ifts dearest to the hearts of Youth, offering them to clerks,
barbers, tradesmen, drapers' assistants, men who had never known an
adventure more thrilling than a holiday excursion to the Isle of Man or a
week of cycling in Kent. And they accepted them with all the stolidity
native to Englishmen. The eyes of the world were upon them. They had
become the knights-errant of every schoolgirl. They were figures of
heroic proportions to every one but themselves.

French soldiers are conscious of the romantic possibilities offered them
by the so-called "divine accident of war." They go forth to fight for
Glorious France, France the Unconquerable! Tommy shoulders his rifle and
departs for the four corners of the world on a "bloomin' fine little
'oliday!" A railway journey and a sea voyage in one! "Blimy! Not 'arf
bad, wot?" Perhaps he is stirred at the thought of fighting for "England,
Home, and Beauty." Perhaps he does thrill inwardly, remembering a
sweetheart left behind. But he keeps it jolly well to himself. He has
read me many of his letters home, some of them written during an
engagement which will figure prominently in the history of the great
World War. "Well, I can't think of anything more now," threads its way
through a meager page of commonplaces about the weather, his food, and
his personal health. A frugal line of cross-marks for kisses, at the
bottom of the page, is his only concession to sentiment.

There was, however, one burst of enthusiasm, as we started on our
journey, which struck me as being spontaneous, and splendid, and
thoroughly English. Outside the harbor we were met by our guardians, a
fleet of destroyers which was to give us safe convoy across the Channel.
The moment they saw them the men broke forth into prolonged cheering, and
there were glad shouts of--

"There they are, me lads! There's some o' the little old watch dogs wot's
keepin' 'em bottled up!"

"Good old navy! That's w'ere we got 'em by the throat!"

"Let's give 'em 'Sons of the Sea!'"

And they did. They sang with a spirit of exaltation which Englishmen
rarely betray, and which convinced me how nearly the sea and England's
position as Mistress of the Seas touch the Englishman's heart of hearts.

"Sons of the sea,
All British born,
Sailing the ocean,
Laughing foes to scorn.
They may build their ships, my lads,
And think they know the game;
But they can't beat the boys of the bulldog breed
Who made