ithout it?"

Emily surveyed her calmly, and then said, "What would happen to us if
every mother held her boy back--what if every mother took your
attitude, Mrs. Brunton?"

"You need not speculate on that, child, for they won't. Most mothers
run with the popular fancy--they go with the crowd--never thinking,
but I have always been peculiar, I know."

"Oh, mother, cut out that 'peculiar' business--it makes me tired!"
said Garth undutifully.

When Robert Miller came in to say good-bye, he said: "You'll be
lonesome, Garth, when we all go and you are left with the women and
the old men--but perhaps you will enjoy being the only young man at
the party."

"Garth may go later," said his mother,--"at least if the war lasts
long enough,--but not as a private. I will not object to his taking
the officers' classes at the university."

"See, Bob," crowed Garth, "I'll have you and Jim Spaulding for my two
batmen over there. But never mind, I'll be good to you and will see
that you get your ha'pennyworth of 'baccy and mug of beer regular."

Mrs. Brunton laughed delightedly. "Garth always sees the funny side,"
she cooed.

"That certainly is a funny side all right," said Robert, "but he'll
never see it! These pasteboard officers never last after they get
over--they can only carry it off here. Over there, promotions are on
merit, not on political pull."

The third, fourth, and fifth contingents went from the university, and
still Garth pursued the quest of learning. His mother openly rebuked
the mothers of the boys who had gone. "Let the man on the street go!
Look at the unemployed men on our streets!" she said; "why aren't they
made to go--and leave our university boys at home?"

"Every man owes a duty to his country," one of the mothers said. "If
one man neglects or refuses to pay, that is no reason for others to
do the same. This is a holy war--holier than any of the crusades--for
the crusader went out to restore the tomb of our Lord, and that is
only a material thing; but our boys are going out to give back to the
world our Lord's ideals, and I know they are more precious to Him than
any tomb could be!"

"My dear Mrs. Mason," said Garth's mother, "you are simply war-mad
like so many women--it is impossible to reason with you."

A year went by, and many of the university boys were wounded and some
were killed. To the mothers of these went Mrs. Brunton with words of
sympathy, but came away wondering. Some way they did n