ment
plucked from their faces; young subalterns with rather watery eyes and
very loud voices ran swiftly up the plank, and brave women who had a
smile even to the last for their husbands turned a different face
shorewards. One could not help contrasting the weight of the burden for
those who went away and those who stayed behind; for the men and for the
women; for those who were going to fight, to die perhaps, but still to
_do_ something, and for those who had nothing but their thoughts to be
busy with. Pessimistic as this view may seem, it is the true one; the
event described as an "enthusiastic send-off" is essentially a
melancholy function, and the relief afforded by the antics of a few
intoxicated men does not make it less so. It is strange, indeed, how
important a part is played by the whisky-bottle in the farewells of the
poor. I have seen it passed round family circles at the last moment like
some grotesque sacrament; have even overheard husband and wife almost
quarrelling in their desire to press the comforter each upon the other.
"Here, take it with you, Sam." "No, Missus, you 'ave it; I can get some
off Tom." "No, lad, take it--I'll throw it after you if you don't."
Chance generally stepped in to kill the ghost in the bottle, throwing it
to the ground and spilling the contents. I saw one little boy, aged
about four, run up to his daddy at the last moment with a gorgeous
present in the shape of a glass pistol (a delicate reference to his
profession) full of spirits; it had a cork in the barrel, and I suppose
you fired it down your throat. Amid all these scenes the officers
displayed an unvarying tact, coaxing the men on board and not unduly
hastening their farewells; but for all that there were many violent and
tragic scenes.

Just before the last gangway was run ashore a little woman came up,
crying and almost breathless, and begging to be allowed to say good-bye
to her husband, who was at the other end of the gangway, not allowed to
come down. The orders were absolute--no one must go up to the ship. Then
the woman broke out into a great wailing and sobbing, praying the
quartermaster on her knees that he would let her go half-way up the
gangway; but he was as firm as a rock. Then she came to the edge of the
landing-stage and cried quietly, all alone in that vast crowd, now and
then calling broken words of endearment to the man who stood a dozen
yards away from her across the strip of black water. Discipline is