fine-looking woman, with a tanned
face, brown, but handsome, and she swung her team around the edge of
the meadow with a grace and skill that called forth our admiration.

I went over and spoke to her, for I recognized her as a woman whom I
had met at the Farm-Woman's Convention last winter. After we had
exchanged greetings, and she had made her kind inquiry, "What news do
you get from the Front?" and had heard that my news had been good--she
said abruptly:--

"Did you know I've lost my husband?"

I expressed my sorrow.

"Yes," she said, "it was a smashing blow--never believed Alex could be
killed: he was so big, and strong, and could do anything.... Ever
since I can remember, I thought Alex was the most wonderful of all
people on earth ... and at first ... when the news came, it seemed I
could not go on living ... but I am all right now, and have thought
things out.... This isn't the only plane of existence ... there are
others; this is merely one phase of life.... I am taking a longer view
of things now.... You see that schoolhouse over there,"--she pointed
with her whip to a green-and-white school farther down the
road,--"Alex and I went to school there.... We began the same day and
left the same day. His family and mine settled in this neighborhood
twenty years ago--we are all Kincardine people--Bruce, you know. Our
road to school lay together on the last mile ... and we had a way of
telling whether the other one had passed. We had a red willow stick
which we drove into the ground. Then, when I came along in the morning
and found it standing, I knew I was there first. I pulled it out and
laid it down, so when Alex came he knew I had passed, and hurried
along after me. When he came first and found it standing, he always
waited for me, if he could, for he would rather be late than go
without me. When I got the message I could not think of anything but
the loneliness of the world, for a few days; but after a while I
realized what it meant ... Alex had passed ... the willow was down ...
but he'll wait for me some place ... nothing is surer than that! I am
not lonely now.... Alex and I are closer together than plenty of
people who are living side by side. Distance is a matter of spirit ...
like everything else that counts.

"I am getting on well. The children are at school now, both of
them,--they sit in the same seats we sat in,--the crops are in good
shape--did you ever see a finer stand of wild hay? I can manage