e. The Freedom of Man was at stake. So, gradually,
the sacred thunder reached the ears of the young men and gave them those
deep moments that came to them whether they sat in the classroom or
the counting-room, or walked with the plow, or stood to the machine, or
behind the ribbon counter. Thus the thunder shook them and tried them
and slowly came into their lives and changed everything for them.

Hate of the Germans was not bred; but a contempt for what Germany had
shown in lieu of a national heart; a contempt as mighty and profound as
the resolve that the German way and the German will should prevail in
America, nor in any country of the world that would be free. And when
the German Kaiser laid his command upon America, that no American should
take his ship upon the free seas, death being the penalty for any who
disobeyed, then the German Kaiser got his answer, not only to this
new law he had made for us, but to many other thoughts of his. Yet the
answer was for some time delayed.

There was a bitter Sunday, and its bitterness went everywhere, to
every place in the whole world that held high and generous hearts. Its
bitterness came to the special meeting in the "Frat hall," where there
were hearts, indeed, of that right sort, and one of them became vocal
in its bitterness. This was the heart of Fred Mitchell, who was now an
authority, being president of the Junior Class, chairman of the Prom
Committee, and other things pleasant to be and to live for at his age.

"For me, Brothers," he said, "I'd think I'd a great deal rather have
been shot through the head than heard the news from Washington to-day! I
tell you, I've spent the meanest afternoon I ever did in my life, and I
guess it's been pretty much the same with all of us. The worst of it
is, it looks as though there isn't a thing in the world we can do. The
country's been betrayed by a few blatherskites and boneheads that had
the power to do it, and all we can do we've just got to stand it. But
there's some Americans that aren't just standing it, and I want to tell
you a lot of 'em are men from the universities, just like us. They're
_over there_ right now; they haven't said much--they just packed up and
went. They're flying for France and for England and for Canada; they're
fighting under every flag on the right side of the Western Front; and
they're driving ambulances at Verdun and ammunition trucks at the Somme.
Well, there's going to be a lot more American boys