d the Chateau there was a clear stream
blocked by an ancient mill-dam. Here we could get a swim and bask in
the sun in the long cool grass. Altogether we were very happy at Le
Cauroy.

A great change had come over the war at this time, for Foch had
assumed the supreme command. While we had had excellent leaders all
through the campaign, one always felt that there was a need for some
electrifying personality at the head of things. In a mysterious (p. 255)
way the knowledge that Foch had taken the conduct of the war in hand
gave us just that touch of magnetism which we needed. As matters
stood, the German attacks had been successful up to a certain point,
but we were still waiting for their main offensive. When or where this
was to begin we did not know, but we were convinced that it would be,
for us, a life or death struggle. The fact that Foch was in command
and that he was keeping his head gave us confidence. He seemed like a
surgeon who shows his greatness by the very coolness with which he
performs some critical operation. The men were always asking if we
were losing the war, and I always told them that it was like this--the
Germans were advancing and losing and we were retreating and winning.
We practised daily the art of open warfare for which the country round
us offered splendid opportunities. We knew that we had been taken out
of the line in order to prepare to become "shock troops", and the
knowledge of this gave our life a great inspiration.

It was the right policy, in view of what was before us, to give the
men all the amusement possible, so football and baseball were indulged
in freely by officers and men. We were too well trained now to worry
much about the future. In fact, although I had often preached on the
text, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," I never fully
acted upon the principle until I had been in the war for three years.
It is certainly the true secret of happiness and I hope that the
softer life of peace time will not rob one of it. When Mrs. Carlyle
was asked what caused her most suffering in life, she replied, "The
things which never happened," It would have surprised the people at
home if they could have seen the cheeriness and lightheartedness of
men who were being trained day by day to deliver the hammer strokes
which were to smash the huge war machine of Imperial Germany.

The 2nd Brigade one day gave us a most successful circus in a large
field near our Headquarters. T