepishly4 8,well1 ,holy ,moses60 he exclaimed4 ,chapter ,,lxii ,,ecurie ,,wood ,i had expected to stay at ,ecoivres for ,sunday1 and ,i had arranged with the cur for the soldiers' ,mass1 but on ,saturday orders came for us to move to ,ecurie ,wood4 ,it was not very far away1 about three miles4 ,my billet here was a corrugated iron hut1 barricaded without on all sides with sand-bags piled about three feet high and two wide4 ,there was no floor other than the natural earth4 ,the seat of a general service wagon1 that very likely had succumbed to ,fritz's shelling1 had been converted into a very serviceable chair2 on a high bedding of mud and rocks was placed horizontally an empty five-gallon gasoline tin1 from which pointed heavenwards1 through the low roof1 some homemade stove pipe4 ,there was no door on this improvised stove4 ,when ,i entered the hut a fire of charcoal and small pieces of wood glowed in the opening of the tin1 which the chair faced4 ,there was no church near us1 but there was a large moving-picture hut just about two hundred yards away where ,mass was said on ,sundays2 and only fifty yards from this was a small square tent1 with the words 8,catholic ,chapel0 painted in black on it1 where a priest was on duty every evening to hear confessions4 ,as there was no church near where the ,blessed ,sacrament was reserved1 ,i now began to carry ,our ,lord with me4 ,on ,monday ,i consecrated about two hundred particles in my small military ciborium1 and always1 day and night1 in the pocket of my tunic was the little ciborium where ,jesus dwelt4 ,and in the evenings ,i used to go down to the chapel-tent1 place the ciborium on a corporal spread out on the rough board table and1 saying a short prayer1 sit on an empty box to hear the confessions of the men who came4 ,we were in a very exposed territory and shells were continuously dropping into our area4 ,sometimes the shells would come so near us that ,i would sit on my box1 or kneel before the ,blessed ,sacrament1 trembling1 expecting each moment to be my last4 ,a great number of men were assembling in the ,ecurie ,wood area1 and ,i began to meet many old friends4 ,some of the lads who had come overseas with me were in battalions quartered nearby2 and just over the hill1 in the military cemetery of ,roclincourt1 ,lt4 ,lawlor1 one of my ,catholic officers and a very gallant soldier1 slept softly under his white cross4 ,the work at ,ecurie ,wood was very consoling3 wonderful things happened in that little white chapel-tent4 ,one night a great giant of a man stepped in1 and without any introduction said1 simply3 8,father1 ,i want to be christened40 ,i could not help laughing1 for in my mind always associated with the word 8christen0 were thoughts of tiny1 white-clad helpless babies being carried to the baptismal font4 ,but the big giant did not laugh4 ,it was a very serious matter for him4 ,i asked him to which religion he belonged4 ,he said he belonged to none1 but that his people had been ,presbyterians4 ,i commenced instructions and in a short time ,i had the great pleasure of baptizing him in the little tent4 ,sometimes men would come back to the sacraments after years of absence1 and it was wonderful to watch the effects of ,divine ,grace in their souls4 ,often they would come back to the tent to have a chat and to speak of some fellow with whom they were trying to share their own great happiness4 ,frequently a returned prodigal would say to me3 8,now1 ,father1 ,i have a lad outside who hasn't been to his duties for many years4 ,i got him to come down tonight4 ,i'm just telling you this1 ,father1 for he's got the #8wind up' pretty bad1 but ,i know you'll take him easy1 ,father40 ,then perhaps a big1 slow moving1 puzzled figure would step into the tent1 looking around mystified1 not knowing what to do next4 ,then ,i would beckon him to come and kneel down1 and then--,i would 8take him easy40 ,one night1 when ,i was sitting on my box1 a large one placed near me1 against which the men might kneel when telling their little story1 a man came rushing in and knelt so suddenly that he knocked over the larger box1 and then fell on it as it reached the ground4 ,i stood up quickly1 taking off my purple stole as ,i did so1 and as the poor fellow got slowly up ,i said3 8,what's the matter8 ,what's the matter80 ,he looked at me in a dazed sort of way1 and then over his shoulder towards the open flap of the tent4 8,i'm willing to go1 ,father10 he said4 8,i think you're a little too eager to go10 ,i said4 8,there's no need1 you know1 to knock over that box4 ,i put that there for men to kneel against40 8,well10 he replied1 8,i'm willing to go1 but ,i want a little time to get ready4 ,it's a long time since ,i was here before1 and ,i need a little time to overhaul my mind40 ,i could not help laughing1 though ,i felt there was something wrong somewhere4 8,well10 ,i said1 8what made you come in if you were not prepared80 ,again he looked over his shoulder1 and as he did the truth began to dawn upon me4 8,father10 he said1 8,i was pushed in40 8,kneel down10 ,i said1 8and take all the time you need1 and when you are ready just call me4 ,i am going outside for a while40 ,i went out and in a few minutes three figures came noiselessly over to where ,i was standing4 8,is he going to go1 ,father80 one of them asked4 8,he is10 ,i replied1 8but he needs a little time to prepare4 ,why did you send--,i should say push--him in before he was ready to go80 ,they then told me that it was fifteen years since the man had been to confession1 and that he had been bragging about not having been there for that length of time4 ,one of the number had told him three days before to prepare and on account of this they had thought him ready to go4 ,i think1 on the whole1 these lay apostles did excellent work2 still1 now and then1 there was an example of perhaps too great zeal4 ,father ,miles ,tompkins relates a story which perhaps showed a little overzeal4 ,he was walking with ,father ,mc,gillvary one day up and down before a little church of a village where troops were quartered when he noticed three khaki-clad figures coming towards them4 ,his first thought was that some poor fellow had imbibed too freely of 8vin blink0--the soldiers' name for the white wine--and that two charitable comrades were escorting him to his billet4 ,when1 however1 the soldiers drew nearer1 he saw that the man was not intoxicated1 though somewhat indignant at being hustled so unceremoniously by two comrades who did not bear the insignia of military police4 ,when they were within speaking distance ,father ,tompkins asked one of the escort what was the matter4 8,father10 they said1 as they looked at their struggling victim1 8this fellow wants to go to confession40 8,well10 said ,father ,tompkins1 8he does not look very much as if he wanted to go60 ,chapter ,,lxiii ,,the ,,different ,,dispensers ,the ,thirteenth and ,fifteenth ,battalions were at ,anzin1 a small village about three kilometers distant from ,ecurie ,wood4 ,there was a little brick church here with a great hole through the base of its tower4 ,i used to go down there on my bicycle early ,sunday mornings and hear confessions while ,father ,pickett1 of the ,first ,divisional ,artillery1 said ,mass for my lads4 ,then ,i would ride back to ,ecurie ,wood and say ,mass at half-past ten for the ,fourteenth and ,sixteenth4 ,there were now three other priests quartered at ,ecurie ,wood and these would hear confessions during my ,mass4 ,in the evenings the priests would assemble in my hut--for1 it seemed1 ,i had the best billet in the area--and talk over many things4 ,it was not often so many chaplains were together1 and ,i1 for one1 enjoyed these pleasant evenings in the little hut before the blazing fire4 ,it was a very dangerous area1 however2 shells were dropping all over the camp and there was great loss of life4 ,one morning on awakening from a very sound sleep a shell came shrieking through the air1 then the deafening explosion as it struck just outside my hut4 ,i waited1 scarcely breathing1 for the next1 but no more came4 ,when ,i was dressed1 ,i stepped off the distance from my hut to where the shell had struck4 ,it was just thirteen steps4 ,they were beginning to come very near6 ,those gatherings of chaplains in my corrugated iron hut there on the ,western ,front were unique4 ,i often used to think of it in the evenings as we talked1 or when some chaplain read excerpts from a ,canadian paper that had come from home4 ,it was this--that while we talked away so casually about the ordinary daily affairs of the world1 in the pocket of every one present dwelt humbly ,our ,eucharistic ,lord in his little home1 the ciborium4 ,one afternoon while ,i was sitting in my hut1 alternately reading my book and looking into the fire1 a knock sounded on the door and a young officer walked in1 smiling broadly4 ,he was a lieutenant in the artillery4 ,i had known him when he was a little boy and ,i was in senior philosophy at college4 ,i had not seen him for ten years till ,i met him at the front4 ,after we had talked for a while1 he asked me if he could go to confession4 ,i put on my purple stole and sat down on the large general service wagon seat1 while he knelt down on the earth floor--over which at times ,i saw worms moving--and he began his little tale4 ,often1 in our old college days1 when ,i was walking slowly on the track of the athletic field he had come running up quickly behind me1 given me a punch on the back1 and then had skipped ahead of me1 smiling pleasantly as he waited for me to catch up to him4 ,now he knelt humbly on the earth and confessed his sins1 and ,i1 with all the powers of the priesthood1 absolved him6 ,it was with great joy in my heart that ,i arranged my little portable altar on a box1 spread out the clean white corporal and gave him ,holy ,communion4 ,after ,i had closed the altar and the young lieutenant had finished his thanksgiving1 we sat on the seat4 ,he was the first to speak4 8,father10 he said1 8these are strange times we are living in40 ,i agreed with him1 and among other things thought of the shell that had dropped just thirteen steps from where we sat2 but he was not thinking of shells4 8,three weeks ago10 he said1 8,i was in ,rome on leave1 and on ,easter ,sunday all the ,catholic officers in the city had permission to assist at ,mass in the ,sistine ,chapel and receive ,holy ,communion from the hand of ,pope ,benedict ,,xv1 amidst great splendor and solemnity4 ,today1 kneeling on the earth1 ,i received ,our ,lord in this little corrugated iron hut on the ,western ,front60 ,i did not speak for awhile2 some strange emotion held me silent as ,i visualized the two scenes4 ,easter in ,rome1 in one of the most beautiful chapels in the world1 the ,pope in the richest vestments1 assisted by many priests1 giving ,holy ,communion4 ,then1 a small1 dark hut1 with not even a window in it1 and no covering over the clay floor1 the priest in a wrinkled khaki uniform and heavy trench boots1 his only vestment a small white stole worn over his tunic--yet1 in each case ,jesus had come to the young officer6 ,chapter ,,lxiv ,,incapacitated ,the work at ,ecurie ,wood was most consoling1 but the shelling was incessant and we were having many funerals in the military cemetery down the hill at ,roclincourt4 ,the ,fourteenth ,battalion suffered most4 ,early one morning a shell burst in the headquarters hut1 wounding the colonel1 killing the second in command and the adjutant1 and disabling other officers and privates4 ,the whole camp was under observation and ,fritz was doing deadly work4 ,one ,sunday morning1 as ,i prepared for the ,holy ,sacrifice1 ,i seemed to feel much better than ,i had felt for some time2 and as ,i preached1 the words came quickly and without any great effort4 ,i wondered why ,i should feel so well4 ,but after ,mass1 as ,i walked back to my hut after having seen so many of those wonderful lads receive ,holy ,communion1 ,i raised my hand to my forehead2 it was very warm and the day was cool--in fact1 a fine mist of rain was falling4 ,i now began to feel slightly dizzy and more inclined to rest on my camp bed than to drink my cup of tea4 ,george came in1 looked at me once1 placed the cup of tea beside me on the seat1 looked at me again1 and then told me ,i didn't look very well4 ,i told him ,i did not feel very well4 ,both agreed that ,i would be better in bed1 so ,i went4 ,the corporal of the stretcher-bearers came in1 shook his little thermometer1 looked at it1 shook it again1 then told me to open my mouth4 ,he placed it under my tongue4 ,then1 while ,i looked at the ceiling of the hut1 he waited4 8,one hundred and two10 said the corporal4 8,is that high80 ,i asked1 for ,i could not remember ever having my temperature taken before4 8,high enough10 he said4 ,then he told me ,i had a malady that was becoming very prevalent in the army4 ,he did not know what to call it4 ,later1 it was called the 8flu40 ,i remained in bed for nearly a week1 and it was one of the finest weeks ,i spent in the army2 so many officers and men came into the little hut to see me4 ,i was just beginning to understand the charity of the army4 ,just as ,i was getting about again the ,fifty-first ,division of ,scotch ,highlanders came into our area4 ,this was the division that had met almost every advance of the enemy1 so that even the ,germans themselves could not but admire them4 ,a sergeant in one of the battalions of the division possessed a paper for which he had refused six pounds3 for the paper had been dropped into their lines from a ,german airplane1 and this is what was written on it3 8,good old ,fifty-first still sticking it6 ,cheerio60 ,chapter ,,lxv ,,anzin ,,and ,,monchy ,,breton ,the ,fifty-first 8took over0 from us and we went to ,anzin4 ,here it was much quieter and the battalion prepared to rest4 ,i took charge of the village church1 for ,i was the only chaplain in the area4 ,the first day ,i swept it out and dusted the altar and sanctuary rail4 ,the next morning ,i said ,mass1 and after ,mass a little sanctuary lamp twinkled softly before the altar4 ,the ,guest had come6 ,there was a beautiful statue of ,our ,lady in the church1 and as it was her month ,i decorated it as well as ,i could4 ,a long walk by the ,scarpe ,river1 which flowed its narrow though very pretty way through ,anzin1 brought me to the grounds of what had once been a very fine country residence1 now terribly battered from shell-fire4 ,the road that led to it sloped up from the river1 and as ,i walked along it1 this beautiful ,may day1 from the dark recesses of the trees came the repeated solitary call of the cuckoo4 ,i stopped to listen4 ,the whole countryside seemed very quiet and peaceful1 save for the faint rumble1 from far away1 of our guns4 ,though the grounds were pitted in different places with old shell-holes1 many flowers grew in the garden4 ,i picked some white lilacs1 although the season for these was now growing late1 and a large bunch of ,parma violets4 ,it was very quiet and still there in the old ,french garden1 but ,i could hear ,german shells whining through the air and dropping in a little village not very far away4 ,somewhere along the line battles were being fought1 and ,i supposed the ,british were losing ground and that many men were being taken prisoners4 ,up to this time we ,canadians had not lost any men as prisoners and had given no ground except a mile in depth near ,neuville-,vitasse when we found ourselves placed in a very dangerous position by the general retreat of ,british troops1 which in some places was more than twenty miles in depth4 ,towards the end of ,may good news came to us4 ,we were going back to rest4 ,and it was to be a long rest1 among green fields1 far from the sound of the guns and the sights of the battlefield4 ,it was ,saturday when we arrived in our rest billets after a long march through a peaceful countryside4 ,my battalions were scattered in four different villages and ,i was very busy ,saturday afternoon arranging for ,masses4 ,up to this time our rest billets had been always in mining towns or districts1 but now we had come to one of the most beautiful countrysides ,i had ever seen4 ,open1 unfenced farmlands stretched before us1 while here and there clumps of ancient wide-spreading trees1 almost hiding from view the little white-walled1 red-roofed houses beneath them1 rose as dark-green islands in a light-green sea4 ,the memory of that ,saturday afternoon is very vivid with me yet4 ,it had been a warm day and the long1 dusty march had been most fatiguing4 ,i was finding some difficulty in arranging hours for ,masses1 and towards three o'clock ,i dismounted from my bicycle1 sat by the roadside and wiped my forehead4 ,everything was intensely quiet2 a ,sabbath-day stillness was over all the land4 ,it seemed more like a beautiful dream than a reality4 ,for months ,i had been in the gruesome atmosphere of war1 gazing on broken villages1 torn roads and ruined farmlands1 walking always in danger and 8in the shadow of death0 through a country utterly desolate1 and foully marred by the ingenuity of men4 ,now my eye was being filled with the beauty of all things around me1 of the wonderful things of ,god4 ,i picked a wild flower of a variety that grew in profusion along the roadside4 ,it was about one-third the size of a morning-glory and somewhat similar in shape4 ,it was white1 and so delicate that it seemed almost transparent4 ,as ,i gazed on its wonderful formation1 my mind dwelt on ,god and all the beautiful things ,he had created2 then my thoughts were of the soul and then of my men4 ,presently the plan of my sermon for the following day was mentally outlined4 ,it was twelve o'clock ,saturday night when ,i finished my work4 ,chapter ,,lxvi ,a ,,new ,,sheep ,i awoke the next morning to the sweet sounds of singing birds2 to the glorious view of fresh green fields and peaceful lanes4 ,i rode about three miles on my bicycle to a hamlet called ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles where ,i said ,mass at nine o'clock for the ,thirteenth ,battalion1 which was quartered here1 and a great number of the ,french civilian population4 ,the cur of the parish was a soldier in the ,french army and was on duty in a large military hospital at ,st4 ,paul1 about fifteen miles away4 ,i made arrangements to be at the parish church certain evenings in the week for confessions4 ,after this ,mass ,i rode four miles further to ,ostreville1 where ,i said ,mass for the ,fourteenth1 which was quartered here4 ,the men were all there when ,i arrived4 ,i found them sitting in the cemetery under century-old trees or along the low stone fence4 ,i preached the same sermon that ,i had preached for the ,thirteenth and it made a remarkable impression upon them4 ,first ,i spoke to them briefly of the awful scenes we had been witnessing for some time2 then ,i dwelt on the wonderful beauty and peace all around us4 ,god had made the whole world beautiful2 we had seen how foully men had marred it4 ,but ,god's masterpiece of beauty was our own soul1 and each one of us knew just how much we had marred that beauty4 ,then ,i told those lads that perhaps there were some amongst us who had stained greatly their immortal souls1 who had done things for which certain of their friends might despise them1 might turn them down4 ,but ,god1 in ,his infinite love1 would not turn them down4 ,god was ready to receive them1 to blot out all their iniquities1 to cleanse them1 to make their souls beautiful again4 ,as ,i continued1 ,i saw a wonderful sight4 ,i saw tears in the eyes of big1 strong men1 ,i saw them bowing their heads as they reached for their khaki handkerchiefs4 ,it was one of the strangest and sweetest experiences ,i had in the war4 ,after ,mass1 when ,i had got just beyond the village1 ,i dismounted1 sat on the side of the road and began to eat the luncheon ,i had brought--some sandwiches of cheese and jam and a water-bottle full of cocoa4 ,rye was growing all about me1 and it was yet dark green in color4 ,after ,i had finished my luncheon1 ,i stood up to measure it1 and found that it was almost as tall as ,i4 ,it must have been at least five feet in height4 ,two or three weeks later ,i walked along a path through a field of rye which was so high that ,i could see only the stalks on either side of me and the heads just above me4 ,on ,monday ,i learned that we were out for a long rest4 ,our program included drilling in the mornings and games in the afternoon4 ,from the nature of the drilling it was clear to all of us that we were training for an attack on ,fritz4 ,part of the morning the men followed the tanks that clanked their ungainly way through beautiful fields of rye and wheat4 ,we did not know till ,august why they were so ruthlessly destroyed4 ,one evening while ,i was sitting in the very small room which was my billet1 a stout1 red-faced soldier in a rather soiled uniform came in to see me4 ,he saluted and ,i waited for him to state his business4 8,father10 he said1 8,i should like to become a ,catholic40 8,going to be married80 ,i questioned4 ,an amused smile stole quietly over his face as he replied3 8,no1 ,father4 ,i am already married and have five children40 ,then it was my turn to smile4 ,i had judged him to be about twenty-two or twenty-three1 but now ,i noticed that his hair was turning grey about the temples4 ,i asked him to sit down1 which he did1 after removing his military cap4 ,then ,i saw that he was quite bald4 ,we commenced instructions1 and as the days went by ,i found him very quick to understand the different things ,i explained4 ,now and then he would ask such intelligent questions that ,i would start involuntarily4 ,at last ,i asked him what he did in civil life4 8,i am a solicitor1 ,father10 he said quietly4 ,i was very much surprised4 ,it had never occurred to me that the soldier sitting before me in his greasy uniform was a lawyer4 ,on ,june #gth1 in the little church of ,monchy ,breton1 ,i baptized him and received him into the church4 ,chapter ,,lxvii ,,notre ,,dame ,d',,ardennes ,the soldiers greatly enjoyed the rest in this lovely district4 ,it was very pleasant to bicycle through the country lanes to quaint churches where ,catholic lads waited in the evening to go to confession4 ,when ,i heard confessions for the ,thirteenth at ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles1 ,i often stopped in the presbytery for tea4 ,the mother and father of the cur lived there4 ,perhaps ,i should not say tea1 for it was always milk and bread and honey that the kind old people gave me4 ,they had their own apiary in the beautiful garden4 ,the priest's old father was very interesting and ,i enjoyed greatly the stories he told me while he sipped his wine and ,i drank my milk from the large white cup4 ,he had lived in ,arras before the war and was eager to hear what ,i had to tell him of my experiences there4 ,i recall how anxiously he inquired about the church of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes1 whether it had been struck4 ,i did not know all the churches of ,arras by name1 but ,i was very sorry to say that ,i thought nearly every one had been struck by the ,germans4 ,i could recall but one1 which ,i had passed frequently on my way to the railway station 7,gare du ,nord71 that had not been struck4 ,i went on to describe it--a large red-brick building4 8,that's it6 ,that's it60 he cried4 8,it's the ,church of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes40 ,the old man's eyes brightened as he spoke4 8,well10 ,i said1 8if that is the ,church of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes1 you need not worry1 for it is still standing intact40 ,the old lady1 who sat near me1 her hand near enough to the jug of milk to replenish my cup almost as fast as ,i made room in it for more milk1 exchanged looks with her husband1 and although neither spoke for a while1 there was such significance in their glances that ,i felt eager to hear the history of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes4 ,i did not have to wait long1 for presently the old man began to speak4 ,as ,i listened1 ,i held the palm of my hand spread wide over the top of my cup1 for there was still plenty of milk left1 and the kind old mother of the priest was beaming with hospitality2 but ,i felt ,i could not drink all the milk in the jug6 ,during the fourth century--to be exact1 in the year #cga--there had been a severe famine in ,arras4 ,the people1 being very pious1 had recourse to prayer and in answer to their supplications manna fell from heaven4 8,the sacred ,manna10 as it was called1 was gathered by the people and for a long time some of it was kept and venerated by the people of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes4 ,then there was 8the holy candle10 kept in the ,church of ,notre ,dame d',ardennes4 ,during a severe epidemic in the year #aaje this wax candle had been sent from heaven to ,bishop ,lambert4 ,after it had burned for some time1 the plague stopped4 ,i had seen many strange things on the ,western ,front1 so that ,i wondered not that ,notre ,dame d',ardennes was unscathed4 ,during those beautiful ,june days from after ,mass till three o'clock1 p4 m41 ,i had not much to do4 ,i usually read books or wrote a little1 while ,i sat under the tall trees in the open field behind the house where ,i was billeted4 ,one afternoon while ,i was reading under the trees a young officer in the tartan of the ,sixteenth came up to see me4 ,he was a fine looking young fellow and had but lately returned to the battalion after a long absence4 ,he was very downhearted and1 although not a ,catholic1 had come to have a talk with me4 7,non-,catholics often came to have a talk with me47 ,he was a captain and had come back expecting to hold his old position in the battalion4 ,but1 at times1 promotion is rapid in the army and he found that men who were his subordinates when he went away were now of equal or superior rank4 ,his position was now held by one who had come through many conflicts4 ,there was no work for him to do4 ,he felt a stranger among these new officers4 ,he was returning to the officers' reserve4 ,i listened quietly till he had told me all his troubles4 ,sometimes it is a relief to have some one listen when one's heart is weighed down1 but ,i am afraid ,i did not say very much that could help him4 ,had ,i possessed the gift of foresight1 ,i could have told this anxious young officer that before three months the officers' ranks would be so thinned that orders would come to him to report for duty immediately at the front4 ,but ,i did not know then that about the end of ,september ,i was to meet him again1 coming up a shell-swept road in a terribly devastated countryside1 with the eager smile of a boy on his fine young face4 ,just beyond where ,i was billeted stood a large wooden structure that was being used by the ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a4 as a moving-picture theatre4 ,in the army the name given to these places of amusement was 8cinema40 ,during the day the concert party of the ,sixteenth was practicing a play1 entitled 8,a ,little ,bit of ,shamrock10 one of the chief characters of which was a priest4 ,george had spoken to me of the play1 for he had seen one or two practices4 ,now1 ,i had seen a play staged by this very cast some time before in which was portrayed a minister1 a most effeminate character1 whose chief mission1 it seemed1 was to display a very great ignorance of life in general4 ,the amusement for the audience was furnished by him as often as he was shocked or scandalized4 ,the actor who had taken the part of the minister was now to take the part of the priest4 ,i went to the director of the company1 who was an officer from the ,second ,division1 and told him quietly that ,i had seen the play his company had put on before1 and that ,i had not admired his clergyman1 though ,i thought the actor had done excellent work4 ,i hoped the character of the priest in the forthcoming play would not be like that4 ,the director looked at me1 and ,i liked the bright smile that spread over his pleasant face4 8,don't worry1 ,padre10 he said4 8,i think you will like ,father ,o',flynn4 ,i have a lot of friends who are priests4 ,i like them4 ,i always like to talk to priests of your church1 ,padre4 ,they are--they are--oh1--so human1 ,padre40 ,and then he smiled a guileless smile1 so that ,i understood that by #8human' the young officer had meant something complimentary4 ,many days were to pass before ,i should see the play4 ,chapter ,,lxviii ,,the ,,procession ,sunday within the octave of ,corpus ,christi was a beautiful day4 ,just before ,i began ,mass for the ,thirteenth at ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles the father of ,m4 le ,cur came in to see me4 ,the usual great procession of the ,blessed ,sacrament had been planned1 but word had come from the parish priest that he could not be present for ,mass1 and that very likely he would not be able to reach the church in time for the procession1 which was to start at half-past three in the afternoon4 ,if ,m4 le ,cur could not come1 would ,m4 l',aumonier have the goodness1 if it would not inconvenience him too much1 to carry le ,bon ,dieu in the procession8 ,i assured the good people that ,i would be only too pleased to have the great honor of carrying the ,blessed ,sacrament in their procession4 ,they promised to send a messenger to let me know whether or not the cur would come for the procession1 as they would have definite word by twelve o'clock4 ,at one o'clock1 while ,i was taking lunch1 a messenger arrived from ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles saying that ,m4 le ,cur could not come for the procession1 and that the whole parish respectfully requested me to carry the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,when ,i reached the village for a second time that day1 ,i found all along the way evidences of great preparations4 ,on each side of the road approaching the church1 for a long distance1 at intervals of about twenty feet1 saplings of different trees had been placed so that they appeared to be growing there4 ,little girls1 robed in white1 were flitting along the road1 some carrying banners1 others holding decorated baskets of cut flowers4 ,from one side of the road a narrow lane1 arched darkly by old trees1 led to a brightly decorated altar under a large ,calvary4 ,just opposite the orderly room of the ,thirteenth1 where the road turned down to the village church1 a high green arch had been erected1 and on either side appeared in silver letters the words1 8,panis ,angelicus40 ,alongside the arch was built another repository4 ,while ,i was admiring this1 for there was yet much time1 the adjutant of the ,thirteenth came down from the orderly room and asked me the meaning of all the great preparations4 ,when ,i explained as briefly as possible what was going to take place1 he seemed surprised that ,i was going to take part in the procession4 ,he wondered how it happened that ,i should know what to do among these strange people4 ,the people were strange1 but the religion was not4 ,at half-past three1 sharp1 the procession left the church4 ,it was led by a white-surpliced1 red-cinctured sanctuary boy1 carrying the processional cross4 ,behind him walked about a dozen confrres similarly clad2 then came the young boys of the parish1 with white ribbons on their arms4 ,a lad perhaps eleven years of age followed1 clad in the skins of animals and carrying a small cross on which were the words 8,ecce ,agnus ,dei40 ,the little girls1 in snow-white dresses1 came next1 and a few feet behind the column walked a young girl of perhaps fifteen or sixteen1 wearing a long cream-colored dress with white1 gold-bordered wings coming out from her shoulders2 a band of gold encircled her head1 to which was attached a gold star which shone above her forehead2 her right hand was raised and the index finger pointed always towards the sky4 ,then came four young girls in white carrying on a pedestal the statue of ,our ,lady1 and four others1 bearing on high the statue of the ,sacred ,heart4 ,the women of the parish1 most of them wearing a kind of light-blue badge1 were next1 followed by the men of the parish1 with here and there the blue uniform of a ,french soldier home on leave4 ,a few khaki-clad lads also walked1 but ,i think they were strangers4 7,i wondered where my lads of the ,thirteenth were47 ,then came the choir of middle-aged men singing hymns that today were being sung over all the world1 8,lauda ,sion ,salvatoris10 8,pange ,lingua0 and 8,panis ,angelicus40 ,behind these walked six little girls strewing flowers in the way and two sanctuary boys swinging censers4 ,lastly1 came four old men1 no caps on their venerable heads1 bearing on high the white and gold canopy over ,jesus ,host in the great gold monstrance1 carried by a ,canadian priest in the beautiful ,benediction vestments4 ,the vari-colored procession went slowly down the village street1 banners carried aloft and the beautiful old ,eucharistic hymns sounding on the summer air1 while very old people and others who for one reason or another could not take part in the procession knelt reverently in the dust on the roadside1 as ,jesus passed4 ,then something happened that had never before happened in that little village during a procession of the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,lining each side of the road for quite a distance were men of the ,thirteenth ,battalion1 ,catholic and ,protestant1 and as the procession moved slowly along in all the sweet simplicity of the deep faith of these ,french peasants1 the soldiers stood reverently to attention4 ,i felt proud of these lads4 ,we had met together in many strange places2 but ,i am sure ,i shall never forget those gay1 light-hearted lads standing so quietly and reverently as we passed--,jesus and ,i6 ,chapter ,,lxix ,,on ,,leave ,i had now been in ,france about one year and had had no 8leave40 ,during this period of the war officers were entitled to leave every six months4 ,i had not applied when the first six months were up1 as ,i was too busy at the time4 ,now ,i had applied and daily ,i was awaiting my warrant4 ,the ,sunday following the procession ,i had just returned home after ,mass when a runner from headquarters arrived to tell me that my warrant had come from brigade headquarters and that if ,i would call at the battalion orderly room and sign the necessary papers1 ,i could procure it4 ,i left a little place called ,tinques at five o'clock and although the distance was only fifty miles1 it was six o'clock the following morning when we arrived at ,boulogne4 ,the 8,pullman0 was of the side-door variety2 sometimes it held eight horses and at other times forty men4 ,it seemed to me1 as we sat so closely packed on the floor of the car1 as if there were more than forty of us4 ,i sat the whole night long with my chin almost resting on my knees4 ,it would not do to stand1 for the space thus made would be quickly filled1 so that it would be almost impossible to sit down again4 ,although many miles away from the sound of the guns and cheered1 furthermore1 by the thought of fourteen days' leave1 ,i have always felt that that night-ride was one of the hardest of the war1 for sitting in that cramped position became actually painful4 ,i longed to stretch my limbs1 but this was impossible4 ,it was cold in the car1 for the doors were kept open so that we could have air4 ,it is almost incredible how that boxcar bumped us about4 ,but even through these hardships we were compelled to laugh from time to time at some witty joke or at some incident that was funny1 though not meant to be so4 ,once quite an altercation arose between an officer and a private2 the officer was accusing the soldier of actually putting his feet in the officer's face4 ,the soldier thus accused was protesting in a very high-pitched voice3 8,they ain't my feet6 ,they ain't my feet60 ,everybody was laughing4 ,then came the gruff voice of the officer1 demanding3 8,well1 whose feet are they80 ,but nobody seemed to know whose feet they were4 ,chapter ,,lxx ,,st4 ,,michael',s ,,club ,st4 ,michael's ,club1 #ch ,grosvenor ,gardens1 ,london1 was an ideal hostel for priests1 as it was open only to men in ,holy ,orders4 ,before the war it had been the city residence of ,lady ,lovat4 ,but shortly after the commencement of hostilities it had been rented from her by the ,duchess of ,norfolk and very kindly given over as a club for priests4 ,though there were many chaplains in the building when ,i arrived1 ,i was lucky enough to secure an airy room4 ,i actually felt like a boy as ,i took off my haversack and flung it on the bed1 after the hall porter had left the room4 ,it seemed so good to think that for fourteen days the danger of being shot or blown up by shell was very remote4 ,then there were many friends and brother priests in the house1 and outside the door was ,london1 and in ,london there were lots of bookshops1 and to a booklover this meant bliss4 ,the cathedral was but ten minutes' walk from the club1 but we had our own little chapel in the building1 and the chaplains had the privilege of saying ,mass there4 ,in the smoking-room1 which was on the ground floor1 there were many large and deep-cushioned armchairs that were very comfortable4 ,there was a big open fire-place and whenever the weather was damp or gloomy outside in the ,london streets a bright fire burned in it2 one could count on there being a fire very often4 ,sometimes in the evenings it would be very quiet in the great wide room1 as the priests sat around reading the evening papers1 the only sounds being the occasional crackle of a newspaper1 as it was turned1 and the purring of the fire4 ,from outside could be heard faintly the dull roar of the city1 made up of a medley of sounds3 the rumbling of great elephantine busses that bumped along the streets2 the whir of hundreds of taxis spinning along over the pavement1 the rattle of wagons and squeaking of innumerable horns4 ,now and then the house would shake very slightly1 though perceptibly1 as far below the basement the cars of the underground railway whizzed through the tubes4 ,i stayed at the club for four or five days and enjoyed very much the time spent there4 ,bishop ,fallon1 a ,canadian prelate1 whose diocese was ,london1 ,ontario1 was staying at the club4 ,he had but recently returned from a visit to the ,canadian soldiers at the front and was soon to go to ,rome4 ,i met there1 also1 the chaplain-general to the ,new ,york state forces1 ,monsignor ,james ,n4 ,connolly4 ,he was a most lovable man and ,i enjoyed talking to him in the evening4 ,he was vicar-general to the ,catholic chaplain-bishop4 ,he gave me his address1 ,hotel ,castiglione1 ,paris1 and told me to call on him if ,i ever visited that city4 ,staying at the club were ,irish1 ,english1 ,scotch1 ,american1 ,australian1 ,new ,zealand and ,canadian priests4 ,and of all the chaplains ,i found the ,americans the finest4 ,they were lovable1 friendly1 broad-minded men2 one needed only to be in the room a few seconds till he was on speaking terms with the ,american priest4 ,there was a certain friendliness about him that was irresistible4 8,i'm ,father ,whalen1 from ,dubuque1 ,father10 or1 8,i'm ,father ,joyce from naval headquarters in ,london1 ,father10 or1 8,i'm ,father ,waring from ,new ,york ,city1 ,father10 would greet you on meeting for the first time one of these priests4 ,whereas an ,english priest would look at you coldly1 and perhaps say in a chilly voice3 8,good-evening1 ,father40 ,father ,knox came up from ,bramshott and invited me down4 ,he said he had a surprise for me4 ,i wondered what it was4 ,shortly after seeing ,father ,knox ,i received an invitation to spend a few days at ,anthony ,place1 ,hindhead1 ,surrey1 the country home of ,agnes and ,egerton ,castle1 co-authors of many books4 ,hindhead was only about three miles from ,bramshott4 ,i had visited ,anthony ,place while there4 ,i promised ,father ,knox to visit ,bramshott from ,hindhead4 ,chapter ,,lxxi ,,parkminster ,,again ,father ,knox returned to ,bramshott the following morning and in the afternoon ,i left for ,parkminster4 ,the life at the front had been one of such excitement and turmoil and frequent changes that ,i longed for quiet and peace4 ,the very day ,i left for ,parkminster ,bishop ,fallon and party left by auto for ,oxford ,university4 ,they had invited me to accompany them1 but ,i had already made arrangements to revisit ,parkminster and did not wish to change my program4 ,i shall always feel sorry1 however1 not only that ,i missed seeing ,oxford ,university1 but also that ,i lost the opportunity of meeting a number of priests whose names were then famous in the literary world1 among them ,fathers ,martindale1 ,plater and ,ricaby4 ,it was a beautiful afternoon when ,i walked up the winding drive that led to the gates of the monastery4 ,this time ,i was greeted as an old friend4 ,but the aged monk who had been ,retreat ,master on my former visit did not appear this time4 ,he had been succeeded by an alert young ,english priest who1 ,i think1 had but lately come to the monastery4 ,i missed greatly the dear old priest with whom ,i had made my former retreat4 ,this time ,i did not settle down to the deep quiet of the monastery4 ,the year at the front had done its work too well1 and ,i now experienced the effects of that tension which all who have taken part in the ,world ,war know so well4 ,a strange restlessness possessed me1 and ,i felt a distinct relief when my time was up4 ,but a little surprise was awaiting me4 ,i was told1 when about to leave1 that the prior wished to see me1 and so ,i waited in the parlor till he came4 ,he was a very tall man and ,i think had he followed the routine of life that ordinary mortals follow he would have been fat4 ,but now he was slight4 ,he was from ,france1 but had been at ,parkminster a number of years4 ,he enquired about my work and ,i related some of my military experiences4 ,he took a great interest in all ,i told him1 and agreed with me that the war1 terrible as it was1 was bringing many souls back to ,god4 ,when ,i told him of the procession of the ,blessed ,sacrament at ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles his eyes opened wide and he looked at me strangely1 so that for a second or two ,i became just a little perturbed4 8,where10 he asked quickly1 8did this procession take place80 as if he felt he had not heard aright4 8,at ,bailleul-aux-,cornailles10 ,i repeated4 ,then he sat back in his chair and the tense look went out of his face and he regarded me smilingly4 8,why10 he said1 8that is my own parish4 ,it was there ,i was born60 ,it was now my turn to be surprised1 and ,i am afraid ,i did not pay very much attention to his words as he continued speaking4 ,i just sat there quietly wondering at the strange things that take place up and down the ways of the world4 ,chapter ,,lxxii ,,another ,,surprise ,from ,parkminster ,i went to ,hindhead and ,i was delighted with the cordial reception given me by ,mr4 and ,mrs4 and ,miss ,castle4 ,their home1 almost hidden from the road1 looked down into a valley1 and then away across a moor that stretched up and over a long1 high hill4 ,i was not the only guest in the house4 ,there was a private chapel upstairs1 and they had been given the rare privilege of having the ,blessed ,sacrament reserved in the little tabernacle4 ,here ,i said ,mass each morning for the household1 and nearly all went to ,holy ,communion4 ,the following morning ,i went up to ,bramshott to see ,father ,knox4 ,he had now a beautiful chapel built near the ,c4 ,w4 ,l4 hut1 under the patronage of ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul2 so now the ,catholics were no longer obliged to use the garrison church hut4 ,after ,i had talked with him for a while1 he told me to go alone to the hospital1 which was just a few hundred feet away4 ,somebody wished to see me in ,ward #ah1 bed #bj4 8,you will see what you will see10 said ,father ,knox enigmatically1 as he followed me to the door4 ,this is what ,i saw after ,i had entered ,ward #ah and had walked a few steps down the aisle4 ,a young fellow was sitting up in bed #bj1 his finger marking the place in a little black book with red edges1 his eyes smiling a friendly greeting4 ,but who was he8 ,i approached still nearer4 ,then ,i recognized him4 ,it was the ,spanish lad who had come to ,father ,knox's room about one year and a half before to tell him that he had lost the faith and was no longer a ,catholic4 ,he seemed glad to see me and held my hand after he had shaken it4 ,i also was very pleased to see him1 for the strained look that ,i had noticed when ,i first met him had gone from his eyes1 and instead there was a look of real joy there4 ,the little book he held in his hand was 8,the ,imitation of ,christ40 8,it is all right6 ,it is all right60 he kept repeating1 as he smiled up into my face4 8,i have gone to communion4 ,i have made peace4 ,i am very glad40 ,i1 too1 was very glad4 ,i had thought of him often and had asked other priests to bring him back4 ,and here he was now1 safe in his ,father's house6 ,the strayed sheep had come back into the fold4 ,not for a long time had ,i felt so happy6 ,i remember now1 as ,i returned to ,anthony ,place that day1 while walking along a secluded part of the way1 twirling my cane around my fingers as the drum major does at the head of a procession4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii ,,back ,,to ,,the ,,battalion ,the men were never told on coming back from leave where they might find their battalion2 and when the troops were on the move often a soldier was put to very great inconvenience trying to reach his unit4 ,i1 however1 was in great good luck1 for just at the base of ,mount ,st4 ,eloi1 while the train stopped1 ,i noticed some of the soldiers of the ,sixteenth standing near by4 ,i called one of them and asked the whereabouts of the battalion4 8,just over here in ,ecoivres1 sir10 he said4 ,i stepped out of the train and in twenty minutes was sitting in the transport mess talking of my leave4 ,i had found my friends in ,england somewhat downhearted1 which was but natural considering the great losses the ,british army had sustained during the recent ,german advances4 ,on all sides one heard only gloomy forebodings as to future attacks4 ,but back again among the gruesome scenes of devastation and ruin1 ,i was struck more than ever by the buoyancy and light-heartedness of the troops4 ,here were no gloomy forebodings1 but on all sides were friendly faces and the air was merry with sounds of whistling1 singing1 bugle calls1 practicing bands1 and good-natured banter4 ,of one thing ,i felt sure--old 8,major ,gloom0 did not belong to the ,third ,canadian ,brigade6 ,after ,i had talked awhile with the quartermaster and transport officer1 my mail was brought in4 ,it was very large1 the accumulation of two weeks4 ,it was a long while before ,i had finished reading all the letters4 ,the transport officer had gone outside1 but the quartermaster was in the room adjoining the mess1 from which came now and then little explosions of partly suppressed laughter4 ,and whilst ,i read my letters ,i wondered what was the cause of the mirth4 ,in a little while the quartermaster came out of the room and stopped in passing to ask me if ,i had ever read 8,seventeen0 by ,booth ,tarkington4 ,indeed1 ,i had1 and ,i wondered no longer why sounds of laughter had drifted out to me4 ,among my letters were a few edged in black4 ,one of these1 heavily crossed by a blue pencil1 was registered1 and when ,i opened it a ten-dollar bill dropped to the table4 ,i had been accustomed to receiving many letters edged in black1 answers to those ,i had written to next of kin at home1 telling them of the death of dear ones1 and how they had been prepared to meet ,god4 ,it was not often1 however1 that they came registered4 ,but as ,i read the letter ,i forgot altogether that a ten-dollar bill had dropped from it and was now lying on the table4 ,the letter was from the wife of ,captain ,waud1 the young officer who had fallen at the head of his men--he who had knelt so reverently with them to receive ,holy ,communion that day in ,new ,plymouth ,cave4 ,it was not only a beautiful letter1 with a deep note of ,catholic faith sounding throughout it1 but it told me something of the young officer that ,i had not known4 ,he had not always been a ,catholic4 ,i learned from the letter that he had been wounded previously4 8,you know1 he did not have to go back to ,france10 wrote ,mrs4 ,waud1 8but duty called1 so ,i let him go with as brave a heart as ,i could1 and brought my little son home4 ,i had prayed so that my husband would be spared to me1 but indeed ,god knows best and ,he is helping me now4 ,everything of that last day is comforting and very beautiful4 ,and although the heartache and longing will not leave1 ,i feel that ,i have a great deal to be thankful for4 ,i am enclosing a little offering for whatever lies near your heart4 ,it is little and ,i wish it were more4 ,i thank you for all you have done for my husband1 and indeed ,i will pray for your lads4 ,trusting that you will remember me1 and that ,god will give me the grace to do my duty as worthily as my husband did his1 ,i am1 gratefully yours1 ,ruth ,waud40 ,for a long time ,i sat there thinking of the letter ,i held in my hand1 and then of other letters that had come to me from time to time4 ,and ,i thought how many women there must be over the world bearing great sorrows1 but the eyes of the world were not focused on these6 ,they were on the battalions that had marched away to the war while flags fluttered and bands played and people cheered4 ,they watched the papers for accounts of great deeds of arms4 ,but whenever ,i read such letters my thoughts would go back to the roads over which the soldiers had marched so bravely away1 and ,i would see figures leaning over gates1 white handkerchiefs held to eyes that had strained down the white dusty road over which their soldier sons or husbands had marched away4 ,they would go back into silent rooms where so many little things would remind them of their men4 ,then1 as the days would pass1 to many would come words to chill the heart and make homes desolate3 8,killed in ,action40 ,whenever ,i wrote to these poor mothers or wives1 ,i would see a great lonely hill1 on which stood a cross whereon was nailed a scourged1 thorn-crowned ,figure whose eyes rested with great pity on one who stood below--the ,mater ,dolorosa4 ,it was on her feast1 the ,feast of the ,seven ,dolors1 that the bishop had decided ,i should go to the war1 and perhaps it was she who helped me to write the letters of sympathy that brought comfort to so many sorrowful hearts4 ,with the ten-dollar bill ,i bought comforts for the men4 ,chapter ,,lxxiv ,,no ,,man',s ,,land ,,again ,i was billeted in a little hut with the billeting officer4 ,it was a very tiny hut1 with two berths in it1 one above the other4 ,as ,i was on leave when the battalion came to ,ecoivres1 no provision had been made for me1 so ,i was obliged to share the billeting officer's hut which he so kindly offered4 ,he was a genial companion1 but he used to sit up very late at night puzzling over a chess-board4 ,he was playing a game of chess with a partner who was actually residing in ,england1 and every night1 after great puzzling over the board1 he was obliged to write the result of his efforts to his partner in ,england4 ,one evening--,i suppose it was his partner's turn to play and it was for this reason that his chess-board was idle--he took his ,bible from his table and said1 naively3 8,now1 ,padre1 ,i won't try to change your views1 and you won't try to change mine1 but just take your ,bible1 and ,i will read certain passages from mine1 and you will read the same passages from yours40 ,i could not help smiling1 as ,i reached for my ,bible1 at the thought of the billeting officer not wishing to change my views1 for these words had just come to my mind3 8,upon this rock ,i will build ,my ,church40 ,i can't recall the texts he picked out and asked me to read from my ,bible1 but ,i remember that each one seemed contrary to the teachings of the ,catholic ,church on the subject treated4 ,as every one familiar with the ,douai-,rheims version of the ,bible knows1 there are little notes on texts that might be disputed1 giving the true meaning and also reference to other texts which would prove the teaching4 ,glancing at the footnote1 ,i would give the true interpretation and then refer the amateur exegete to the other texts4 ,in a little while he closed his ,bible4 8,why1 ,padre10 he exclaimed1 8you know the whole ,bible by heart60 8,well10 ,i said modestly1 as ,i suppressed a desire to smile1 8,i don't think ,i know it by heart1 but you know it is my business to teach the truths that are in it10--but ,i did not mention the foot-notes6 ,the following morning the billeting officer came hurriedly into the room4 8,padre10 he said1 8we are leaving here tomorrow night for the trenches4 ,we're taking over the line in front of ,monchy40 ,for just a second or two a peculiar numbness seemed to spread through every nerve in my body3 it was nothing new1 however1 for years before1 when a boy at the public school1 after the teacher had opened the drawer in her desk and removed a black1 snakelike piece of leather1 and had said quietly3 8,bennie ,murdoch1 come up here10 this strange numbness had come over me together with a slight contraction of the muscles of the throat4 ,but it quickly passed1 and after ,i had swallowed once or twice to make sure of my throat1 ,i said the obvious thing3 8,well1 that means another move60 ,going into the trenches was not the only hard piece of work ,i had to do4 ,a very difficult task was before me1 though ,i did not know it till ,i went up to the mess for lunch4 ,three or four letters were lying near my plate4 ,one envelope was much larger than the others and bore in the upper left-hand corner the words 8,assembly ,chamber1 ,state of ,new ,york1 ,albany0 and beneath1 was the address of ,joseph ,v4 ,mc,kee1 #hij ,east #agfth ,st41 ,new ,york ,city1 the brother of one of my 8,canadians0 who was an ,american by birth1 and had lived all his life in the ,united ,states4 ,there were many such1 in the ,third ,brigade--,private ,mc,kee was in the ,fifteenth ,battalion4 ,i knew him well and he was one of my very best ,catholics4 ,i opened the letter and began to read it1 and as ,i did ,i felt that ,i was turning sick4 ,the letter contained a request that ,i please notify ,private ,mc,kee that his mother had departed this life4 ,after lunch ,i left on foot for ,anzin1 for ,i had learned that the ,fifteenth ,battalion was quartered there4 ,it was a distance of only three miles1 yet it was one of the hardest journeys ,i ever made in ,france4 ,life at the front was very hard for these lads1 but it was always brightened by the hope of finally seeing the dear ones at home4 ,it had not been very long before1 that ,private ,mc,kee had spoken to me of his mother4 ,one of the loveliest things in this world is the love of a good man for his mother4 ,every step was bringing me nearer the lad1 and ,i so dreaded the thought of telling him6 ,my head began to pain1 and ,i went back in memory to the first time ,i was called on to break sorrowful news4 ,i had been a priest just a little over a year when one night the telephone bell rang1 and a trembling voice told me one of my men had been killed by a falling log4 ,there were fifteen men in the small railway station where the voice was coming from2 they were only about two hundred yards from the house where lived the widow of the man that was killed1 and ,i was six miles away4 ,yet not one would break the terrible news4 ,i was implored to come4 ,i shall never forget that night4 ,a full moon was throwing its light over all the white land1 darkened here and there by a clump of green1 white-patched trees1 but the thought of what ,i had to do had numbed me to all sense of beauty4 ,and as ,i drove along even the horse seemed to feel what terrible work had to be done1 for once he actually stopped in the road and ,i had difficulty in starting him2 yet ,i could see no reason for his having stopped4 ,as ,i walked along1 dreading all the time what was before me1 ,i noticed that the soldiers who were quartered along the road wore the purple patch of the ,fifth ,division4 ,they were artillerymen4 ,then a sign on a door of a shell-torn house told me that an ,r4 ,c4 chaplain dwelt within4 ,i inferred that it was ,father ,mc,pherson1 the ,fifth ,divisional ,artillery chaplain1 one of the holiest priests in ,france2 often ,i had seen him kneeling down in a dugout or some poor billet reading his ,breviary4 ,i knocked on the door and was shown up to ,father ,mc,pherson's room1 and the sight of his pleasant kindly face did me good4 ,i told him of the task ,i had to perform4 ,he spoke sympathetically and invited me to call in on my return and have tea with him4 ,after leaving ,father ,mc,pherson1 the thought of what ,i had to do did not weigh so heavily4 ,perhaps it was that the prayers of the good priest ,i had just left followed me4 ,they told me at the ,fifteenth ,battalion orderly room that ,private ,mc,kee was quarantined1--the 8flu0 was now becoming quite prevalent among the men4 ,i found him sitting in a bell tent1 one of a group pitched in a large garden of a chateau4 ,i called him1 and when he came we walked up and down a long garden path under the trees while ,i broke as gently as ,i could the terrible news ,i had for him4 ,he took it well--took it bravely and quietly like the good soldier he was1 with great submission to the holy will of ,god1 like the good ,catholic his dear mother had brought him up to be4 ,i talked with him a little while1 and when ,i left ,i asked ,our ,lady of the ,seven ,dolors to stay with the lad and to comfort him4 ,chapter ,,lxxv ,,no ,,man',s ,,land ,the following day we took over the line just before ,monchy4 ,the quartermaster1 transport officer and ,i had a nice little mess at ,berneville1 near ,arras4 ,i was billeted with the cur of ,berneville and he proved a friendly old man4 ,his old sister was housekeeper for him4 ,she was very kind1 and ,george received many cups of hot coffee4 ,it did not happen very often that battalion headquarters were in the front line trench2 yet it so happened when we were at ,monchy4 ,indeed1 the first night1 on going up to the trenches1 ,i actually walked through ,no ,man's ,land in order to reach headquarters' dugout4 ,it was a part of the line that we had retaken from the ,germans1 and for this reason the opening of the shaft leading down to the dugout faced the ,german front instead of our own back area4 ,the second night ,i spent in the line at ,monchy ,i was awakened suddenly by a terrific bombardment by the ,germans4 ,the dugout was shaking from the concussion of the shells bursting on the ground above us4 ,i had been sleeping fully dressed and with my trench coat on2 for although it was ,july it was very cold underground4 ,my bed was a berth of meshed wire stretched between rough scantling--nothing else1 not even a blanket2 my pillow was my haversack4 ,when ,i awoke ,i was trembling violently1 ,i was not sure whether through cold or fear4 ,yet after ,i stood up and walked up and down a little while talking to the officers1 ,i ceased to tremble4 ,the ,germans were putting on a box barrage1 that is1 they were bombarding us in such a way that the shells were dropping behind us1 and to our left and right1 so that we could not retreat and no troops could come to our aid4 ,the only way open to approach us was from the ,german trenches opposite1 by way of ,no ,man's ,land4 ,this was the way the ,germans would be coming presently1 either to order us up or to throw bombs or tubes of amenol down to blow us into minutest fragments4 ,we talked quietly as we waited there at bay2 but we were all a little nervous4 ,i shall never forget those minutes we spent there1 caught like rats in a trap4 ,we waited and waited2 the very atmosphere of the dugout seemed heavy and sickening4 ,then suddenly the bombarding ceased4 ,surely1 ,fritz had not changed his mind2 yet it was always under cover of his own artillery fire that he made his advances or raids4 ,we became a little cheerful4 ,finally1 after half an hour of quiet we concluded that for some unknown reason ,fritz had decided not to come4 ,then1 our hearts filled with relief1 we sat about the candle-lit dugout chatting like happy boys on their way home for vacation4 ,the following morning1 with ,god's beautiful sunlight over all the land1 ,i stepped out into ,no ,man's ,land with ,colonel ,peck and we took a little walk4 ,beautiful red flowers resembling in size and shape the sweet pea1 only they were short-stemmed and in clusters1 grew near an old pile of stones4 ,it was the first time ,i had ever seen flowers growing in 8,no ,man's ,land10 and ,i began to pick a few4 ,the colonel1 however1 told me to hurry4 ,indeed1 it was no place to loiter1 for although ,no ,man's ,land was very wide here1 one could see the parapets of the ,german trenches4 ,chapter ,,lxxvi ,,cambligneul ,here we came for a week's rest after our turn in the line4 ,we little knew then what strenuous days were before us1 nor what terrible toll was to be taken of our ranks before we would rest again4 ,it was a very pretty countryside1 though not so open as the area we had occupied in ,june4 ,it was now the end of ,july1 and although my troops were scattered over very wide areas ,i managed to do good work with the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth4 ,indeed1 one evening ,i found one hundred and twenty-five lads of the ,fourteenth waiting for me in a quaint little church at a place called ,chelers1 or ,villers-,chatel4 ,this was indeed extraordinary for an evening during the week1 when there was no hint of our soon leaving for the front line4 ,the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth had not been having a very good chance of late to go to confession4 ,whenever the four battalions were separated1 ,i always gave the ,thirteenth and ,fourteenth the preference for ,masses1 as there were more ,catholics in either one of these than in the ,fifteenth and ,sixteenth together4 ,these two latter battalions were often obliged to attend the village ,mass said by the cur of the parish in which they happened to be4 ,august came1 and the rich promise that was over all the land in ,june was now being fulfilled3 great brown stacks of hay1 like dark hillocks1 stood over all the green land1 and here and there were large golden patches of rye1 weighed and bent low with the full kernels1 so that now they were not much higher than my waist4 ,in fields and gardens were low bivouacs1 about three feet in height1 where soldiers slept at night4 ,cambligneul was a very small village and had no resident priest but was served from ,camblain ,l',abbey1 which was only about a mile and a half distant4 ,i was billeted in a farmhouse not far from the church4 ,the old lady of the house resembled very much the wife of the captain in the 8,katzenjammer ,kids40 ,one rainy afternoon the old lady made bread1 and as ,i had never seen bread made in ,france1 ,i was very interested in the process4 ,it was a different one than that employed in country houses at home4 ,the old lady mixed the dough in a large trough-like affair that resembled a half-barrel that had been cut horizontally on a wood-horse4 ,into this was poured a great quantity of flour and water which the capable arms of 8mamma ,katzenjammer0 worked quickly into dough4 ,when it was kneaded sufficiently1 an iron door was opened in a large brick oven1 and from it a few embers were quickly drawn4 ,this part of the process surprised me very much as ,i did not know that a wood fire had actually been made in the oven4 ,then the old lady took a long-handled flat wooden shovel that stood near the kneaded dough1 which had not been set to rise1 but had been placed on paper in flat wicker baskets4 ,she picked up each basket and upset the dough on the shovel2 each basket contained just enough dough to cover the shovel and still be about two inches in thickness4 ,the shovel was pushed far into the oven and then with a quick jerk by the experienced hands of old ,madame1 was drawn out empty4 ,when all the dough in the baskets had been put in the oven the door was closed and1 if ,i remember rightly1 it was two hours before the oven was opened again4 ,it was ,george who came to tell me that ,madame was going to open the oven4 ,i went out just in time to see the old lady pull to the front of the oven1 by means of a long-handled hook1 the great flat loaves of dark-brown bread3 there were fifteen loaves in all1 about one foot and a half in diameter and two inches deep4 ,it was very good bread1 as ,i discovered when ,i tasted some the following day4 ,before the following ,sunday orders came to march4 ,first we went to ,berneville1 and on ,saturday1 after ,i had arranged for church service for ,sunday1 we were moved to ,lattre-,st4 ,quentin4 ,the other battalions were quartered in the same area4 ,it was late ,saturday night when ,i finished organizing for ,sunday2 but the services were not to be4 ,more marching orders came4 ,we were to leave in the morning at five o'clock for ,avesnes-le-,compte1 where we were to entrain1 destination not given4 ,the hour had struck2 big things were before us4 ,chapter ,,lxxvii ,a ,,new ,,front ,it was half-past three ,sunday morning when ,i awoke4 ,i dressed quickly1 went down to the little church and said ,mass4 ,when ,i left the church the road was filled with soldiers moving in different directions1 carrying mess tins of steaming porridge1 across the top of which was placed some bread and butter with a strip of fried bacon2 in the other hand was the cover of the mess tin filled with hot tea4 ,they were all joking and in excellent spirits2 yet before the following ,sunday-- ,we entrained between eight and nine o'clock and all day long there was great speculation as to our destination4 ,some thought that the division was returning to the ,ypres salient2 others guessed that we were on our way up to the ,north ,sea coast4 ,later in the day it was rumored that we were going to ,etaples1 where there was to be more drilling4 ,for awhile it seemed that we were returning to the area about ,etaples4 ,but towards evening we knew the truth2 we were coming into the area on the ,somme4 ,it was late in the evening when we detrained1 and to this day ,i do not know the name of the place4 ,we took supper and then began to march4 ,we crossed the ,somme ,river and then in the darkness went through what seemed to be a very pretty country1 one more wooded than ,i had yet seen in ,france4 ,and as we went on and on under ancient wide-spreading trees1 ,i began to wish it had been daylight1 for surely it must have been some famous forest of ,france4 ,there had either been some confusion of orders or else our guides did not know the way1 for we spent the whole night marching over dark roads1 through quiet villages and dense forests4 ,one little scene stands out in my memory quite vividly4 ,we had been marching for a long time when the order came ringing through the darkness3 8,fall out60 ,the men fell out and immediately began to sit around on the damp earth2 a fine mist of rain had been falling for some time4 ,permission was given to smoke1 and presently hundreds of tiny red circles glowed in the darkness of the forest4 8,where are we now80 some one asked4 ,of course he was bombarded with replies1 but none of them proved correct2 indeed1 many went very wide of the mark as they meant to do1 for they were names of ,canadian towns or countries4 ,presently ,i noticed the white circle of light from a flash-lamp move over a field map spread out on the ground1 and in the relative silence that had now ensued ,i listened intently1 as the low murmur of the voices of the officers regarding the map came to my ears4 ,they mentioned the name of some place but ,i did not catch it2 then one officer spoke louder1 so that ,i heard quite distinctly3 8,it's ,picardy we are now in1 ,picardy40 ,he stopped speaking1 and from the opposite side of the glade came the sound of a murmured conversation4 ,it ceased1 and in the silence a wonderful clear voice began to sing softly1 yet not so low but that all could hear1 the song 8,roses are ,blooming in ,picardy40 ,i had never heard the song before4 ,it seemed fitting for that young soldier to be singing there in the damp forest while his companions listened and joined in the chorus4 ,i suppose for many of those brave young lads who sang the words had a special significance4 ,we kept marching slowly1 and resting2 five o'clock showed on our wrist watches4 ,then we came to our halting-place4 ,it was a strange little village to which we came4 ,perhaps ,i should not say that it was 8strange10 for it was built like all other farming villages of ,france1 but the people were strange3 they had never seen ,canadian soldiers before1 and only rarely since the beginning of the war had they seen the soldiers of their own country4 ,all the people turned out to see us as if a circus had come to town4 ,the soldiers were treated with very much more consideration than they had been accustomed to1 and the prices in the village stores were extremely low4 ,i slept a few hours and then took my bicycle and went out to try to find the ,fifteenth ,battalion4 ,i could get no information from the orderly room4 ,everything was being done with the utmost secrecy2 we might move at any time4 ,but ,george1 ever-faithful ,george1 told me he had seen the ,fifteenth transport officer going to a little village said to be only three miles distant4 ,i started1 but found progress very difficult once ,i had left the village4 ,the gentle mist of rain that had been falling through the night had increased towards morning and caused the wet1 oily clay to adhere to the tires of my bicycle2 sometimes the wheels skidded1 and sometimes ,i was obliged to dismount and remove the clay that clung so tenaciously to the fork above the front wheel4 ,once ,i saw a number of the ,thirteenth going towards a village on my right4 ,after ,i had passed them ,i became worried4 ,i was not sure of finding the ,fifteenth but ,i felt that ,i could reach the billets of the ,thirteenth by following the lads ,i had just seen4 ,i continued a little farther on my way1 still thinking of the ,thirteenth4 ,i dismounted1 turned1 and began to ride in the direction the ,thirteenth soldiers had gone4 ,i had not gone far1 however1 when ,i began to think that after all the ,fifteenth had much greater need of my services than the ,thirteenth2 for all ,i knew then1 we might be in the line that very night4 ,i stopped again in the road and stood by my bicycle4 ,never in my life had ,i felt such indecision1 but it was serious work ,i had to do--perhaps by tomorrow many of the lads would be killed4 ,and here was ,i standing in the road almost in a panic--doing nothing6 ,i now began to pray to the ,little ,flower4 ,i had never prayed to her before2 the ,blessed ,virgin had always looked after all my wants4 ,i remounted and presently ,i was going down a long hill very swiftly1 finding great difficulty in managing my wheel4 ,just when ,i was half-way down ,i met a runner of the ,sixteenth4 ,he had passed me before ,i could stop1 so ,i turned my head a little to call to him4 ,the next thing ,i knew ,i had shot completely over my machine and was on my hands and knees on the road1 a severe pain in one of my knees4 ,the runner turned quickly1 a look of concern in his eyes2 but ,i had twisted my face into a smile and his face brightened4 ,he pointed out a clump of trees on the opposite hill and told me ,i would find the ,fifteenth there4 ,i did1 and gave some of them ,communion4 ,chapter ,,lxxviii ,,boves ,i returned to the ,sixteenth and succeeded in giving ,holy ,communion to a few soldiers1 among whom was the solicitor whom ,i had baptized at ,monchy ,breton4 ,but ,i was by no means pleased with my day's work1 for ,i had not gotten all the ,catholics in each battalion4 ,at six o'clock we left this area1 and towards morning1 after marching continuously1 were met by a long line of busses that brought us through the city of ,amiens to within three or four miles of ,boves4 ,we marched for nearly two hours and about ten o'clock came into the city of ,boves1 from which all the inhabitants had gone4 ,i was very tired and hungry1 but ,i had not broken my fast1 for ,i wished to say ,mass1 if ,i could find time1 in order that ,i might offer it for the success of my work among the soldiers4 ,i easily found the church of ,boves1 and just as ,i entered1 met a chaplain of the ,french army coming out4 ,i saluted and told him who ,i was4 ,he was a friendly priest and had one of the kindest faces ,i have ever seen4 ,we talked for a little while1 then1 as there was no parish priest at ,boves1 he came back to the sacristy to show me where to find things4 ,then he served my ,mass4 ,i had lunch in the mess of the ,french chaplain1 after which ,i went out into the highways and byways seeking my men4 ,i had excellent news4 ,the whole ,third ,brigade was billeted in the city4 ,this was the first time since ,march #bhth that ,i could remember having all my units together4 ,not content with announcing confessions at the orderly rooms of the different battalions1 fearing there might be some miscarriage of orders and that some of the men might not be notified1 ,i went all over the city visiting them4 ,it had not been very long since the majority had gone to confession1 yet ,i wished to give every one an opportunity4 ,i had learned at brigade headquarters that the battalions would not go into the trenches till ten o'clock that night4 ,at five o'clock1 when ,i entered the church of ,boves1 ,i was somewhat nervous4 ,at ,mass that morning ,i had forgotten to look in the ciborium to see how many consecrated ,hosts there were4 ,i went straight to the altar1 opened the tabernacle door1 took out the ciborium and opened it4 ,as ,i feared1 there would not be enough ,particles for one-tenth the number ,i expected6 ,i closed the door softly1 saying a little prayer as ,i did so1 and walked back to the confessional in the rear of the church1 for the men were beginning to arrive4 ,i had not reached the confessional when ,i noticed the ,french chaplain coming into the church4 ,i went to him quietly and made known to him what ,i had learned from my visit to the tabernacle4 ,he was sympathetic and immediately began to think what we could do4 ,first1 he thought of saying ,mass1 although it was then five o'clock in the afternoon and he had broken his fast2 it seemed1 however1 to each of us that he would be quite justified in so doing4 ,then suddenly he remembered a convent chapel1 about seven kilometers distant1 where he felt sure there would be a ciborium with a sufficient number of consecrated ,hosts4 ,he said he would go on horse-back4 ,seldom have ,i felt more grateful than ,i did to him that night4 ,i began to hear confessions and the lads came in great numbers4 ,soon the light became dim in the great church and lads who had come first began to be a little restless3 they wondered why ,i did not give them ,holy ,communion4 ,it was now becoming so dark that ,i could just distinguish the crowds of kneeling soldiers4 ,i was hearing confessions very quickly4 ,once a fellow knocked on the confessional door and told me he hoped ,i would soon give communion1 as he had some things to do before going into the line4 ,he had now been waiting a long time1 he said4 ,i asked him if he could wait a few minutes longer1 as time was so precious and such crowds of men were coming that ,i did not wish to leave my confessional for a minute4 ,i was praying between the drawing of slides for the appearance of the ,french chaplain4 ,no soldier had yet left the church1 yet ,i feared they might4 ,then away up in the sanctuary ,i noticed a little flame flash out in the darkness and then move quickly to one side of the tabernacle1 where it touched the responsive wick of a candle and another gleam of light shot up1 then1 on the other side of the tabernacle1 the other candle flashed4 ,as ,i heard the slow moving of many feet towards the altar-rail1 ,i thanked ,god4 ,for a long while the priest1 after placing two lighted candles on the sanctuary railing1 moved up and down between them dispensing the ,bread of the ,strong to those ,canadian soldiers4 ,when all who were ready had received1 he put the ciborium in the tabernacle and knelt to pray till ,i had prepared more lads for him4 ,i did not move from my confessional till after ten o'clock1 and it was after this hour before ,i left1 for still men came4 ,they were now coming fully equipped for battle1 hoping to catch up with their companions1 who must have already left4 ,when the last man had been shriven1 the chaplain came down to have a little talk with me4 ,i was almost overcome as ,i thanked him for what he had done1 for ,i was now beginning to be very tired4 8,well10 he said1 with a beaming face1 8are you happy8 ,are you happy80 8,happy80 ,i repeated4 8,indeed1 ,i am1 for wonderful things have been done tonight for ,god60 ,as ,i walked down to my billet that night ,i was swaying1 as ,i went1 from sheer exhaustion2 ,i tried to recall when it was that ,i had a night's sleep4 ,it seemed months1 yet it was but a few days4 ,my billet was upstairs in a house that had not been struck by enemy fire4 ,george met me at the door and told me to go to my room1 that he would bring my dinner4 ,i stumbled upstairs1 for ,i was weak with hunger and fatigue4 ,i sat in a chair and was almost falling asleep when ,george came in with a large granite plate filled with roast beef1 mashed potatoes and green peas4 ,he had kept it hot for me4 ,i picked up the knife and fork and they seemed heavy4 ,george began to arrange my bed4 ,new strength came as ,i ate the excellent food--we were always well fed before a battle2 in fact1 the men could always foretell a battle by the quantities of strawberry jam they received two or three days preceding action4 ,i had not finished the meat and vegetables when the cook himself came up with some strawberry jam1 little cakes and a huge granite mug of hot cocoa4 ,when ,i had finished the cocoa1 ,i can just remember ,george saying3 8,hadn't you better take off your boots1 sir80 ,and the next thing ,i knew it was broad daylight1 and as ,i looked at my wrist-watch the hands pointed to half-past ten a4 m4 ,i had slept about ten and one-half hours4 ,i had learned the preceding night that the battle would not begin till very early in the morning of ,august #hth4 ,it had taken1 ,i supposed1 the whole night for the troops to assemble4 ,very likely they would sleep or rest today4 ,there was no need for me to go up till evening4 ,i looked about the room4 ,the dinner dishes had been removed and so had my boots1 but with the exception of boots and leggings ,i was completely dressed4 ,it did not take me very long to put on my boots and shave1 yet it was twelve o'clock when ,i came out of the church of ,boves after ,i had said ,mass4 ,that evening1 ,august #gth1 ,i went up to ,gentelles ,wood4 ,chapter ,,lxxix ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,amiens ,it was a wonderful sight that met the eye as ,george and ,i left ,boves that evening and turned our steps towards the battle-ground4 ,the artillery had assembled1 and on all sides were great guns in cuttings of embankments or hidden in woods1 or camouflaged in the open4 ,at times the roads were blocked with the heavy lines of traffic1 but as we drew nearer the line the movement was not so great2 yet coming through fields and woods were the huge1 clanking tanks4 ,there must have been at least one hundred of them careening along up hill and down dale4 ,nothing seemed to be able to stop their unwieldly bulk4 ,i learned afterwards that great bombing planes had swooped low over ,fritz's trenches1 making a great noise so as to deaden the sounds of the assembling tanks4 ,i did not sleep at all that night4 ,indeed1 very few slept1 for during the night the troops were taking their place for the assault and it was not till #b3aj a4 m4 that the assembly was complete4 ,at #d3aj a4 m41 ,august #hth1 a terrific crash of heavy and light guns broke the silence of the dawn on a twenty-mile front4 ,i had never before been in a great battle and was not prepared for action on such a stupendous scale4 ,the earth seemed to be rocking4 ,the full-leaved tree-tops of ,gentelles ,wood behind us twisted and broke1 as shells from our back areas shrieked their way towards ,fritz's line4 ,i stood for awhile waiting for ,fritz's 8come back10 but the ,germans had been so completely surprised by the unexpected bombardment that their artillery gave but a very faint-hearted reply4 ,on seeing this we felt that victory was assured4 ,i did not have long to watch the tide of battle1 for presently a long line of stretcher-bearers1 their burdens raised shoulder high1 told me my work was to begin4 ,all day long ,i walked up and down among the wounded1 hearing confessions1 giving ,holy ,communion1 anointing those mortally wounded1 and taking messages for dear ones at home4 ,among the dying were many ,germans1 and a number of these were ,catholics4 ,i knew only one sentence in ,german3 8,sind sie ,katholisch80 8,are you a ,catholic80 but it was sufficient1 for ,i understood when the reply was 8,yes10 or 8,no40 ,when a ,german would say he was a ,catholic1 ,i would put on my stole1 open my little ciborium1 hold up the ,sacred ,host1 and then ,i would look at him4 ,always his two hands would fold1 and ,i would wait kneeling by his side till he had finished his act of contrition2 then ,i would give him ,holy ,communion4 ,it was a beautiful sight to see the tears of gratitude come into the eyes of those dying ,germans after they had received their ,lord2 and after ,i had anointed them1 invariably they reached out and gripped my hand before passing out4 ,many lads were ushered up to the gates of heaven that day4 ,the following morning ,george and ,i went up to ,caix4 ,my own brigade was now out of the fight for a while1 but ,i was following with the ,second ,field ,ambulance4 ,for a long time we waited on the side of the road1 as the place we intended to hold for an advanced dressing station had not yet been taken4 ,about #a3aj p4 m4 ,i stood on a hill and watched the men of the ,first ,brigade come up into action4 ,an ,irish chaplain whom ,i had once met at ,st4 ,michael's ,club was riding behind them4 ,he told me that he had just given them a general absolution4 ,all that afternoon1 and late into the evening1 ,i worked with the ,second ,field ,ambulance4 ,a great number of wounded passed through4 ,once some enemy airplanes swooped low and dropped bombs amongst us1 but they failed to kill any one4 ,we were now in open warfare1 and for the first time ,i saw the cavalry in action4 ,they came cantering across an open field1 their spears1 held at their sides1 pointing heavenwards1 ribbons fluttered from the long handles1 and the burnished points flashed in the sunlight4 ,that evening ,i was relieved by ,father ,locharay and ,i found a small dugout where ,i got a few hours of sleep4 ,chapter ,,lxxx ,,at ,,the ,,wayside ,early in the morning ,george and ,i left to find the ,sixteenth which had passed through in the evening4 ,we anticipated some trouble1 for to find one's battalion after an attack is not the easiest thing in the world4 ,however1 we saw the ,sixteenth ,battalion water cart in the great procession that filled the road before us1 so1 keeping our eyes on it1 we slipped in behind a transport wagon and followed along on the right side of the road4 ,we went slowly1 and at times halted for five and sometimes ten minutes4 ,now and again some of the horses in the procession1 as we passed dead horses on the side of the road1 would begin side-stepping in their fear1 and this would interfere somewhat with the progress of the line4 ,we had been walking with many halts for over an hour1 and ,i remember how surprised ,i was that our soldiers had advanced so far4 ,all the marks of the advance were along the way3 broken war-wagons of every description1 dead ,germans and dead ,canadians1 deep shell-holes1 shattered buildings1 and always in the air mingled with the dust that rose from the busy road were the odors of gas and sulphur4 ,we had been walking on the right of the procession1 and to this day ,i cannot say why ,i decided to change my place4 ,for no reason that ,i can remember ,i stepped in front of a team of mules hitched to a general service wagon and crossed to the left of the road4 ,then ,i noticed two soldiers approaching carrying a wounded comrade on a stretcher4 ,i am certain that if ,i had not crossed to the left of the road ,i would not have noticed them4 ,just as the lads came alongside me they halted and ,i heard one say3 8,he ain't dead yet40 ,then gently they lowered their burden to the road in order to take a short rest4 ,i stepped over to the wounded lad and a glance told me that he had not much longer to live4 ,i knelt quickly on one knee and pulled out the little round identification disc attached to the string around his neck4 ,i looked at it and saw the letters 8,r4 ,c40 ,i remember throwing off my shrapnel helmet 78tin lid10 the lads called it7 and it rattled on the hard road1 though the noise was deadened by the rumble of the passing traffic4 ,then ,i spoke to the lad1 telling him ,i was a ,catholic priest4 ,finding him conscious1 ,i told him to make a good act of contrition for all the sins of his past life and that ,i would give him absolution4 ,then1 as the great procession went lumbering by ,i pronounced the words of absolution1 and anointed him there on the roadside4 ,in a little while he passed away peacefully4 ,i copied from the little leather disc his name1 number and battalion3 ,private ,w4 ,j4 ,daze1 ,no4 #ghhefg1 ,third ,canadian ,infantry ,battalion4 ,a few days later ,i got his mother's address from the ,third ,battalion orderly room and wrote her1 telling how grace had come to the lad4 ,chapter ,,lxxxi ,,in ,,an ,,apple ,,orchard ,we remained on the ,amiens front nearly three weeks1 and we were lucky enough not to have much rain1 for we were in trenches where there were no dugouts4 ,the transport mess was in an apple orchard1 one of the great old orchards of ,picardy where in days before the war1 happy peasants picked the apples to make the golden cider4 ,there were many troops quartered in this orchard1 as the trees offered shade and screened us fairly well from the ever baleful eye of enemy airplanes4 ,yet almost every evening we were bombed4 ,we would hear the signal of his approach long before the whir of his motor became audible4 ,we would be sitting in groups1 sometimes around little fires of wood or charcoal1 talking in low voices1 when suddenly there would come three shrill blows of a whistle1 the kind used by referees of football matches4 ,instantly water would be poured on fires1 or a few shovelfuls of earth would be thrown over the bright embers1 and then a hurrying and scurrying to trenches2 the sounds of laughter and pleasant talk would die away with the hissing of the expiring fires4 ,then profound silence1 save for the champing of horses tethered at one end of the orchard under the trees4 ,presently from far up in the sky1 coming nearer and nearer1 would sound that peculiar err-rum1 err-rum1 err-rum1 which left no uncertainty in our minds as to whose airplanes were approaching4 ,sometimes they would go far beyond us and we would hear the terrific crash and explosion as their bombs dropped in our back areas2 sometimes they would drop near our own lines and we would lie there waiting4 ,from a certain point in the orchard we had a very good view of many of our observation balloons1 far in our rear4 ,i remember one day1 while a group of us were sitting talking1 suddenly hearing from high in the air near one of our balloons the quick rat-tat-tat of machine-gun fire4 ,immediately all eyes were raised in time to see a ,german airplane swoop down from a bank of clouds perilously near our observation balloon4 ,the enemy was firing from his machine-gun1 for every three or four seconds we could see the flash of phosphorous as the tracer bullet sped through the sky4 ,if one of those touched the great silk bag of gas--it did1 and almost simultaneously there was a burst of dark-red flame1 fringed with black1 waving out from the balloon4 ,there was a cry of consternation from many voices in the orchard as two figures were seen to jump from the aerial car of the balloon4 ,we held our breath4 ,then with a spring1 one after the other1 the white parachutes opened1 and we breathed a sigh of great relief as they came gracefully to the earth4 ,our observation balloons must have been doing excellent work1 for after this ,fritz was very busy bringing them down4 ,one afternoon the same airplane actually brought down1 one after the other1 five balloons4 ,then1 as it started on its return flight1 it seemed to be flying very low4 ,immediately every machine-gun in the area began firing on him4 ,there must have been thousands of bullets soaring towards the speeding 'plane2 but it is very difficult to judge1 from the ground1 distances in the air4 ,suddenly the machine stopped in its course and came spiralling slowly downwards4 ,a great cheer burst from hundreds of throats and simultaneously the machine-guns ceased to fire4 ,there was complete silence in the camp as we watched the falling airplane4 ,but we had reckoned without our host2 for suddenly it ceased to fall1 then like a lark shot gracefully up1 up1 till it reached a safe distance4 ,then with admirable audacity it looped the loop1 and finally winged its way towards home4 ,what did we do1 gentle reader8 ,for a few seconds1 overcome with amazement1 we stood there gazing skywards1 then from all over the area there were sounds of clapping hands as we good-humoredly applauded 8,old ,fritz40 ,chapter ,,lxxxii ,a ,,strange ,,interruption ,every morning ,i said ,mass in the part of the trench where ,i slept1 which was covered overhead with a piece of camouflaged burlap1 spread across pieces of scantling4 ,the trench was so low that ,i was obliged to dig a hole in the ground1 so that ,i could stand upright at my little portable altar4 ,one morning while ,i was saying ,mass1 a little fox-terrier1 belonging to ,george and the transport cook1 began walking on the burlap above my head4 ,as the burlap was taut1 the small paws made a kind of drumming sound above me4 ,both ,george and the cook1 although they were non-,catholics1 wished to show every respect to the chaplain2 knowing ,i was saying ,mass1 they began to call off the dog4 ,the little fellow1 however1 was stubborn and wished to remain on the burlap4 ,i think that the cook and ,george then got sticks and tried to poke him off1 for ,i could hear him dancing up and down as the points of the sticks tapped the burlap roof4 ,it was a long time before he was captured1 and it was at the cost of so much extra noise that ,i think it would have been better had they left him to follow his own inclinations--but the lads' intentions were good4 ,new drafts now began coming to the battalions to reinforce the ranks1 broken in the ,battle of ,amiens4 ,one afternoon the adjutant told me that a draft of seventy men had come and that they were going into the front line that night4 ,the senior chaplain of the division1 ,canon ,scott1 an ,anglican clergyman1 was going to address them first1 after which1 he said1 if ,i wished ,i might say a few words to them4 ,i went to the orderly room1 where ,i learned that thirteen out of the seventy soldiers were ,catholics4 ,i waited a long time that evening for the ,canon to finish4 ,when1 at last1 he had ceased speaking and had invited those who wished to attend the communion service to step over to the side of the lines1 ,i spoke to the men4 ,my talk did not take very long4 ,i first asked the ,catholics to fall out4 ,immediately1 from different sections in the ranks1 thirteen men stepped out before me4 ,i told them that as they were going into the front line and did not know what might be before them1 perhaps they would wish to go to ,holy ,communion4 ,i told all who wished to do so1 to follow me down into the trench where ,i would hear their confessions and give them ,holy ,communion4 ,i turned and proceeded towards the trench4 ,thirteen men followed me4 ,that night1 after ,i had wrapped myself in the blankets of my bed-roll1 a lieutenant1 a middle-aged man who was sharing part of the trench with me1 came down to retire for the evening4 ,as he lay smoking a last pipe before drawing the curtains of sleep1 ,i was surprised to hear him give utterance to this monologue3 8,self-esteem6 ,self-esteem6 ,too much self-esteem4 ,that's what's the matter60 ,i wondered to whom he referred1 and after waiting a few seconds to see if he had any more to say1 ,i asked him if he were speaking to me4 8,no1 no1 ,padre10 he exclaimed4 8,i'm thinking of those fellows this evening4 ,did you see them when ,canon ,scott invited them out to the communion8 ,only about half a dozen went1 out of all the crowd4 ,self-esteem1 self-esteem--that's it60 8,well10 ,i replied1 8,i didn't notice4 ,i asked my men--,i had only thirteen in the draft--if they wished to go to the sacraments of their church1 and immediately the thirteen followed me down to the trench40 ,he looked at me keenly and there was not the slightest rancor in his voice as he spoke again3 8,that's it1 ,padre6 ,that's it6 ,of course your men would go6 ,that's to be expected40 ,a kind of musing note came into his voice1 as he continued3 8,what is the secret8 ,what is the secret8 ,they don't fear you4 ,indeed1 they love you40 ,i told him as clearly as ,i could the secret1 and as he continued smoking quietly1 ,i felt how truly he had spoken of our ,catholic lads4 ,how they loved the priest1 how on battlefield or muddy trench their eyes lighted with love as the priest drew near4 ,no wonder thirteen men followed me down to the trench3 they knew what ,i could do for them4 ,they knew in a few minutes they would be friends with ,christ2 that ,he would visit them1 abide in their souls4 ,they were so absorbed in the sublimity of what was to take place that no thought of what others might say flashed across their minds4 ,there was no human respect there4 ,chapter ,,lxxxiii ,,boves ,,again ,the first ,sunday on the ,amiens front we had no church parade4 ,but the second ,sunday we managed to have one for the lads out of the trenches4 ,we had ,mass on a wooded hill that had been heavily shelled during the week by the ,germans1 though they left us quiet on ,sunday4 ,there was a huge crippled tank on the hill1 and workmen were busy repairing it4 ,i found a rough table placed against the tank1 and on the table a portable altar already set up for ,mass2 grouped about this were some men from other brigades and a few of my own men1 with a draft that had come for the ,thirteenth4 ,father ,mac,donnell had just finished ,mass4 ,he and ,father ,fallon heard confessions1 and the workmen repaired the tank1 while ,i offered up the ,holy ,sacrifice for the men4 ,the following ,friday evening1 after a long1 weary march1 we came back into ,boves4 ,it was a different looking city from the one we had entered almost three weeks before4 ,on the outskirts1 high on a hill1 dozens of great marquee tents rose in the darkening twilight1 and from a large flag-staff waved1 on a white background1 the red cross3 it was one of our ,canadian clearing stations that had moved up4 ,we came around a turn in the road and there1 standing in a group1 were the nurses1 orderlies1 and many patients from the tents on the hill4 ,they cheered and cheered as the lads marched by and the nurses fluttered their white handkerchiefs1 while the band played a merry march4 ,down the street of the city the merry pipers piped our way1 while house after house opened its doors wide and the good ,french people who had returned1 whole families of them1 came out and cheered us as we passed up the street4 ,i had a fine billet in the class-room of a school just next door to the church2 yet it seemed somewhat stuffy and closed in after having lived for almost three weeks in an apple orchard4 ,the following morning1 after ,i came in from ,mass1 ,i noticed the cook standing on the outer sill of the window1 looking closely at the grape-vines which grew up the sides of the building2 many bunches of white grapes grew among the thick green leaves4 ,a few minutes later1 as ,i sat down to breakfast1 ,george walked in with a great cluster1 almost as large as a pineapple1 on a dish and placed them near my plate4 ,all day long ,i was hoping to have the opportunity of having my men to confession before leaving ,boves1 for it was being rumored about the city that we were on our way back to the ,arras front where we were to take part in other big battles4 ,i could not learn from headquarters at what time we were to leave1 but ,i surmised it would be early ,sunday morning4 ,i was praying the ,blessed ,virgin to let me have the men1 but at seven o'clock p4 m4 it seemed certain that we were to move early in the morning4 ,at eight o'clock the quartermaster came to me1 saying3 8,the move's off1 ,padre4 ,we don't leave here till tomorrow evening40 ,i called ,george1 and soon he and ,i were out organizing a church parade of all the troops in the city4 ,i called at the ,c4 ,c4 ,s4 on the hill1 thinking there might be a chaplain there who could help me with confessions4 ,i learned that there was a ,catholic chaplain attached to the unit1 but that at present he was absent on leave4 ,i heard confessions for about an hour before ,mass1 but as the time for ,mass drew near it became evident that ,i would not be able to hear one-quarter of the great throng of khaki-clad lads that filled the church2 all the pews were filled and many were standing4 ,when the hour for ,mass had come1 even the large sanctuary was filled with soldiers1 some of them wearing the blue uniform of ,france4 ,i was just about to leave the confessional to say ,mass when ,i heard some one knocking on the door4 ,i looked up quickly3 there stood ,father ,mac,donnell in his ,scotch uniform4 ,i was so overjoyed that ,i stepped out quickly and cried3 8,the ,blessed ,virgin sent you here60 ,he looked at me with his shrewd1 kind eyes1 and there was not the shadow of a smile in them as he said3 8,never mind1 now1 who sent me here4 ,what can ,i do for you80 ,i asked him which he preferred1 to say ,mass or to hear confessions4 ,he said he had already said ,mass and had taken his breakfast4 ,so ,i asked him if he would kindly hear confessions4 ,i walked up the aisle towards the altar1 past row and row of those great-hearted ,catholic lads1 and as ,i went ,i thanked the ,blessed ,virgin for what she had done4 ,but it was a little too early3 she had not yet finished answering my prayers1 for just as ,i entered the sanctuary ,i noticed one of the ,french soldiers sitting on a bench reading his ,breviary4 ,i touched him on the shoulder and asked him if he were a priest4 ,he was4 ,then ,i asked him if he would hear the ,french confessions1 for more than half the men of the ,fourteenth ,battalion were ,french4 ,he closed his ,breviary1 after he had marked the place with a colored ribbon4 ,then he bowed and said he would4 ,about two years after the ,armistice had been signed ,i was travelling in ,new ,brunswick when a young man came down the car to shake hands with me4 ,he had been one of the officers of the ,fourteenth ,battalion assisting at ,mass in the church at ,boves that ,sunday4 ,after we had talked a little while1 he remarked3 8,father1 ,i have often thought of that ,sunday at ,boves4 ,it seemed to me a beautiful thing to see officers of high rank going over and kneeling down at the feet of one clad in the uniform of a ,french private of the ranks to have their sins absolved40 ,just before ,mass ,i announced that during the celebration of the ,holy ,sacrifice ,father ,mac,donnell would hear confessions in ,english while the ,french ,father would hear the ,french confessions1 and that after ,mass1 if there were still some who had not gone to confession1 the two priests would continue to hear and ,i would help them4 ,i added that confessions would be heard and communion given again that afternoon4 ,i said my ,mass slowly and preached about twenty minutes4 ,during my sermon ,i saw something that gratified me very much4 ,among the officers of one of the battalions was one whom ,i had never seen at the sacraments4 ,i had approached him some time before1 and had met the greatest rebuff ,i had ever received from a ,catholic3 he told me quite gruffly that he had no time for that kind of thing4 ,his words had actually struck me dumb for a few seconds1 so that ,i walked away from him without saying anything further4 ,but as ,i preached that ,sunday at ,boves1 looking out over that sea of reverent faces1 ,i saw the officer stand up and walk reverently to the confessional1 and when ,i gave ,holy ,communion ,i saw him at the rails4 ,as ,i write these words there stands on the little table before me a tiny plaster statue of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,since ,i began writing this story it has been always present on the table4 ,it was given to me by a soldier of the ,fourteenth ,battalion just after the ,battle of ,amiens4 ,cut into the base of the statue is the one word 8,boves10 and the dents made by the letters are filled with the red clay of ,france4 ,i will keep this statue always1 for it brings back memories of a town where great things were done for ,god among my ,canadian soldiers1 and of her who brought these things about4 ,that evening1 as ,i entered the class-room that was my billet1 two figures looked up quickly3 one was ,george1 who had a right to be there2 the other was one of the assistants in the veterinary section4 ,there was a very strong odor of iodoform in the room4 ,on a bench between the two soldiers was my wash-basin filled with some solution1 and the little dog1 who had broken his paw1 was having it washed in the solution4 ,i said nothing4 ,i was not even cross1 for ,i knew how difficult it was to procure a vessel in which to wash dogs' broken paws4 ,chapter ,,lxxxiv ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,arras ,our journey was uneventful1 save that we were derailed at ,st4 ,paul2 no one1 however1 was killed4 ,all along our journey we spoke of the ,battle of ,amiens1 8the greatest isolated victory to the credit of ,canadian arms40 ,it had taken but five days to free ,amiens and its railway4 ,the allied troops engaged in the battle were one ,american division1 five ,australian divisions1 four ,canadian divisions and four ,english divisions4 ,there were also four hundred tanks and three ,british cavalry divisions4 ,these troops had met and routed twenty ,german divisions1 and taken twenty-two thousand prisoners and over four hundred guns4 ,the line was advanced twelve miles from points held at the hour of attack on ,august #hth4 ,of these totals the ,canadians claimed ten thousand prisoners1 nearly one hundred and seventy guns1 one thousand machine-guns1 over one hundred trench mortars1 and great quantities of other materials4 ,they had freed over sixty miles of territory4 ,they had been the apex of the wedge that attacked4 ,it was1 indeed1 a great victory6 ,later1 ,i read in ,hindenburg's account of the war1 entitled 8,out of ,my ,life0 7,harper ,brothers1 ,new ,york71 the following3 8,i had no illusions about the political effects of our defeat on ,august #hth4 ,our battles from ,july #aeth to ,august #dth could be regarded1 both abroad and at home1 as the consequence of an unsuccessful but bold stroke1 such as may happen in any war4 ,on the other hand1 the failure of ,august #hth was revealed to all eyes as the consequences of an open weakness4 ,to fail in an attack was a very different matter from being vanquished on the defense4 ,the amount of booty which our enemy could publish to the world1 spoke a clear language4 ,both the public at home and our allies could only listen in great anxiety4 ,all the more urgent was it that we should keep our presence of mind and face the situation without illusions1 but also without exaggerated pessimism4 8,the military situation had certainly become serious4 ,of course the position on the part of our front which had been attacked could be restored1 the lost war material made good1 and fresh reserves brought up4 ,but all this did not exhaust the effects of our defeat4 ,we could only expect that1 encouraged by his great victory1 our enemy would now open similar attacks at other points40 7,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #bag and #bah47 ,this is just what we did4 ,on ,august #bfth the ,second ,canadian ,division had opened the ,battle of ,arras and1 as we hastened towards them1 were in the thick of the fight4 ,we detrained at ,aubigny and were taken from there to ,arras in busses4 ,during the night of ,august #bhth we moved up from the ruins of ,arras to relieve the ,second ,division4 ,we had been waiting in reserve at ,arras4 ,already the ,second ,division had been gaining victories4 ,before ,september #ast we had gained a minor engagement or two4 ,on the morning of ,september #ast ,i received word that we were preparing for a great attack2 we were to break the ,drocourt ,quant line4 ,the line had been accounted impregnable1 for the whole system was the result of years of patient toil on the part of the ,germans4 ,in the attack1 the ,canadian ,corps was to be the battering ram of the advance4 ,the night of ,september #ast was very dark1 and rain fell as the men assembled for the attack4 ,zero hour was to be #e a4 m4 ,captain ,shea1 one of the medical officers of the ,first ,field ,ambulance1 with whom ,i was going to work the following day1 found a square hole in the ground about two feet deep1 and he and ,i rolled ourselves in our blankets and tried to sleep4 ,the ,germans were shelling this area very hard and shells were dropping all about us1 and the rain upon us4 ,every little while ,i could hear the doctor1 who was a very devout ,catholic1 give voice to the following soliloquy3 8,think of a priest lying out in the mud a night like this6 ,what awful times we are living in6 ,i wonder what his people at home would say if they could see him now4 ,a priest sleeping in a mud-hole60 ,then1 perhaps1 a shell would drop very near us and ,i could hear him say1 optimistically3 8,well1 the worst we can expect is to be buried alive60 ,i could not help laughing as the doctor continued4 ,everything seemed so strange to him1 for he had but lately come to the front4 ,and ,i had now been long enough in the army to take things as they came4 ,at five o'clock a4 m4 the earth began to thunder and rock as the terrible barrage began that was to sound the death-knell of the ,drocourt ,quant line4 ,we watched the men advance1 then we were busy with the wounded4 ,a great number passed through our hands1 including some ,irish lads from the ,naval ,division on our right4 ,it took but an hour or two for the ,canadians to break the ,drocourt ,quant line which had been considered impregnable4 ,passing through the trenches and over the battlefield that day1 ,i marvelled at the system of deep trenches from which led great dugouts lighted with electricity4 ,we encountered many wounded ,germans lying in shell-holes1 and dispatched ,german prisoners to bring them to the ,field ,ambulance that had now been established near ,cagnicourt4 ,we had not been shelled very much that day1 but two or three days before1 in one of the minor engagements1 the shelling had been terrific4 ,george and ,i had run the gauntlet of shell-fire known as a 8creeping barrage40 ,wall after wall of bursting shells had swept over us1 killing nearly all our companions4 ,george and two privates and ,i were the only ones out of fourteen who were not casualties4 ,towards evening1 as ,i was anointing some ,german wounded1 one of our prisoners1 an officer1 stepped over and began to speak to the lad to whom ,i was administering4 ,the officer told me in ,french that he would interpret1 as he was a ,catholic4 ,i asked him to try to dispose the dying soldier for absolution4 ,he did1 and then helped me while ,i anointed the lad4 ,when ,i was through ,i thanked the officer for his aid and remarked that he seemed well grounded in his religion4 ,he smiled a little at this1 as he said3 8,i should be1 for ,i am an ordained deacon40 ,i was still talking to this young ecclesiastic when ,i heard a friendly call from a stretcher1 and1 looking in that direction1 ,i saw it was ,lt4 ,maxwell-,scott--he who had first served my ,mass at ,fosse-dix4 ,it seemed years ago4 ,he was wounded1 though not seriously4 ,the following day ,i waited1 with an ,anglican chaplain from the ,third ,brigade1 till all the dead were brought in from the battlefield4 ,among the officers of the ,sixteenth were two or three of my dear friends4 ,one was the gentle officer who had slept in my billet at ,carency1 months before--the one who had been called 8,wild ,bill20 even in death there was a gentle expression on his kind face4 ,we buried one hundred and twenty-five that day1 and called the place 8,dominion ,cemetery40 ,few and short were the prayers we said1 ,and we spoke not a word of sorrow1 ,but we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead ,and bitterly thought of the morrow4 ,we remained in this area till ,september #dth1 and each night we were bombed almost continuously4 ,it was terrible and there were many casualties4 ,one could scarcely count the airplanes4 ,we could hear them coming from a great distance and each moment drawing nearer and nearer4 ,we would lie on the ground unprotected--nothing between us and the airplanes but the thin sheets of our bivouacs4 ,when they would arrive over our camping ground1 great lights resembling arc light would drop slowly down1 lighting up the entire area4 ,then would come in quick succession the awful crash of bursting bombs4 ,often ,i have gripped the grass beside me with both hands1 as ,i lay there waiting to be blown into a thousand fragments4 ,then1 one fleet of 'planes having exhausted its supply of bombs there would be relative silence till the next was heard approaching4 ,during the interim1 slowly1 silently1 and anxiously1 our searchlights swept the sky1 the great long shafts of light crossing and recrossing each other4 ,chapter ,,lxxxv ,,berneville ,,again 8,when they had a day or two of good sleep1 regular meals and rest1 they seemed quickly to forget all they had suffered1 even their mental torture4 ,of course1 for this purpose the rest had to be real rest1 undisturbed by enemy shells and bombs1 and1 if possible1 somewhere where the thunder of the guns could not be heard40 ,i quote these words from the second volume of 8,out of ,my ,life0 by ,von ,hindenburg1 for they apply to all soldiers4 ,the ,germans had retreated to the opposite bank of the ,canal du ,nord1 where they were prepared to defend themselves stoutly4 ,to carry a position like the ,canal du ,nord1 careful plans must first be made4 ,our troops were tired1 and they needed a rest2 therefore1 on being relieved we came out to the areas about ,arras and the ,sixteenth came to ,berneville4 8,the operations which broke the ,drocourt ,quant ,line closed with the departure of the victors4 ,these men had accomplished great deeds4 ,they had won a great moral victory1 which had far-reaching effects4 ,they had conquered a trench system of which the world had spoken with bated breath in one triumphant rush4 ,many material things had passed from the enemy's possession into theirs4 ,among these should be numbered eight thousand prisoners1 sixty-five guns and four hundred and seventy-five machine-guns4 ,their line was only seven miles from ,cambrai40 7,from 8,the ,canadians in ,france10 by ,captain ,harwood ,steel--,copp ,clark ,co47 ,the above quotation was written of us4 ,so we came out to ,berneville to rest4 ,those days of ,september were very pleasant at ,berneville4 ,roses still bloomed in the garden of the old cur1 with whom ,i was again billeted2 grapes were plentiful all over the countryside4 ,they grew in the garden of the old house where we had our mess and often they were served at our meals4 ,every morning when ,i came back from breakfast to my billet ,i found on the table a large yellow1 red-cheeked pear4 ,these little acts of kindness of the old cur's sister used to affect me almost to tears4 ,i think the awful strain of battle was beginning to affect us all4 ,i said ,mass every morning in the church and a young fellow from the ,fifteenth--which was also quartered in ,berneville--used to serve it4 ,every morning he went to ,holy ,communion4 ,the old sister of the cur seemed very much interested in the young man1 for she also attended my ,mass and received ,holy ,communion daily4 ,she used to talk to me about him and say he must be a brother from some religious community4 ,so one morning ,i asked the lad his name4 ,he was ,james ,diamond1 and his home was in ,philadelphia--another of my ,canadian lads who hailed from the ,united ,states4 ,he was not a member of any religious community though he had two brothers who were priests4 ,i told the old lady this1 and although she was somewhat disappointed to learn that the young man was not a religious1 still she was delighted to know that he had two brothers who were priests4 ,i visited my battalions every day and we had confessions every evening4 ,the men came in great numbers4 ,although we were in rest1 the lads knew by the training they were undergoing that another attack was imminent4 ,during the day ,i often walked up and down the old rose garden of the cur4 ,it was a beautiful old garden with high stone walls1 against which pear trees and peach trees had been trained to grow so that the branches spread out against the wall4 ,there were roses here of almost every variety4 ,often1 as ,i walked up and down the paths of the garden reading my ,breviary1 ,i stopped and gazed for a long time on the wonderful beauty before me4 ,soon we would be into the war again6 ,chapter ,,lxxxvi ,,letters ,,of ,,sympathy ,during these days of rest ,i devoted a large portion of every morning to writing letters of sympathy to relatives of those who had fallen in the recent attacks4 ,i had many of these letters to write1 and ,i always went to work with a heavy heart2 but it was always very consoling to receive the wonderful replies that came4 ,i quote from a few that ,i managed to keep1 although the reader will learn later that ,i lost nearly all my possessions before the end of the campaign4 ,this one comes from ,morningside ,avenue1 ,new ,york3 ,reverend dear ,father3 ,your comforting letter has just been received4 ,father1 words would be useless to try to express what relief and consolation your message brought1 for naturally my heart ached1 wondering whether my poor son had an opportunity to offer up his repentance before ,god took him4 ,the cross is indeed a heavy one to bear1 but with the knowledge contained in your letter and the fact that his sacrifice was made for so glorious a cause1 ,i shall reconcile myself to the will of ,almighty ,god1 and pray for the repose of his soul4 ,my daily prayers shall indeed be offered for you1 ,father1 who brought such happiness to my heart1 and for your many soldier boys4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,the next is from ,frontenac ,street1 ,montreal3 ,reverend and dear ,father3 ,words fail to convey how soothing was the intelligence that previous to his last attack my son had had the happiness of receiving our dear ,lord1 and that after he had paid the 8,supreme ,sacrifice0 he had one of ,god's representatives near him4 ,in life he was devoted to religion1 in death he must assuredly be happy with ,god4 ,but to us who are left it has been a crushing blow1 and especially to me1 his mother1 to whom a kinder and more dutiful son never was given4 ,our ,lady of ,sorrows is certainly the one to turn to in this hour of trial1 for she likewise gave up her son4 ,so1 like her1 ,i shall endeavor to carry my cross1 but ,i fear it shall not be carried so well4 ,and now1 dear ,father1 allow me to extend to you my most sincere thanks4 ,you will always be remembered in the prayers of his sorrowing mother4 ,the next is from ,grimsary1 ,england3 ,dear ,father ,murdoch3 ,i should feel ,i was neglecting a great duty if ,i did not write a line to thank you for your kindness in informing us of my dear brother's death4 ,r4 ,i4 ,p4 ,it was indeed a great consolation to know that he received ,holy ,communion before going into battle1 also to know that he was buried in a cemetery4 ,we shall be ever grateful to you for your kindness and for your prayers4 ,with every best wish for your safety1 ,i am1 ,yours sincerely1 ,the next is from ,gilford ,p4 ,o4 ,co4 ,down1 ,ireland3 ,dear ,rev4 ,father3 ,it is with a sad heart ,i write to thank you for your consoling letter to my mother concerning the death of my poor brother4 ,your letter gives us all strength to bear our heavy burden of sorrow4 ,it is hard to think that he has really gone from us4 ,but ,god's will be done6 ,we all lift our hearts in thanksgiving to know that he was prepared to die4 ,he was a good boy1 and his youngest sister will miss him4 ,my mother is in great sorrow at the loss of her only son4 ,she has had great trouble1 as my father died when we were very young4 ,but ,god will give her strength to bear and persevere until we shall all meet never to part4 ,dear ,rev4 ,father1 ,i will close this letter now and ,i wish you to know that all of us will never forget you in our prayers4 ,and ,i earnestly implore of ,god to reward you for all you have done for my poor brother and for us1 and that our ,most ,holy ,mother will intercede for your safety through this suffering you are enduring4 ,i am going to confession and ,communion ,sunday for your intentions4 ,always remember that there are three hearts raised to ,god night and morning imploring ,his blessings and mercy for you4 ,thanking you again1 ,father1 ,i wish to remain your grateful friend who will never forget you4 ,this one from a non-,catholic3 ,rev4 ,b4 ,j4 ,murdoch1 ,dear ,sir3 ,i received your very kind letter today4 ,thank you so much for writing4 ,although ,i am not of the ,catholic faith1 ,i know just how much he would value your services before going into battle4 ,god sends us a cross to bear1 no matter what faith we own4 ,i will remember you and the other soldiers who are fighting in my prayers just the same4 ,i will write and tell his father of your kindness1 and ask him to thank you4 ,i forgot to say that ,i belong to the ,church of ,england1 but that does not make any difference1 for ,god hears all prayers4 ,i shall pray for you and your boys and teach our little girl to do the same4 ,kindly pardon any mistakes1 and believe me to remain very grateful to you for your sympathy4 ,yours sincerely1 ,these are but samples of letters from different countries that ,i received during the campaign4 ,the people seemed most grateful to me for writing4 ,true1 the censor prevented me from saying much that ,i should like to have said2 but always ,i was free to write what ,i had done for the lads in my ministry4 ,sometimes ,i have written many letters at a time1 and for this reason the message sent was brief4 ,i shall try to give the reader a sample of the simple letter that evoked such grateful replies3 ,dear ,mrs4 ---- ,no doubt you have already received from the ,war ,office the sad news of your son's death4 ,i am writing these words to let you know that just before the battle of ---- ,i gave all the soldiers of his unit ,holy ,communion in a little shell-torn church on the ,western ,front4--,if ,i had anointed him ,i would add this1 and if it were ,i who had laid him to rest ,i would say--,i buried him in a peaceful military cemetery behind the lines1 far from the sound of the guns4 ,this knowledge should give you some consolation in carrying the heavy cross that ,god has sent you to bear4 ,i shall remember your son's soul in the ,holy ,sacrifice of the ,mass1 and ,i shall ask ,our ,lady of ,sorrows to pray for you that you may be comforted4 ,asking you to pray for my lads and for me1 ,i am ,yours sincerely in ,christ1 ,b4 ,j4 ,murdoch1 ,r4 ,c4 ,chaplain #afth4 ,can4 ,chapter ,,lxxxvii ,a ,,little ,,bit ,,of ,,shamrock ,although ,i had many letters to write1 this did not keep me from having a little enjoyment4 ,we had not been very long in rest billets when it was announced that the ,sixteenth ,canadian ,battalion concert party was to put on soon the play entitled 8,a ,little ,bit of ,shamrock40 ,this was the play the soldiers were practising while we were at ,monchy ,breton1 and because of the fact that one of the characters was a priest ,i was very anxious to see the play4 ,the concert party was to be with us three nights1 so ,i hoped to be able to attend at least one performance4 ,the company had been playing for the large base hospitals while we were taking part in the recent heavy fighting4 ,i had met a ,presbyterian chaplain in ,arras who told me that he had seen the play and that it was one of the finest in ,france4 ,they had been furnished with hundreds of dollars' worth of scenery and costumes4 ,so we looked forward with pleasure to seeing it4 ,i noticed as ,i worked among the men that the rest was doing them very much good4 ,the village streets used to ring with laughter and merry jokes1 especially in the evening4 ,it was wonderful how much like boys those soldiers would become1 given a few days' rest4 ,i remember one day1 while sitting in the mess waiting for lunch to be served1 listening to an animated conversation going on among a group of soldiers1 of which ,george was the dominating spirit4 ,george held in his hand a pair of ,german field-glasses which evidently he wished to barter for something some other soldier had4 ,the other soldier thought ,george had placed a too high valuation on the glasses1 and their voices rose and fell in debate4 ,finally1 all the voices were silent2 then the voice of ,george sounded clear and distinct1 as he said impressively3 8,gentlemen1 ,i tell you1 these glasses are so powerful that they will bring a church1 miles distant1 so near that you can actually hear the church bells ringing in the tower60 ,although a few derisive groans greeted this statement1 the great bursts of merry laughter that accompanied them did my heart good and showed me how light-hearted were the troops4 ,a day or two following the episode of the field-glasses1 ,i was again sitting in the mess waiting for lunch to be served4 ,the transport officer and quartermaster were with me4 ,suddenly the lieutenant who had been billeting officer when we were at ,ecoivres walked in and sat down4 ,he had a little business with the quartermaster1 and as he stated it his eyes turned towards the table1 which was set for lunch1 and rested longingly on a dish of cold bread-pudding with raisins in it4 ,the pudding was cut in pieces resembling in size and shape an ordinary helping of ,washington pie2 there were three slices in all4 ,now1 ,i never liked bread-pudding1 not even in war time2 neither did the other two officers of the mess4 ,so when the billeting officer made known to us his weakness for bread-pudding we gave him a most pressing invitation to have a piece4 ,he took one piece1 and as he ate it with great relish we could not help smiling4 ,he stopped for a second or two and looked around on us4 8,my10 he said1 8,i like this6 ,our cook never thinks of giving us anything like this40 ,then he continued earnestly to devote his attention to the pudding4 ,we offered him another piece1 and with boyish delight he accepted it4 ,when he had finished this1 ,i offered him the remaining slice4 ,the other two officers were now laughing4 8,ah1 ,padre60 he said reproachfully1 but his eye wavered and his hand without any apparent reluctance reached out and took the third piece4 ,he stayed for a little while longer1 and ,i wondered if he could be quite well after eating so great a quantity of such soggy food4 ,i began1 indeed1 to feel a slight twinge of conscience4 ,perhaps ,i should not have offered him that last thick slice of heavy bread-pudding4 ,he was now quiet1 and for a second or two a far-away look came into his eyes4 ,then1 suddenly1 he seemed to recollect something4 ,he stood up quickly4 8,well10 he said1 8,i think it is about time for me to be going home to lunch40 8,will he be all right80 ,i asked the other officers1 as he disappeared on his way4 8,sure10 they both said1 and then the quartermaster ,continued3 8,why1 ,padre1 that's just a little hors d'oeuvres for him1 just a little appetizer1 just enough to convince him that it's time to take a little substantial food40 ,then1 as we lunched1 they told me such wonderful stories of this officer's capacity for food that ,i laughed and laughed all through the meal4 ,i could not attend the play till the third evening2 ,george1 who had gone both nights1 seemed very anxious that ,i should see it4 ,i had tea with the concert party the afternoon of the third day and in the evening ,i went to the play1 and was given a very good seat4 ,i shall never forget that play given by those splendid boys on the ,western ,front4 ,even as ,i write these words the tears come to my eyes as they did that night1 but they are tears of joy4 ,it was a wonderful play--wonderful in its presentation1 wonderful1 especially1 in its beautiful interpretation of the character of the ,catholic priest--bubbling with gaiety and gladness1 and spotless humor4 ,i was transported with joy and amazement4 ,the curtain rose1 disclosing the library of an ,irish priest's house1 through the open window of which came in excellent harmony the sound of male voices singing3 8,och1 ,father ,o',flynn1 you've a wonderful way wid you4 ,all ould sinners are wishful to pray wid you1 ,all the young children are wild for to play wid you1 ,you've such a way wid you1 ,father avick6 ,still for all you've so gentle a soul1 ,gad1 you've your flock in the grandest control3 ,checking the crazy ones1 coaxing unaisy ones1 ,lifting the lazy ones on with the stick4 ,here's a health for you1 ,father ,o',flynn1 ,slant and slant and slant agin1 ,pow'rfulest preacher and tindirest teacher ,and kindliest creature in ould ,donegal40 ,as the last sounds of the chorus died away1 a young ,irish girl1 attired in typical colleen fashion1 and a boy of about nineteen or twenty1 in knee-breeches1 entered4 ,the colleen was a perfect impersonation4 ,the young man1 who carried a gun and an empty game-bag1 had returned from the chase4 ,he was telling ,molly how many birds he had seen and how many he might have shot had it not been for--etc41 etc4 ,the more voluble ,shaun became1 the more ,molly shrugged her shoulders4 ,it seemed ,shaun had often hunted before1 and had often come 8very near hitting a bird40 ,just as good-natured ,shaun was becoming more eloquent and ,molly more disdainful1 a stately old figure in cassock and cincture walked slowly into the room1 carrying his breviary and biretta4 ,there was a look of benign interest on his face as he regarded ,shaun and ,molly4 ,the two greeted the priest warmly1 in true ,irish fashion2 yet the three actors were non-,catholics4 ,i am certain ,i did not follow the plot of the play4 ,i was too delighted with ,father ,o',flynn4 ,he was the ideal priest1 genial1 kind1 grave4 ,he possessed all those lovable qualities that we ,catholics always associate with the priesthood4 ,i was really delighted with the impersonation of the character4 ,where had he1 the actor1 acquired his wonderful knowledge of the priesthood8 ,if it had been a play that the lads had procured already written1 ,i would not have been so surprised2 but they themselves had composed it4 ,there was one scene that was almost uncanny in its faithful reproduction of one of the little dialogues that take place often in the office of a country parish priest4 ,old ,mrs4 ,nolan--off the stage 8she0 was ,private ,m4 ,dawes1 ,no4 #a ,platoon1 ,sixteenth ,battalion1 and in civil life an actor who had taken parts with the great ,du ,maurier--had come to call on ,father ,o',flynn concerning her husband1 who was not working1 and who for reasons known only to himself had no inclination to work4 ,she spoke quietly at first1 but gradually1 animated by righteous indignation1 a certain piquancy and forcefulness colored her words4 ,she had just begun rightly to denounce 8himself0 when ,father ,o',flynn1 with a gentle raising of one hand from his knee1 where it had rested palm downwards1 said softly3 8,there1 now1 ,mrs4 ,nolan6 ,there1 now6 ,don't mind1 it will be all right6 ,it will be all right4 ,in a little while ,timmy'll be at work again40 ,then ,mrs4 ,nolan1 somewhat mollified1 would concede3 8,yis1 ,father6 ,yis1 ,father6 ,perhaps you're right1 ,father4 ,indade1 he's not so bad2 if he would stay away from that ,dinny ,o',shea1 he might be better4 ,and look1 ,father dear1 ,i wouldn't be mindin' what that ,liz of his would ever be saying4 ,look here1 ,father1 if she'd stay at home and look after her man and not go galavantin' over the parish6 ,look here1 ,father1 she's one of the worst--0 ,then with a gentle smile ,father ,o',flynn would again quiet the indignant ,mrs4 ,nolan4 ,but she was irrepressible4 ,and as she continued her rapid-fire talk1 the house roared with laughter1 so that we forgot that we were in a building on the ,western ,front into which at any minute a long-distance shell might fall1 killing and wounding half the people there4 ,we forgot this completely as we continued to enjoy one of the finest plays ever staged on the ,western ,front4 ,as ,i looked on1 laughing heartily1 another emotion began to manifest itself2 gradually1 as ,i listened to the dialogue1 the whole setting before me took on a certain familiarity3 it was a priest's room1 my own language was being spoken1 a scene was being enacted with which every priest is familiar4 ,i felt as if ,i saw my ,catholic people at home2 then a kind of mist seemed to pass over me1 and my eyes filled up--yes1 gentle reader1 ,i was lonesome6 ,the old cur and his sister had waited up for me1 to hear about the play4 ,i had told them before leaving that ,i was going to see a non-,catholic take the part of a ,catholic priest1 and they had been very interested4 ,they were like two children in their delight when ,i came bursting in on them with the news of the play4 ,they rejoiced with me when ,i told them how splendidly the part of ,father ,o',flynn had been taken by one of the lads4 ,the old lady seemed the more enthusiastic of the two1 until ,i told the story of ,mrs4 ,nolan1 then the cur broke into rippling laughter2 but ,madame just smiled quietly4 ,we talked for a long time that evening for the three of us were very pleased4 ,i had told them before going that ,i had my fears lest the actor assigned the part of the priest should not interpret it according to the best traditions of the priesthood4 ,but now they were quite relieved1 and very joyful when ,i told them that the play would be shown wherever there were ,canadian soldiers in ,france4 ,chapter ,,lxxxviii ,,left ,,behind ,i was well satisfied with my work among the soldiers during these evenings and we were all benefiting very much by our rest4 ,but we did not know just how soon we would be going into action4 ,one evening towards seven o'clock1 on coming back to ,berneville after having attended a meeting at corps headquarters1 ,i found men of the ,fourth ,division walking up and down the street4 ,i was somewhat surprised at this1 for when ,i had left in the morning the village had been occupied only by ,first ,division troops4 ,now ,i saw no men of the ,third ,brigade4 ,i stopped the first soldier ,i met and asked him where was the ,sixteenth4 ,he told me he did not know1 that the ,sixteenth had 8pulled out0 about four o'clock and that another battalion had 8taken over0 these lines4 ,i went quickly to the place our mess had been1 only to find other officers occupying it4 ,they were just about to sit down to dinner1 and invited me to remain1 but ,i was too eager to have news of my troops4 ,this was the first time they had ever stolen a march on me4 ,i opened the gate of the old cur's garden1 hoping to see ,george standing in the twilight somewhere among the roses2 but there was no khaki-clad figure there4 ,in fact1 there was no one in the garden2 everything was very quiet4 ,knocking on the door which led to the office and dining-room combined1 ,i advanced into the lamp-lit room to find the cur and his sister just about to sit down to their evening meal4 ,they welcomed me warmly4 ,it was good to see the kindly1 beaming faces of my old friends2 and as my eyes wandered from them to the table ,i saw that places had been set for three4 8,come10 said the old priest as he motioned me to the seat beside him4 8,come1 you are just in time1 for we were about to begin1 fearing you would not arrive40 ,i sat down quickly1 for ,i did not wish to delay any longer these good people4 ,the memory of that evening is still very vivid2 the low1 lamp-lit room1 with its quaint engravings on the wall1 the old-fashioned furniture1 the spotless white linen cloth1 heavy silver and thick china1 with blue scroll-work bordering of old chateaux and rustic-bridged streams4 ,a large roll of coarse though wholesome brown bread1 such as ,i had seen old 8,mamma ,katzenjammer0 make some time before1 was on a plate in the middle of the table1 and beside this was a black-handled bread knife2 a huge bottle of golden cider stood near the bread4 ,opposite me was a wooden bowl of salad and a large wooden fork and spoon4 ,madame brought from the kitchen a small brown earthenware casserole and placed it before ,m4 le ,cur4 ,the removal of the cover disclosed three plump little pigeons4 ,simultaneously ,m4 le ,cur and ,madame looked at me4 8,in your honor10 said the priest as both bowed1 jokingly4 ,i remembered how1 when a boy1 ,i had shot a few pigeons1 which when cooked ,i was unable to eat1 because they were so tough4 ,but the pigeons of old ,madame were not tough4 ,indeed1 ,i had never eaten any meat more tender4 ,they had been pot roasted4 ,it was one of the pleasantest evenings ,i had ever spent in rest billets4 ,as we sat at table they told me that the battalion had left for the front at four o'clock4 ,george had packed my bed-roll1 and had placed it and my portable altar on the general service wagon1 leaving my haversack with articles ,i would need for the night4 ,he had left word that we would not be going into action for a day or two and that ,i would be quite safe in staying that night in ,berneville4 ,as we sat talking in the quiet lamp-lit room1 and ,i realized all that was before me1 ,i could not help thinking how pleasant it would be to live on in this peaceful old house1 far from the horrors of war1 and preach to the quiet peasants1 and teach them the ways of ,god4 ,but quickly ,i put this thought from my mind4 ,the ,master for whom ,i labored had sterner work for me to do4 ,and tomorrow morning early ,i must leave1 to go once more into ,the ,red ,vineyard4 ,chapter ,,lxxxix ,,with ,,the ,,fourteenth ,early the following morning after ,mass ,i said 8au revoir0 to the old priest and his sister1 who walked down to the gate to see me off4 ,on the way1 fearing it might be evening before ,i would find my battalion1 ,i bought an ordinary three-ounce tin of sardines and paid sixty-five cents for it2 but ,i never ate it4 ,i had the great good fortune to meet a lorry1 going towards the front1 which brought me to within a few hundred yards of the ,sixteenth ,battalion1 which was camped in a wide green valley4 ,i was fortunate in finding my unit1 but soon ,i was to learn of what was the first of a series of misfortunes4 ,george met me as ,i came along and there was a look in his face that ,i had never seen there before4 8,i'm sorry1 sir1 but ,i have bad news for you10 he said4 8,your bed-roll and all your belongings have been burned40 ,poor ,george turned his face away4 ,it really hurt him to have to tell anything so unpleasant4 8,my portable altar1 too1 ,george80 ,i questioned1 as fear tugged at my heart4 ,george turned towards me1 his face brightening4 8,no1 sir4 ,we saved that4 ,everything in the little church is all right40 ,george always called the altar the 8little church40 ,then he went on to tell me that a fire had broken out1 during the night1 in the corrugated iron hut where ,i was to have slept1 and that when it was discovered it was too late to save two bed-rolls2 he had managed1 however1 to bring out one bed-roll and my portable altar4 ,it was now late in ,september and the evenings were becoming quite cold4 ,i would miss very much my blankets1 cloak and overcoat1 all of which1 together with many other articles1 had been burned4 ,i still had my trench coat1 which ,i was wearing at the time4 8,well1 ,george10 ,i said finally1 8it could have been a great deal worse4 ,i am very thankful that ,i did not lose my trench coat40 ,a few evenings later1 while ,i was standing outside my hut examining a new bicycle that had come to me from headquarters1 a runner came up and passed me a ,d4 ,r4 ,l4 ,s4 letter4 ,as ,i read it1 ,i felt my hand tremble4 ,i was to report immediately to the ,fourteenth ,battalion1 where ,i was now attached for quarters and rations2 ,captain the ,rev4 ,g4 ,colthurst was to exchange places with me4 ,he was a ,church of ,england chaplain4 ,that evening ,i left1 my heart filled with regrets2 but a soldier must obey4 ,i said good-bye to ,george1 although ,i hoped to see him often4 ,he thanked me for the way ,i had treated him1 though ,i had only given him the consideration which as a thorough gentleman he deserved4 ,i thanked him in return for all he had done for me4 ,twice1 if not oftener1 during the recent heavy fighting he had come through a terrific barrage of shell-fire and gas to guide me to the transport mess4 ,he had actually risked his life where he was not bound to do so4 ,the second in command of the ,fourteenth1 ,major ,price1 welcomed me cordially to the battalion4 ,the colonel was then absent4 ,major ,price1 though a very kind man with a most gentle disposition1 held one of the finest records in the army1 rising from a private in the ranks to be colonel of the battalion4 ,the officers of the ,fourteenth were a fine lot of men1 yet they never filled the place in my affections that the officers of the ,sixteenth had won4 ,chapter ,,xc ,,telegraph ,,hill ,the following ,sunday ,i said ,mass on ,telegraph ,hill4 ,it was a very high elevation and on all sides we could see1 far below1 the great green valley4 ,i counted as many as six light railway trains steaming their way from different points towards the front4 ,i think we were then about seven or eight miles from the ,canal du ,nord1 where the next big battle was to take place4 ,some of the men came early and ,i stood talking to them till all the soldiers1 excepting the ,thirteenth ,battalion1 had come up4 ,thinking that there must be some mistake in orders and that they had failed to receive notice of church service1 ,i began to say ,mass4 ,i had a large crowd of lads and they were formed up very near the altar2 some stood almost touching the altar in order to keep the wind from extinguishing my candles4 ,nearly all my men had received the ,sacraments while in rest1 so ,i gave a general absolution today1 then all went to ,holy ,communion4 ,just as ,i had given the last men ,holy ,communion the ,thirteenth came up1 their pipe band playing merrily4 ,there was nothing left for me to do but say another ,mass for them4 ,it was very gratifying to notice1 as ,i turned to make an announcement before beginning the second ,mass1 that many of the men who had received ,holy ,communion at the first ,mass still remained kneeling on the ground as they made their thanksgiving4 ,during the second ,mass a number of ,german airplanes tried to fly near us1 but from down in the valley our anti-aircraft guns barked and shells shrieked upwards1 bursting near the 'planes4 ,all the men of the ,thirteenth1 after a general absolution1 went to ,holy ,communion4 ,i came down from ,telegraph ,hill that morning feeling that my men were now ready1 spiritually1 for battle4 ,chapter ,,xci ,,canal ,,du ,,nord ,on the night of ,september #bfth we moved up to the trenches just before the ,canal du ,nord4 ,it was a rainy night and quite dark4 ,we marched a long time1 for our guides had lost their way4 ,finally1 as we approached the trenches1 ,verey lights hissed a trail of light through the sky and as they broke to descend we stood very still4 ,every little while orders came for us to fall on our faces1 and we lay motionless on the ground listening to that strange1 sweeping sound of machine-gun bullets as they tore their way through the air just above us4 ,before we entered the trenches we had supposed all the ,germans to be on the opposite bank of ,canal du ,nord4 ,but we were not in the trenches very long till we learned that there were machine-gun outposts on our own side4 ,indeed1 not forty-eight yards from where we stood was a machine-gun nest4 ,every time a flash-light would show1 or some one would speak above a whisper1 there would be a rat-tat-tat from almost beside us1 and then a pattering of machine-gun bullets4 ,i listened to the grim preparations that were being made to surround the nest just as soon as our barrage would open up4 ,at #e3bj a4 m4 two thundering crashes from an eighteen-pound gun broke the stillness1 then the whole barrage opened up1 the like of which had never before been heard on the ,western ,front4 ,i quote below from 8,the ,canadians in ,france40 8,never had the world known anything to compare with the strength and majesty of that terrible artillery fire4 ,it was as if the pillars of the earth had fallen and ,god had struck the ,germans in his anger4 ,the gloom behind the advancing troops was blazing with fire1 and the gloom in front4 ,the night overhead shrieked and moaned and howled with the passing of the shells1 hurrying--hurrying--hurrying to keep their appointment with death4 ,the ,german machine-gunners in the ,canal and immediately behind it were blown to pieces and the ,german guns were throttled with their answers to their lips40 ,we stood in the trenches listening to the terrible roaring and crashing of the guns4 ,when we spoke we were obliged to yell in order to make ourselves heard4 ,it was still quite dark1 yet all about us were sharp yellow flashes of light from our guns4 ,in a little while the men were ready to start over the ,canal4 ,the officer in command looked at me4 8,coming1 ,padre80 he asked4 ,i smiled4 ,i was not free to go then4 ,i must stay with the doctor1 to attend the wounded that would be brought in by the stretcher-bearers4 ,later ,i was to go with the field ambulance4 ,shortly after daylight ,i was moving along the ,canal looking for the ,second ,field ,ambulance1 with which ,i was to follow1 when ,i saw coming up through a shower of shell explosions the young officer who had come to see me at ,monchy ,breton4 ,he was looking for the ,sixteenth ,battalion4 ,he was no longer downhearted4 ,the light of battle was in his clear blue eye4 ,he shook hands with me and smiled a bright1 fearless smile as the shells dropped about us4 ,he told me he had been sent up to the battalion1 which was sadly in need of officers4 ,as he spoke1 all about us were dead men and horses4 ,i found the field ambulance at a cross-roads near ,inchy and ,i worked with them till noon4 ,it was terrible work1 performed under great difficulties1 as all morning long a constant rain of enemy shells poured over the roads4 ,a great number of wounded passed through4 ,as the morning advanced1 the day became very warm4 ,i took off my trench coat and began to carry it on my arm4 ,i remember laying it down on the side of the road as ,i went to minister to a wounded lad4 ,when ,i had finished my work and had wiped the blood from my hands on the thick grass alongside of the road1 ,i turned to pick up my trench coat4 ,it was no longer where ,i had put it4 ,i looked everywhere but ,i could not find it4 ,it was a very serviceable coat1 lined with oiled silk and rubber and impervious to rain and wind4 ,now ,i had no coat whatsoever4 ,my overcoat and cloak had been burned1 and now my trench coat was gone6 ,i often smile when ,i recall that morning4 ,i worried more at the time over the loss of what was in the pockets than ,i did over the loss of the coat itself4 ,in one pocket was the tin of sardines that ,i had bought a few days before4 ,i had not yet broken my fast and ,i did not know when ,i might do so4 ,in the other pocket was a 8,baby ,ben0 alarm clock3 it was very useful sometimes when ,i wanted to sleep between attacks4 ,i never found the coat4 ,i think some stretcher-bearers must have placed it on a wounded man thinking it had been left by some officer who had been wounded or killed4 ,it was now the #bgth of ,september and ,i was not fitted out very well to stand the rigors of a fall campaign4 ,just before ,i left the ,sixteenth ,i had been given an old wagon cover1 which ,george and ,i had converted into a bed-roll1 and ,i had been able to procure two army blankets2 but now ,i had no overcoat4 ,during a little lull in the afternoon ,i made my way to headquarters of the ,fourteenth1 which was in a dugout that the ,germans had left them4 ,there ,i had some food1 after which ,i made my way back to the field ambulance4 ,that night ,i slept on the opposite side of the ,canal du ,nord4 ,we had gained another great victory and had captured one of the strongest positions that the enemy still held4 ,nearly five thousand prisoners had been taken and about one hundred field-guns1 together with a great number of machine-guns and large quantities of stores4 ,for several days one battle followed another2 at almost every hour of the day some brigade of the ,canadian corps was attacking4 ,i followed with the field ambulance and ,i was kept very busy4 ,chapter ,,xcii ,,the ,,most ,,terrible ,,day ,on ,sunday ,i could not have a church parade1 but ,i said ,mass in a bell tent near the ,canal du ,nord4 ,that morning ,i joined the ,first ,field ,ambulance in a little village not very far from ,cambrai4 ,i think the name of the village was ,raillencourt4 ,as ,i approached its outskirts1 ,i saw that it was under fire4 ,shell after shell was whistling over from the enemy lines1 bursting in black clouds of smoke and yellow clouds of gas that mingled with red clouds of dust rising from the ruined brick buildings4 ,no traffic was coming along the road4 ,i must walk alone into the village4 ,my will said1 ,go6 yet every nerve in my body seemed to rebel2 my feet were heavy as lead and it seemed an effort for me to lift them from the ground4 ,i was now very tired from the work of the past week4 ,almost sick with fear1 ,i continued to advance4 ,it was a strange experience2 my feet kept going heavily forwards while the rest of me seemed to be trying to hold them back4 ,i felt that that hurt dazed look which ,i had seen so often in the eyes of the men was in my own eyes4 ,i remember going down the little street of the village bewildered and almost stupefied while shells crashed into buildings and the sickening fumes of gas poisoned the air4 ,then1 suddenly1 ,i saw what ,i was in search of--a little red cross on a white background1 floating from a window of a small house4 ,i entered the yard2 a ruined field-kitchen lay in a lake of porridge1 and nearby1 where they had carried him to die1 was the cook4 ,i found the cellar filled with wounded men with whom the doctors were very busy4 ,my old friend ,captain ,o',shea was here and two other ,catholic doctors4 ,i stayed in the cellar two days4 ,those were horrible hours4 ,i could not be relieved1 as ,father ,o',reilly of the ,second ,brigade had been wounded a day or two before ,i came to the cellar4 ,it was his troops who were now in action4 ,my own were back in reserve4 ,while ,i worked1 ,canon ,scott1 an ,anglican chaplain who had been in the war since the beginning1 was brought in wounded4 ,it was a miracle that we were not struck4 ,at different times during the day the ,germans shelled the little house heavily2 many shells dropped in the garden just outside the windows of the cellar4 ,the nauseating fumes from the gas shells penetrated into the cellar and often we worked with our gas masks on4 ,at two o'clock ,tuesday morning word came that my brigade was going over the top near ,haynecourt4 ,as soon as it was daylight1 ,i left to join my troops4 ,i found the ,second or ,third ,field ,ambulance1 which was clearing that day at a cross-road near ,cambrai4 ,i could see the city from where we worked4 ,i was very busy all day4 ,at times the ,german airplanes swooped low over us and swept our wounded with their machine-guns4 ,one poor fellow near me was riddled with bullets and ,i had just time enough to prepare him for death4 ,towards three o'clock ,i felt something was wrong4 ,wounded from the ,fourteenth and ,sixteenth were no longer coming in4 ,the men of the ,fifteenth were in reserve just behind where ,i worked4 ,seeing this1 ,i started forward4 ,the shell-fire was intense1 but ,i prayed the ,blessed ,virgin to see me through4 ,i met a soldier from the ,sixteenth who showed me where the soldiers were1 but he advised me not to go any farther4 ,i'm afraid ,i was too worried about my men at the moment to heed advice of this kind4 ,i found a number of them in a cutting of a railway1 together with a lot of other troops4 ,the battle was not going well2 many members of the ,fourteenth1 cut off1 had been taken prisoners4 ,the young officer did not know where the rest were4 ,i stayed with them1 crouching in little holes in the side of the sunken road1 and read my ,breviary while the clay scattered by bursting shells fell on its open pages4 ,presently1 ,i joined a party of stretcher-bearers going out upon the field4 ,the shelling was terrible as we passed down the cutting of the railroad4 ,i was now getting among machine-gunners of the ,third ,division who had their guns set up in the side of the cutting4 ,the stretcher-bearers had no sooner reached the field1 than the ,germans1 seeing them1 commenced firing with small shells at point-blank range over open sights4 ,three of the stretcher-bearers went down1 two of them mortally wounded4 ,i ran quickly to them and began to anoint one of them4 ,the other bearers ran to points of safety and ,i was alone on the field4 ,those were the most terrible minutes of my life4 ,i knew the enemy could see me and was firing at me for shells were crashing all about me4 ,terrified1 ,i crouched flat on my stomach until ,i finished anointing the lad1 who passed away before ,i had done my work4 ,then ,i rolled over and lay still1 as if ,i were dead2 a little later1 ,i crawled from shell hole to shell hole1 off the field4 ,when the roll was called that night seventy-one men out of six hundred answered4 ,we had lost many prisoners4 ,i could not find my battalion to march out with them4 ,i had not eaten any food all day and it was now six o'clock4 ,i had gone through the most terrible day of my life1 and ,i was utterly dispirited4 ,i had never before felt so strangely4 ,of course1 we had had many engagements during the past week1 and constantly ,i had been looking on men mangled and broken and torn2 and1 besides ,i had eaten scarcely anything4 ,i seemed to be moving in a world that was all upset2 somehow1 suddenly1 everything had gone wrong with the allies6 ,i bumped along till finally ,i came to the dugout that had been occupied by the medical officer of the ,fourteenth4 ,he had gone1 but he had left behind a white bag1 resembling in size and shape an ordinary pillow-slip1 half filled with sugar4 ,i thought of taking it along with me1 but ,i left it4 ,as ,i moved on dazedly1 suddenly ,i remembered ,i had seen the ,fifteenth back in reserve4 ,i had come through them in the morning on my way up to the ,fourteenth4 ,i would go to them and ask for something to eat4 ,how ,i missed ,george6 ,george would have had a breakfast for me in the morning1 and would have found me in the evening4 ,headquarters of the ,fifteenth were in a cellar1 and a kind-hearted kilted laddie guided me to the door4 ,i was greeted very kindly1 and in a little while the waiter placed on the table some white bread and margarine and a plate of cold beef4 8,i'm sorry10 said ,major ,girvin1 ,o4 ,c41 of the ,fifteenth ,battalion1 8that we have no sugar1 ,padre40 ,i then remembered the bag of sugar ,i had seen in the medical officer's hut4 ,if ,i had only brought it1 ,i could have given it to the ,fifteenth ,battalion6 ,i did not mind the lack of sugar in the tea4 ,and ,i was not bothered that most of the smoke from the improvised fire-place was floating out over the cellar instead of rising through the chimney4 ,but ,i began to feel my spirits revive with the kindly talk of the officers4 ,they seemed pleased that ,i had dropped in on them4 ,the ,fifteenth was the one battalion of the brigade that had no chaplain4 ,they used to say jokingly that they were so good that they did not need a chaplain4 ,i related my experiences of the day to the officers4 ,they were sympathetic1 for they had had many similar ones4 ,i stayed with them for an hour or two till the ,twenty-sixth ,battalion came to relieve them4 ,the officer who took over from us was an old friend1 and one of the very best ,catholics of the old ,one ,hundred and ,thirty-,second ,battalion4 ,i was delighted to see ,captain ,barry and we talked for a long time in the cellar4 ,chapter ,,xciii ,,in ,,reserve ,during the night we marched back to ,inchy4 ,very early in the morning ,i found the transport of the ,fourteenth and1 later in the day1 the remnants of the battalion4 ,they were in reserve1 some miles from the firing line1 yet in a very hard-shelled area2 to make matters worse1 we were in an ammunition dump1 one of the largest ,i had ever seen4 ,it was a very poor place to bring men to rest after battle6 ,there was a little ,catholic chapel-tent here1 similar to the one we had had at ,ecurie ,wood4 ,in the afternoon ,i went up to this and found ,father ,o',sullivan of the ,first ,divisional ,engineers in charge4 ,i slept in the chapel-tent that night4 ,just before ,i retired1 a number of lads came in to see me4 ,the last one was a runner from the ,fourteenth4 ,he had had a terrible time carrying messages to different companies of the battalion in the battle the previous day4 ,he showed me his tunic1 from which a bullet had torn a strip across the chest4 ,he had only begun to speak of his narrow escape when he burst out crying and immediately left the tent4 ,father ,o',sullivan was sleeping down in the lines of the engineers4 ,the shelling was terrible2 beyond description4 ,not far away whole train-loads of munitions were being hit by ,german shells and car after car was exploding with a deafening noise4 ,a great many horses were being hit1 for there were horse lines of the artillery nearby4 ,shell after shell was dropping around my tent2 but ,i felt too tired to move4 ,i remember my conscience bothering me a little as to whether ,i were justified in remaining in the tent when at any minute ,i might be blown up4 ,after a little puzzling1 ,i decided ,i was1 and for this reason--perhaps1 in looking for a place of safety1 ,i might be struck by one of the shells4 ,and at any minute ,fritz might stop4 ,i said ,mass the following morning1 and no words can express the consolation it gave me4 ,i had not said ,mass for five days--not since the previous ,sunday4 ,we remained another night1 but the shelling was so intense that it was no fit place for troops to rest in3 so on ,saturday afternoon we marched farther back4 ,many men whom we thought had been taken prisoners found their way back to the battalion2 they had become separated from their companies and had lain hidden in shell-holes till they could come back in safety4 ,as we now numbered nearly three hundred1 we did not present an unfavorable appearance as we marched along4 ,the band at the head of the column played 8,the ,great ,little ,army0 and 8,sons of the ,brave0 and many other old favorites2 already the lads were becoming more cheerful4 ,chapter ,,xciv ,,frequent ,,moves ,it was afternoon when we came into our area1 and it was ,saturday4 ,the doctor and ,i had been given a hut almost filled with ,german high explosives--barrels of cordite1 rolls of gun-cotton and boxes of amenol were on all sides4 ,there was just room for us to spread two bed-rolls on the floor4 ,woe unto any one who smoked in this powder magazine6 ,the cook-house was almost touching us1 and sparks flew from the short stove-pipe that pierced the low roof4 ,if a spark or two should happen to fall on our little room6 ,the doctor became uneasy1 and hearing that a field ambulance was quartered a few hundred feet away he left and found shelter with his brethren4 ,during the afternoon we received a draft of three hundred fresh men to reinforce our shattered ranks4 ,i watched them as they stood to attention and were inspected by the colonel4 ,tomorrow ,i would have them at ,mass1 for it would be ,sunday4 ,sunday morning the wind was blowing a rather stiff breeze1 and as ,i was to say ,mass out of doors1 ,i knew it would be impossible to keep my candles lighted unless ,i should build a windshield--or break-wind4 ,accordingly1 at nine o'clock ,i called the ,englishman who had been appointed to look after my wants1 and we went up to the field and tried to build the windshield4 ,for nearly an hour we labored unsuccessfully with the material we had at hand4 ,i was quite discouraged when ,i heard the pipes of the ,thirteenth ,battalion coming up the road--and ,i had no place arranged to say ,mass6 ,i looked around1 not knowing what to do next1 and there1 not more than a hundred yards away stood the remnants of the corner walls of a house--exactly what ,i had been trying to build4 ,the two walls were just about five feet high and there was a trough about two feet high and three feet long built into the corner4 ,quickly the ,englishman and ,i filled this with brick and in five minutes my altar was fitted up and ready for ,mass4 ,i had been told by the staff captain of the brigade to hurry1 as the place where ,i was to say ,mass was under ,german observation4 ,i said ,mass very quickly1 dispensed with the sermon1 and gave a general absolution to the men as they knelt on the green field among piles of shattered masonry4 ,that evening we moved back to support trenches and ,i was not sorry to leave my munition store-room4 ,the doctor and ,i were given a dugout to ourselves4 ,as it was very cold1 we made a little trench heater out of an old bean-tin1 cutting a number of holes in the sides of it and filling it with pieces of paraffine candles and torn shreds of burlap4 ,when we set fire to this we had quite a brazier4 ,headquarters was some distance from our trench in a corrugated iron hut1 and as ,fritz was shelling a balloon headquarters not far away1 we often had to run the gauntlet of shell-fire4 ,we remained here nearly a week and it was relatively quiet4 ,on ,october #ith1 when we went over to lunch1 the colonel told us that the ,canadians had taken ,cambrai4 ,the taking of ,cambrai closed the battle of ,arras-,cambrai1 begun on ,august #bfth1 after we had come back from ,amiens4 ,from this date the ,canadian ,corps had advanced twenty-three miles1 fighting for every yard of ground and overcoming tremendous obstacles4 ,we had taken over eighteen thousand prisoners1 three hundred and seventy guns and two thousand machine-guns4 ,we held the front line for a few days1 then came out to reserve1 where the ,prince of ,wales reviewed us4 ,chapter ,,xcv ,,somaine ,on ,october #agth word was brought that the ,germans were falling back4 ,the following day we crossed the ,canal de la ,sensee4 ,cyclists1 cavalry and motor machine-guns were in immediate pursuit of the enemy4 ,i shall never forget ,saturday1 ,october #aith1 on which day word was brought to us by runners that there was a thickly populated city not far away called ,somaine1 from which the enemy were marching out4 ,in a little while we would be marching in4 ,it was evening when the draft ,i was accompanying marched into ,somaine4 ,the band was accompanying us4 ,it had been silent for quite a while1 as we did not know but that some lurking nest of machine-gunners might be near to fire on us4 ,it was dark as we passed the first group of houses near the city4 ,i suppose the soldiers were wondering why the band was silent1 for it was our invariable custom to play when entering a town4 ,suddenly1 from the rear of the ranks1 a voice calls out in the darkness3 8,give us the band60 ,and then1 8,good old band60 says another voice above the swinging1 grating sound of marching feet over muddy cobblestones4 ,then there is a great medley of calls1 of which the motif is 8,band6 ,band60 8,give us the band60 ,usually when the lads voice their request for music the band always plays4 ,tonight1 however1 the lads call longer than usual and the young officer wrinkles his brow a little as he wonders if it would be wise to give the order4 ,he begins to think that the responsibilities of a subordinate officer are great4 ,meanwhile1 the lads keep calling for the band4 ,finally1 the young officer decides to risk it and word goes relayed up to the bandmaster3 8,let's have the band40 ,the bandmaster turns slightly in the darkness and calls out1 8,over ,there40 ,the bandsmen swing their instruments into position1 while insistent demands for the band still come shouted from the rear of the ranks4 ,the lads do not yet know that orders to play have been given4 ,the snare-drums roll2 the large drum booms three times1 twice2 there is a clash and a clang of cymbals4 ,a cheer of satisfaction goes up from the marching lads4 ,then clearly in the darkness sound the inspiring notes of 8,over ,there40 ,as we march down the streets1 doors fly open in the houses and grateful ,french peasants1 who have been prisoners of the ,germans for the last four years1 come running to the street3 old men standing by the wayside and1 holding their hats in their hands1 bow their heads4 ,women pass waffles and cups of coffee to the men1 and little children run up and down the pavement shouting and dancing in their glee4 ,but no bells ring from towers4 ,these have been taken long ago to be melted into bullets and made into shells4 ,we were billeted in very comfortable quarters in the town of ,somaine4 ,i called on the old cur and made arrangements for ,mass for my lads the following morning4 ,he asked me if ,i could say ,mass at nine o'clock1 as his ,mass was to be at ten4 ,this was done1 and at ten o'clock ,i returned to the church to be present at the ,mass of the parish4 ,the church was crowded with people as the old priest1 looking like the cur of ,ars1 with his beautiful white hair hanging down to his shoulders1 came to the altar4 ,he was naturally rather pale1 but today his thin face was flushed and his clear blue eyes were lighted by excitement4 ,i could not keep my eyes from the straight old figure that went so quickly up into the pulpit and faced his people4 8,gratias agamus ,domino ,deo nostro60--8,let us give thanks to the ,lord ,our ,god60 ,the words ring clearly out over the church4 ,one wonders at the strength and clearness of the priest's voice4 ,as he continues3 8,thirty years ago1 my dear friends1 when ,i received the holy oils of priesthood those words of gratitude came to my mind4 ,five years ago1 when ,i knelt at the feet of our ,sovereign ,pontiff to receive his blessing on the occasion of my silver jubilee of priesthood1 again ,i said those words3 #8,gratias agamus ,domino ,deo nostro'--#8,let us give thanks to the ,lord our ,god4' ,but today as ,i stand at the altar of ,god1 knowing that my people are free1 knowing that after four years of continued intercession of the ,sacred ,heart of ,jesus our prayer has been heard1 my heart breaks forth in gratitude the like of which ,i have never before experienced4 #8,gratias agamus ,domino ,deo nostro'--#8,let us give thanks to the ,lord our ,god'60 ,then the old priest continued his sermon1 asking his people if they did not remember how he had told them never to give up2 to keep on praying2 that surely their prayers would be heard4 ,many eyes were wet when he finished his sermon4 ,the following day1 we pursued the enemy a few miles1 for he was still retreating1 but on ,tuesday we were ordered back to rest4 ,my brigade was in ,fenain and ,somaine and ,i was billeted with the saintly old cur4 ,chapter ,,xcvi ,,the ,,end ,,draws ,,near ,every day for about a week troops were almost continuously passing through ,somaine and all the heavy guns were being brought up4 ,soon railway communications were established and some of the people of the city were making visits to ,paris4 ,every evening ,i used to sit with the cur in his little kitchen before the fire and tell him stories of the war4 ,the old priest was kept very busy2 his assistant1 a young priest1 had been taken1 together with all the men of military age1 by the ,germans in their retreat4 ,almost every day ,i saw the hearse drawn up before his church and ,i knew another funeral cortege was soon to pass along the way4 ,he spoke to me one evening of the frequent deaths1 and then added3 8,the people are dying of joy40 ,true1 the people had been so weakened through hunger that many were not able to stand the great joy of deliverance4 ,it was pitiful to see the little boys and girls playing in the street4 ,at first it seemed to me that they were all too tall for their years2 then ,i knew it was that they were under-nourished4 ,a touching incident occurred one day when ,i was called upon to bury a ,catholic lad from one of the battalions of the ,third ,division1 then fighting towards ,valenciennes4 ,as ,i read the prayers over him1 a little ,french girl of about eight or nine years approached the grave1 carrying in her hand an oblong box of ,canadian biscuits4 ,the little one was holding the box close to her side4 ,i assumed that one of our lads had given it to her2 they were forever doing such kind acts4 ,presently she saw that it was one of her gallant liberators over whom ,i was saying the last prayers4 ,immediately she began to sob and the big tears ran down her cheeks4 ,she actually shook in a paroxysm of grief4 ,it was hard for the lads standing near1 and for me1 to go on with our work4 ,always during the war our hearts had been steeled1 not knowing what was to come next4 ,in a few minutes the mother came from somewhere behind us1 took the child by the arm and gently led her away4 ,we were in ,somaine nearly three weeks and the men were greatly benefited by the rest4 ,i recall a humorous incident that occurred during our stay there4 ,one day the cur of ,fenain1 which was just five minutes' run on my bicycle from ,somaine1 invited me over to a disinterment that was to take place in his cemetery4 ,having seen enough of gruesome things1 ,i politely declined to be present4 ,then as ,i saw the cur's face break into a smile1 ,i felt there must be some joke1 so ,i promised to attend4 ,in my presence the casket was exhumed1 and lo6 gentle reader1 there appeared beautiful vestments and precious altar-vessels1 together with the municipal books and documents4 ,then the cur told me the story4 ,the coffin had been filled with its strange contents and drawn solemnly in the hearse through the streets just as the ,germans had taken over the town2 and as the funeral procession moved through the street the ,germans themselves had saluted through respect to the 8,dead60 ,chapter ,,xcvii ,,november ,,eleventh ,november came1 and ,i helped the parish priest of ,somaine to give ,holy ,communion to the vast crowds of his people who received on ,all ,saints ,day4 ,in return1 he helped me with the confessions of my men1 for now nearly all the members of the ,fourteenth ,battalion and very many of the ,thirteenth were ,french-speaking soldiers4 ,i was beginning to feel that all were ready spiritually for more battles when ,november #aath arrived and we learned that hostilities had ceased4 ,if this were fiction1 ,i might write a lengthy description of how the troops went wild with joy1 etc41 etc42 but as it is the truth1 ,i am constrained to say we took it in a strangely quiet manner4 ,we could only look at each other and say3 8,well1 it's over at last60 and we would add1 8thank ,god60 ,perhaps we were dazed by the good news4 ,perhaps it was that the terrible experience of war had left us incapable of expressing our emotion4 ,perhaps these verses from 8,the ,citizen of ,no ,man's ,land10 by ,roselle ,mercier ,montgomery1 express the strange tension that had come to us during the war3 ,why is it that1 although we settle down ,and live the lives we lived1 a strange unrest1 ,a something1 haunts us as we work or play-- ,a restlessness too vague to be exprest8 ,is it that we who1 out there1 walked with ,death ,and knew the fellowship of ,fear and ,pain1 ,are citizens for aye of ,no ,man's ,land ,and never shall be as we were again8 ,to those of us who played the game out there1 ,and saw brave men who failed to win lose all ,where ,fate was dealer1 ,life and ,death the stake1 ,shall other games forevermore seem small8 ',tis true that home is dear and love is sweet1 ,and pleasant are our friends to be among1 ,yet1 something lacks to us from ,no ,man's ,land-- ,is it that no one here can speak our tongue8 ,we cannot tell them what befell us there1 ,for well we know they cannot understand2 ,so each sits quiet by his own hearth fire1 ,and sees therein the sights of ,no ,man's ,land6 99 99 99 99 99 ,they feel our strangeness1 too--those at one side ,who chatter of the things of every day2 ,they mark our silences1 our strange reserve1 8,ah1 he is changed60 they shake their heads and say4 ,they say the dead return not1 but ,i think ,we know1 who have come back from ,no ,man's ,land1 ,how ghosts must feel1 who walk familiar ways ,and yet find no one there to understand6 ,chapter ,,xcviii ,,through ,,belgium ,the evening of the ,armistice ,i was sitting with the old cur of ,somaine when the ,englishman came up to tell me that orders had come for the brigade to march in the morning4 ,we were to follow the retiring ,germans1 who had promised as one of the conditions of the ,armistice to withdraw to a certain number of miles on the opposite side of the ,rhine4 ,i looked at the old cur2 ,i had just been telling him that ,i expected a long rest now4 ,and here we were to traverse all ,belgium on foot1 and continue through the ,rhineland of ,germany till we reached the opposite bank of the ,rhine6 ,at four o'clock in the morning1 after ,i had received ,holy ,communion from the hand of the saintly old cur--,i did not have time to say ,mass--,i left4 ,it was a long march before us1 yet we did not foresee that it was going to be interesting4 ,we reached the border between ,france and ,belgium before the end of the week4 ,we descended a long hill1 the band at the head of the column playing the 8,marseillaise10 while on both sides of the road from many windows waved the tricolor of ,france4 ,we then crossed a small bridge over a dyke1 in the middle of which stood a pole about six feet high2 at the top of the pole was a small metal sign-board about a foot long and eight inches high1 running parallel with the road4 ,on the end nearest us was the one word 8,france10 then a little line about one inch long1 then the word 8,belgique40 ,so we stepped from ,france into ,belgium1 and the band1 which was the first to cross the line1 having ceased to play the 8,marseillaise0 began 8,la ,brabaconne10 the national anthem of the ,belgians4 ,we spent our first ,sunday in a little place called ,quaregnon1 where we witnessed a demonstration of the wonderful patriotism of the ,belgians4 ,the church was crowded and after ,mass the cur in stole and cope1 intoned the 8,te ,deum40 ,instantly all present took it up1 and the great volume of sound filled the church as ,belgian1 ,frenchman and ,canadian joined in the mighty hymn of thanksgiving4 ,then the little cur did something ,i had never seen done before3 he turned towards the people and cried1 8,long live ,belgium1 free1 and independent60 ,the people repeated his words4 ,then he cried1 8,long live the ,canadians1 our liberators60 and as he passed to the sacristy a full orchestra played 8,le ,sambre et ,meuse10 while a number of the congregation joined in this war-song of the ,french4 ,at one place where we stopped a tall1 thin priest spoke to me of the summer when the ,germans had passed through--it seemed so long ago now1 that summer of #aiad--when great train-loads of enemy soldiers passed his house daily4 ,he recalled one train in particular3 the cars were gaily decorated with flowers1 bunting and flags1 and from the engine floated a big white pennant on which was printed3 8,william of ,germany1 ,emperor of ,europe40 ,he recalled the endless battalions that passed along the highway1 fully equipped from boot to helmet1 marching in perfect order4 ,their horses1 too1 were in excellent condition4 ,their wagons were shining4 ,every little while a voice from the ranks would call out1 8,nch ,paris6 ,nch ,paris60--8,on to ,paris6 ,on to ,paris60 and little ,belgian children1 terrified1 scurried to cellar or other hiding places4 8,yesterday10 continued the priest1 8,i saw the last of the ,german army pass through on their return march to ,germany4 ,they had scarcely any horses2 and those that they had were extremely thin4 ,men were hauling wagons and carts4 ,their uniforms were worn and soiled2 in fact1 many were nondescript4 ,yesterday many of the boys remembering the words the ,germans had called out on their way1 four years before1 standing on pavement or in doorways called out3 #8,nch ,paris6 ,nch ,paris6'--#8,on to ,paris6 ,on to ,paris6'0 ,it was very pleasant marching off early every morning while the band played some old favorite that had cheered the weary men after a hard day on the battlefield4 ,all along the way1 for the first week or two1 we were greeted by happy peasants1 who had been refugees for years1 returning to their own country4 ,nearly always they pulled hand-carts piled high with bedding and gaily decorated with flags of the allies4 ,i remember once on the roadside we found that the railway track had been blown up1 and a great length of rails1 with the sleepers still attached1 had been thrown completely over a two-story building1 like a wide1 curving ladder4 ,i found the ,belgian priests very hospitable and very much interested in conditions in ,america4 ,they were filled with gratitude to the people of the ,united ,states4 ,in many shop windows we saw a picture representing the ocean1 and ,columbia passing bread across the waters to an emaciated woman sitting on the shore with two starving children near her4 ,in the upper part of the picture were insets of ,president ,wilson and ,brand ,whitlock1 and underneath was written3 8,grateful ,belgium40 ,i was in a little town not far from ,brussels the day the king came back4 ,most of the broken railways had not yet been repaired1 and as the ,germans had taken the horses away from the people1 many walked from ten to twenty miles to see the king come back to his kingdom4 ,we marched by ,waterloo and through an old monastery called ,villers ,l',abbey1 built by ,st4 ,bernard4 ,in one place where we halted over night was a tiny three-nave church of grey granite1 which had been built in the ninth century4 ,napoleon had stopped here once in passing and had given a crown of gold for one of the statues4 ,it was the finest three-nave church in the world4 ,it was pure ,roman architecture4 ,gradually we were drawing nearer the ,german border4 ,chapter ,,xcix ,,through ,,the ,,rhineland ,shortly before we reached the frontier one of the officers came into the mess and said to me3 8,it may be a little exciting crossing the line1 ,padre4 ,i hear there are some revolutionists who are going to snipe at us40 ,i did not care for this kind of excitement4 ,i felt ,i had seen all ,i wanted of shooting for the rest of my life4 ,there was no need to worry1 however1 for our march into ,germany was a very peaceful one4 ,but nobody cheered us2 no flags waved2 everything was silent in the land as our khaki swung through the winding road4 ,we passed through a very hilly country1 and we soon had evidence that it was a ,catholic country1 for all along our march were little wayside shrines4 ,our first billet was a low1 white farmhouse1 very comfortably furnished4 ,on the wall of our mess was an oleograph of the ,holy ,family2 a similar copy had hung in my bed-room when ,i was a boy4 ,presently an old lady came in1 looked at me and said something4 ,i replied in ,french1 but she shook her head4 ,i pointed to the oleograph and said1 8,katholisch80 ,the old lady looked at me1 beaming4 ,i pointed to myself and said1 8,katholisch10 and then added1 8,prester10 as ,i thought this was the ,german word for priest4 ,during my stay in that house ,i was treated as the ,catholic priest is always treated by the humble4 ,in one place a young woman1 learning that ,i was a priest1 came to me with her brother1 who spoke excellent ,english2 he had been a waiter in the ,savoy ,hotel1 in ,london1 previous to the war4 ,the husband of the young woman had been killed in the war1 and passing me her offering1 she asked if ,i would say ,mass for the repose of his soul the following morning in the village church4 ,this ,i did1 and while ,i said ,mass the village choir sang two hymns4 ,it was a low ,mass ,i said1 and in the color of the day4 ,i asked the young man the name of the hymns and he told me4 ,i cannot recall the name of the first one3 but ,i think the second was entitled 8,o ,komm ,o ,komm ,emanuel40 ,it must have been an ,advent hymn1 for ,i heard it almost every morning as ,i said ,mass in those little churches of the ,rhineland4 ,i have never seen such excellent ,catholics3 every morning the village church would be crowded as if it were ,sunday4 ,sometimes ,i gave communion to ,german people who came reverently to the rails4 ,the time passed quickly and at last on ,december #abth1 we arrived in the city of ,cologne4 ,the following morning we marched across the ,rhine1 while the band played the 8,regimental ,march0 and 8,the ,british ,grenadier20 the men with fixed bayonets marched rigidly to attention4 ,some officers near me sang softly the words3 8,when we wind up the watch on the ,rhine40 ,we marched about twelve miles beyond the ,rhine to a little place called ,altenbruick4 ,here we halted4 ,and it was here that ,i said good-bye to the battalion on ,christmas ,day4 ,we had ,midnight ,mass in the ,german church on the hill overlooking the village4 ,father ,madden1 who had returned to his battalion after being discharged from hospital1 came to help me with confessions4 ,my lads were scattered over different parishes1 but ,i had arranged for church parades for all who could come4 ,i heard confessions from seven p4 m4 till midnight1 and as the clock struck the midnight hour one of my lads from the ,fourteenth began to sing that beautiful ,christmas hymn which was being sung that night in ,french churches all over ,canada1 8,minuit1 ,chretiens0 7,holy ,night74 ,every ,christmas1 just at midnight1 ,i had heard it sung in the basilica of old ,quebec1 where ,i had made my studies for the priesthood4 ,and as the clear1 strong voice sang those beautiful notes of ,gounod's famous composition1 memories of peace swept over my soul4 ,i had seen horrible things2 but now they were past and this was the night of the ,christ ,child1 when the angels sang 8peace on earth to men of good will40 ,i was fully vested1 and was about to proceed to the altar for the last time before these lads1 when the ,german parish priest came in to the sacristy4 ,he spoke quickly in ,french1 telling me that at the communion ,i need not descend to the rails2 that he would give communion to my men4 ,for an instant ,i seemed dazed4 ,i had brought the ,bread of ,life so often to many of those soldiers and officers who now waited for me to draw near to the altar of ,god4 ,very likely ,i should never have the opportunity of again ministering to them4 ,but1 then1 ,i thought1 this ,german priest wishes to give communion to my lads4 ,centuries before1 the angels had sung3 8,peace to men of good will40 ,i must show good will4 ,yet how hard it was6 ,then1 mastering a great reluctance1 ,i said quietly3 8,very well1 ,father1 you will give communion to my men40 ,so this is the last memory ,i hold of those wonderful soldier lads--the ,midnight ,mass at ,altenbruick4 ,the sound of the voice of the ,german priest1 8,corpus ,domini ,nostri ,jesu ,christi10 etc41 as he dispensed the mysteries of ,god to my soldier lads6 ,and1 above all else1 the presence in our midst of ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,saviour of the world--,the ,prince of ,peace6 ,chapter ,c ,l',,envoi ,it is all over now1 yet often ,i think of those wonderful days2 of long night marches2 of long days of weary waiting2 of quiet resting-places1 with their rows and rows of 8little green tents0 and small white crosses1 landmarks of our warfare in ,france and ,flanders4 ,sometimes ,i think of all those lads who answered so quickly the final roll-call2 and my thoughts go back to those nights in ,france where such great numbers knelt to ask pardon of ,god1 and to become fortified with the ,bread of the ,strong4 ,many of those lads ,i ushered up to the gates of heaven1 which swung open to them so soon after they had left me4 ,now 8they are numbered amongst the children of ,god and their lot is with the saints40 ,they do not forget me4 ,sometimes1 when the force of circumstances presses greatly and the way along which ,i must walk seems exceptionally hard1 ,i call on them to stand by4 ,i ask them simply to remember ,arras1 ,amiens1 ,cherisy ,valley1 ,canal du ,nord and ,cambrai1 then--,i feel those lads are praying for me4 ,and sometimes 8when thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a pall over my spirit10 a thought most comforting comes to my mind4 ,i see in imagination the street of heaven and1 coming marching towards me1 great hosts1 their faces lighted with the ,vision of ,god4 ,i see them turned towards me1 as ,i have seen them so often on battlefield and in hospital ward4 ,that look of loving trust is there--only so many times glorified6 ,they look at me1 who am a little dismayed1 a little afraid4 ,then ,i hear their voices3 8,come1 ,father1 your billet is ready60 ,then ,i feel very confident1 for ,i know that my warfare is over1 that ,i am going back to rest--back to ,eternal ,rest4 ,,the ,,end ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,italicized text is surrounded by underscores3 italics4 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized4 ,the cover image for this e,book was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain4