he noise of battle
did not penetrate here.

"What are you doing, sonny?" asked the captain.

"I'm ringing the bells for mother," said the little fellow.

"For mother?"

"General," called a weak voice from the corner, "please let the boy
alone. I want to hear our bells just once more before I die."

"What's the matter, are you wounded?" asked the captain.

"I feel that I'm dying," was the answer; "a bullet has entered my lung;
I think it's the lung."

"I'll send you a doctor," said the captain, "although we----"

"Don't bother, general; it wouldn't do any good."

"How did you get here?"

"My husband," came the answer in a weak voice, "is lying across the
street in our burning home. He was the minister here in Hilgard. These
last days have been fearful, general; you have no idea how fearful.
First they shot my husband, and then our little Elly was killed by a
piece of shell when I was running across the street to the church with
her and the boy." She paused a moment, and then continued with growing
agitation: "It's enough to make one lose faith in the wisdom of the Lord
to see this butchery--all the heartrending sorrow that's created in the
world when men begin to murder one another like this. You don't realize
it in the midst of the battle, but here-- And as God has seen fit to
spare His church in the battle, I asked the boy to ring the bells once
more, for I thought it might be a comfort to some of those dying out
there to hear a voice from above proclaiming peace after these awful
days. Let him keep on ringing, general, won't you?"

"Can I help you in any way?" asked the captain.

"No, only I should like some water."

The captain knelt down by the side of the poor, deserted woman and
handed her his flask.

She drank greedily, and then thanked him and began to sob softly. "What
will become of my boy? My poor husband----"

"My good woman," said the captain, forcing himself to speak bluntly,
"it's not a question of this boy, or of a single individual who has
fallen in battle, but rather of a great people which has just defeated
the enemy. The widows and orphans will be taken care of by the
survivors, now that the Lord has given us the victory. Those who are
lying outside the town and those here have surrendered their lives for
their country, and the country will not forget them."

Ding--dong, ding--dong, went the bells as the captain left the church,
deeply affected. Ding--dong, ding--dong. Thousands o