RING O

ys to see about the publication of my little war book. I got frightfu

ch had their stall. What fun we had! How many of the regiment are left? Only one officer not killed or wounded. Lord Roberts, who opened

here had been heavy fighting out here, and I felt I must come back. My dear people didn't want me to return, and were very severe on t

all from Bedford Square, and was told I must get a letter from Mr. Coventry. I went to Pall Mall and Mr. Coventry said it was quite impossible to do anything for me without instructions from Mr. Sawyer. Mr. Sawyer said the only thing he could do (if I could establish my identity) was to send me

this sort of official tyranny. I do not know anything more tiring or more discouraging! I had all my papers in order-my passport, my "laissez passer," a letter from Mr. Bevan, explaining who I was and asking for "every facility" for me, and my photograph, properly stamped

RRE

the war, because one always hears it said that it is deepening people's characters, purifying them, and so on. As far as my experience goes, it has shown me the reverse. I have seldom know

one else; a nice doctor is dismissed. Every nurse has given notice at different times. Most people are hurt and sore about something. Love seems quite at a discount, and one can't help wondering if Ha

they were going to do. Now they "use langwidge" to each other (although I kno

ified." One never knows. Lady Bagot's is the happiest and most serene place here; her men a

s I think it would be better if we were all at home, for Belgians are particular, and I hate breeches and gaiters for girls, and a silly way of going

e, so I had to wait at the H?tel Maurice for two or three days. I didn't mind much as I met such a lot of English friends, and also visited some

f British soldiers, and the hospitals swarmed with wounded. I went to visit the Casino one. The bright sun streamed through lowered blinds on hundreds of beds, and on stretchers lying between them. Many Canadians were there, and rows of British. G

a rage, one feels inclined to cry out against the sheer imbecility of it. Why bring lives into the world and shell them out of it with

RK SH

on all faces. No one had ever dreamed that the place could be hit by a German gun, yet here were houses falling as if by magic, and no one knew for a moment where on earth or in heaven the shells were coming from. Some people said they came fr

e fact remains that a long-range field-piece had been hidden at Leke, and Dunkirk was shelled for three days, and, as far as I know, may be shelled again. The inhabitants have all fled. The shops are not even

nd we had to wait a little while before we could get through; and when I arrived at Dunkirk

, where I stopped before reaching home to leave the chairs and things I had bought for the hospital there! They were bringing in civilians wou

WOMEN AN

r flesh torn, and older children crying with terror. There were two tiny things seated opposite each other on a big stretcher playing with dolls, and a little Christmas-card sort of baby in a red hood had had its mother and father killed beside it. Another lit

One big railway compartment was slung with their stretchers, and some young men in uniform nursed the babies. I shall never forget that railway compartment as long as I live. A man

, and the doctors were working in s

but my Belgian helpers had given a hundred pairs of mine away in my absence. They were overworked a little, I think, so I overlooked the fact that they lost their tempers rather ba

clopés" had been entirely neglected, and no one

nded. His mother came in one mass of wounds, and died on the operating table-a young mother, and a pretty one

t help ma

d an eye shot away, and some other wounds; the other, McDonald, had seven bad injuries. Ochterlony talked a good deal abo

mells, takes a bit of sticking. I have discovered one thing about Belgium. Everything smells exactly alike. To-day there have been presented to my nose f

WEAR

A man told me last night that he longed to be wounded so that he might go home honourably. Amongst all the volunteer corps I notice

ossom against blue sky, and the park with its flower-beds newly planted, a

about how horrible war is. Mrs. Guest told me of a sight she had herself seen. Some men, horribly wounded, were being sent away by rail in a covered waggon

gave me a pamphlet (price 2d.) written by a spinster friend of hers who had never left England, proving what a good thing this

eople fussed a good deal, but if one bothered one's poor head about every rumo

osen with judgment, and is no use. It has been rather a bother to me, and now it must go back. Mr. Carlile drove it up from Dunkirk, and

ometimes, when I hear people ask for the salt, I fancy the answer will be, "Certainly not." Two of our own chauffeurs live quite close to the station: they say they are busy, an

how deceived them into thinking I was nicer than I really am. Out here I have to try to remember that

lf. Never did I feel so helpless without one. But the roads are too bad and too

C

ded on our toilsome journey, with breaking tow-ropes (for the "corpse" is heavy) and defective steering-gear. They were amused. I was just cracking with fatigue. Needless

him, while he sobbed in great gusts. One Belgian officer told us that the hardest thing he had to do in the war was to give the order to fire on a German

nd found themselves surrounded. One regiment surrendered, and the men o

e man, seeing his wife and daughter stretched out on the ground, went

ounted the sound of bursting shells. There were 32 in one minute. The firing is continuous, and very loud, and living men are under this fire at this moment, "mown dow

m coming, and they passed overhead to fall on the old town. Under them the brown cattle fed unheeding, and old women hoed undisturbed, and the sinking sun threw long

n everyone else has fled from a place you can see them sitting

with their mother in a roadside Calvary when the shells were coming ov

CIFIX U

on some humble wall, or it may be a shrine in a church. The solitary figure remains and stands-often with arms raised to bless. At Neuve Chapelle one learns that, although the havoc is like that wrought by an earthquake, and the very dead have been uprooted there, a crucifix stands at the cross-roads at the north end of the village, and the pitiful Chr

ith 1,600 souls on board her. What change will this make in the situation? Is America any use to us except in the ma

e that shelling might begin again at any time, and a bitter wind blew up clouds of prickly dust and sand; but it was a great relief to be out in the open and away from smells, and to

an't forget that night," and burst out crying. "That night" he had been wounde

endid young fellow, with a beautiful face, and straight clear eyes of a sort of forget-me-not blue. He

h the base of a shell ("the bit they make into ash trays," she said) embe

g away a girl shot to pieces, and with her clothing in rags. He took her head, and a young

LUSIT

on," about the Lusitania, but that won't give us back our ship or our men. I wish we could do more and say less, but the Press must talk, and always does so "with its mouth." M. Rotsartz came to breakfast. The guns had been goin

ats, with two great white wings of cloven foam at their bows, and a great flourish of it in their wake, moving along under a canopy of their own black smoke. It was the smoke of good British coal, from pits where grimy workmen dwell in the black country, and British sweat has to get it out of the ground. Our grey lady was burning plenty of it, and

ress had come back again. The sun was westering now, and the sea had turned to gold, and the grey lady looked black against the glare, but the fire of her guns was br

I heard the fussy importance of minor officials, but I had

ame of bridge-a thing I had not seen for a year and more (the last time I played was down

y thing which describes what the place is like is strawberry jam. Another said that in one trench the sides were falling, an

N PRI

them, and it is useless to say I don't. They are all polite and grateful, and I thought to-day, when the prisoners were surrounded by a gaping crowd, that they bore thems

lions of British suffragettes have arrived at the fro

who sat there hand in hand, covered with blood. The old woman had her arm blown

nd Nieuport say that the losses on both sides have been enormous. There were four Belgian office

eaving, but he begged them to remain a minute or two and to do his little business. They did so, and came to the door to se

ve me men for war, and no one else except nuns. Things may be all right, but the Belgians are horrified, and I hate them to "say things" of the English.

they are alone they just seem to sink back into apathy and fatigue. Why won't these mad creatures stop at home? They are t

ades of my modest ancestresses! Is this war time, and in a room filled with men and smoke and drink, are wome

ll be killed before the war is over. Surely the least we can do is not to offer them temptation. Death and destruction,

REA

f a British soldier limping painfully through Po

unded," a friend o

ree places, but"-he drew from under his arm a treasure, and his poor d

e Germans had taken the town and were approaching the church. He just went on talking, till at last, as the tramp of footsteps sounded on the belfry stai

ed, and might have descended, but he was determined not to let the Germans have his machine. He planed down to 100 feet in order to gather speed. At this elevation he was hit again, and mortally wounded, but he flew on

und to the doctor and said, smiling, "I shan't have to complain of beds being too short now!" And when someone came and sat with him in his

and stifles recruiting. Why are we allowed to know nothing until the news is stale? Yesterday I heard at first hand of

n the war to men in ammunition works at home. They all seem to be slacking and drinking, and I believe one might rouse them if one went oneself, and told stories of heroism, and tales of

, and I have to see heads of departments. One has to forget all about parties in politi

. ffol

s Chrysa

ne, Be

M

ng ol

S. FF

hday. I shan't forget you on the 22nd. Will you buy

ow what we shall do when four nephews, a broth

ys think it an idiotic way of settling disputes to plug pieces of iron and steel into innocent boys and men. But the

e some lectures, and then I

ou, dea

r l

ra

shot. A piece of shrapnel had bent the whole five until they were welded together. The shrapnel fitted into the silver exactly, and actually it was silver

of his nailed to a door, and ston

antity of children's hands-a pretty souvenir! I write these things down because they must be known

come and play lawn tennis with them. The ships where they are interned are costing us ￡86,000 a month. Our own men imprisoned in Germany are starved, and be

alk to Zouaves and Turcos and the French. God h

ing low over the gun that is bombarding D

g and splendid stories; others, one knows, die all alone, gasping out their last breath painfully, with no one at hand to give them even a cup of water. No one

on while the remains of his arm were cut away the other night. Many operations are p

VENLY

to the Kaiser that he had "got the English," but this is what men say happened. A cloud came out of a clear day and stood between the two a

re we shall see-we may, indeed, see to-day-the forms of those who have fallen. They fight still for England, unharmed now and for ever more, warriors on the side of right, captains of the host which no man can number, champions of all that we hold good. They are marching on