meant nothing to him. If he were killed--well, after all, what else
could he expect? Wasn't that what he was out for? The twice-married
girl knew a charming boy in the air force. He had made love to her even
before Charlie was "done in." These dear boys were so greedy for love.
She could not refuse them, poor darlings! Of course they had all got
to die for liberty, and that sort of thing. It was very sad. A terrible
thing--war!... Perhaps she had better give up dancing for a week, until
Charlie had been put into the casualty lists.

"What are we fighting for?" asked officers back from leave, turning
over the pages of the Sketch and Tatler, with pictures of race-meetings,
strike-meetings, bare--backed beauties at war bazaars, and portraits
of profiteers in the latest honors list. "Are we going to die for
these swine? These parasites and prostitutes? Is this the war for noble
ideals, liberty, Christianity, and civilization? To hell with all this
filth! The world has gone mad and we are the victims of insanity."

Some of them said that below all that froth there were deep and quiet
waters in England. They thought of the anguish of their own wives
and mothers, their noble patience, their uncomplaining courage, their
spiritual faith in the purpose of the war. Perhaps at the heart England
was true and clean and pitiful. Perhaps, after, all, many people at home
were suffering more than the fighting-men, in agony of spirit. It was
unwise to let bitterness poison their brains. Anyhow, they had to go on.
How long, how long, O Lord?

"How long is it going to last?" asked the London Rangers of their
chaplain. He lied to them and said another three months. Always he had
absolute knowledge that the war would end three months later. That was
certain. "Courage!" he said. "Courage to the end of the last lap!"

Most of the long-service men were dead and gone long before the last
lap came. It was only the new boys who went as far as victory. He asked
permission of the general to withdraw nineteen of them from the line to
instruct them for Communion. They were among the best soldiers, and not
afraid of the ridicule of their fellows because of their religious zeal.
The chaplain's main purpose was to save their lives, for a while, and
give them a good time and spiritual comfort. They had their good time.
Three weeks later came the German attack on Arras and they were all
killed. Every man of them.

The chaplain, an Anglican, found it har