The Major [133]
We have got to live, haven't we?" she added as the launch got under way.
"Got to live," said Mr. McPherson after they had gone. "Ah, even that necessity has been changed. The necessity for living, which I am afraid most of us have considered to be of first importance, has suddenly given place to another necessity."
"And that?" said Mr. Murray.
"The necessity not to live, but to do our duty. Life has become all at once a very simple thing."
"Well, we have got to keep going in the meantime at any rate," said Mr. Murray.
"Going, yes; but going where?" said Mr. McPherson. "All roads now, for us, lead to one spot."
"And that spot?" said Mr. Murray.
"The battlefield."
"Why, Mr. McPherson, we must not lose our heads; we must keep sane and reasonable. Eh, Doctor?"
"I confess that this thing has completely stunned me," said Dr. Brown. "You see I could not believe, I would not believe that war was possible in our day. I would not believe you, Mr. McPherson. I thought you had gone mad on this German scare. But you were right. My God, I can't get my bearings yet; we are really at war!"
"God grant that Canada may see its duty clearly," said Mr. McPherson. "God make us strong to bear His will."
They hurried back to their island, each busy with his thoughts, seeking to readjust life to this new and horrible environment.
Mrs. Murray met them at the dock. "You are back, Dr. Brown," she cried. "Did you forget something? We are glad to see you at any rate." Then noticing the men's faces, she said, "What is the matter, James? Is there anything wrong?"
"We bring terrible news, Mother," he said. "We are at war."
Mrs. Murray's' mind, like her husband's, moved swiftly. She was a life partner in the fullest sense. In business as in the home she shared his plans and purposes. "What about the block, James?" she asked.
"I wired Eastwood," he replied, "to stop that."
"What is it, Mother?" inquired Isabel, who stood upon the dock clinging to her mother's dress, and who saw in the grave, faces about her signs of disaster.
"Hush, dear," said her mother. "Nothing that you can understand." She would keep from her children this horror as long as she could.
At lunch in the midst of the most animated conversation the talk would die out, and all would be busy fitting their lives to war. Like waves ever deepening in volume and increasing in force, the appalling thought of war beat upon their minds. After lunch they sat together in the screened veranda talking quietly together of the issues, the consequences to them and to their community, to their country, and to the world at large, of this thing that had befallen them. They made the amazing discovery that they were almost entirely ignorant of everything that had to do with war, even the relative military strength of the belligerent nations. One thing like a solid back wall of rock gave them a sense of security--the British Navy was still supreme.
"Let's see, did they cut down the Navy estimates during the last Parliament? I know they were always talking of reduction," inquired Mr. Murray.
"I am afraid I know nothing about it," said Dr. Brown. "Last week I would have told you 'I hope so'; to-day I profoundly hope not. Jane, you ought to know about this. Jane is the war champion in our family," he added with a smile.
"No, there has been no reduction; Winston Churchill has carried on his programme. He wanted to halt the building programme, you remember, but the Germans would not agree. So I think the Navy is quite up to the mark. But, of course," she added, "the German Navy is very strong too."
"Ah, I believe you are right, Jane," said Dr. Brown. "How completely we were all hoodwinked. I cannot believe that we are actually at war. Our friend Romayne was right. By the way, what about Romayne, Jane?"
"Who is he?" inquired Mr. Murray.
"Romayne?" said Dr. Brown. "Oh, he's a great friend of ours in the West. He married a sister of young Gwynne, you know. He was an attache of the British Embassy in Berlin, and was,
"Got to live," said Mr. McPherson after they had gone. "Ah, even that necessity has been changed. The necessity for living, which I am afraid most of us have considered to be of first importance, has suddenly given place to another necessity."
"And that?" said Mr. Murray.
"The necessity not to live, but to do our duty. Life has become all at once a very simple thing."
"Well, we have got to keep going in the meantime at any rate," said Mr. Murray.
"Going, yes; but going where?" said Mr. McPherson. "All roads now, for us, lead to one spot."
"And that spot?" said Mr. Murray.
"The battlefield."
"Why, Mr. McPherson, we must not lose our heads; we must keep sane and reasonable. Eh, Doctor?"
"I confess that this thing has completely stunned me," said Dr. Brown. "You see I could not believe, I would not believe that war was possible in our day. I would not believe you, Mr. McPherson. I thought you had gone mad on this German scare. But you were right. My God, I can't get my bearings yet; we are really at war!"
"God grant that Canada may see its duty clearly," said Mr. McPherson. "God make us strong to bear His will."
They hurried back to their island, each busy with his thoughts, seeking to readjust life to this new and horrible environment.
Mrs. Murray met them at the dock. "You are back, Dr. Brown," she cried. "Did you forget something? We are glad to see you at any rate." Then noticing the men's faces, she said, "What is the matter, James? Is there anything wrong?"
"We bring terrible news, Mother," he said. "We are at war."
Mrs. Murray's' mind, like her husband's, moved swiftly. She was a life partner in the fullest sense. In business as in the home she shared his plans and purposes. "What about the block, James?" she asked.
"I wired Eastwood," he replied, "to stop that."
"What is it, Mother?" inquired Isabel, who stood upon the dock clinging to her mother's dress, and who saw in the grave, faces about her signs of disaster.
"Hush, dear," said her mother. "Nothing that you can understand." She would keep from her children this horror as long as she could.
At lunch in the midst of the most animated conversation the talk would die out, and all would be busy fitting their lives to war. Like waves ever deepening in volume and increasing in force, the appalling thought of war beat upon their minds. After lunch they sat together in the screened veranda talking quietly together of the issues, the consequences to them and to their community, to their country, and to the world at large, of this thing that had befallen them. They made the amazing discovery that they were almost entirely ignorant of everything that had to do with war, even the relative military strength of the belligerent nations. One thing like a solid back wall of rock gave them a sense of security--the British Navy was still supreme.
"Let's see, did they cut down the Navy estimates during the last Parliament? I know they were always talking of reduction," inquired Mr. Murray.
"I am afraid I know nothing about it," said Dr. Brown. "Last week I would have told you 'I hope so'; to-day I profoundly hope not. Jane, you ought to know about this. Jane is the war champion in our family," he added with a smile.
"No, there has been no reduction; Winston Churchill has carried on his programme. He wanted to halt the building programme, you remember, but the Germans would not agree. So I think the Navy is quite up to the mark. But, of course," she added, "the German Navy is very strong too."
"Ah, I believe you are right, Jane," said Dr. Brown. "How completely we were all hoodwinked. I cannot believe that we are actually at war. Our friend Romayne was right. By the way, what about Romayne, Jane?"
"Who is he?" inquired Mr. Murray.
"Romayne?" said Dr. Brown. "Oh, he's a great friend of ours in the West. He married a sister of young Gwynne, you know. He was an attache of the British Embassy in Berlin, and was,