by a theory; but when Nature
asserts herself the hard theorist fails to hold us. Let us remember and
be human. We have been saying in effect, if not in so many words: "For
Ireland's sake, don't fall in love"--we might as well say: "For
Ireland's sake, don't let your blood circulate." It is impossible--even
if it were possible it would be hateful. The man and woman have a great
and beautiful destiny to fulfil together: to substitute for it an
unnatural way of life that can claim neither the seclusion of the
cloister nor the dominion of the world is neither beautiful nor great.
We have cause for gratitude in the example before us. The woman can
learn from it how she may equal the bravest man; and the man should
learn to let his wife and children suffer rather than make of them
willing slaves and cowards. For there are some earnest men who are
ready to suffer themselves but cannot endure the suffering of those they
love, and a mistaken family tenderness binds and drags them down. No
one, surely, can hold it better to carefully put away every duty that
may entail hardship on wife and child, for then the wife is, instead of
a comrade, a burden, and the child becomes a degenerate creature,
creeping between heaven and earth, afraid to hold his head erect, and
unable to fulfil his duty to God or man. Let no man be afraid that those
he loves may be tried in the fire; but let him, to the best of his
strength, show them how to stand the ordeal, and then trust to the
greatness of the Truth and the virtue of a loyal nature to bring each
one forth in triumph, and he and they may have in the issue undreamed of
recompense. For the battle that tries them will discover finer chords
not yet touched in their intercourse; finer sympathies,
susceptibilities, gentleness and strength; a deeper insight into life
and a wider outlook on the world, making in fine a wonderful blend of
wisdom, tenderness and courage that gives them to realise that life,
with all its faults, struggles, and pain is still and for ever great and
beautiful.

CHAPTER IX

THE FRONTIER

I

Our frontier is twofold, the language and the sea. For the majesty of
our encircling waters we have no need to raise a plea, but to give God
thanks for setting so certain a seal on our individual existence and
giving us in the spreading horizon of the ocean some symbol of our
illimitable destiny. For the language there is something still to be
said; there are some ideas g