the solemn, formal phrases of the young Scotch Canadian missionary,
Ethel making sport of his solemnity and Jane warmly defending him. How
they had talked over the boys' affairs, as girls will talk, and of their
various loves and how they fared, and of the cruelties practised upon
them. And last of all Ethel had talked of Larry, Jane listening warily
the while and offering an occasional bit of information to keep the talk
going. And all of this only yesterday; not ten years ago, or a year
ago, but yesterday! And to-day not a word seemed possible. The world
had changed over night. How different from that unshaded, sunny world
of yesterday! How sunny it was but yesterday! Life now was a thing of
different values. Ah, that was it. The values were all altered. Things
big yesterday had shrunk almost to the point of disappearance to-day.
Things that yesterday seemed remote and vague, to-day filled their
horizon, for some of them dark enough. Determined to ignore that gaunt
Spectre standing there, in the shadow silent and grim, they would begin
to talk on themes good yesterday for an hour's engrossing conversation,
but before they were aware they had forgotten the subject of their talk
and found themselves sitting together dumb and looking out upon the
gleam of the waters, thinking, thinking and ever thinking, while nearer
and ever more terrible moved the Spectre of War. It was like the falling
of night upon their world. From the landscape things familiar and dear
were blotted out, and in their place moved upon them strange shapes
unreal and horrible.

At length they gave it up, called the children and went back to the
others. At the dock they found a launch filled with visitors bringing
news--great news and glorious. A big naval battle had been fought in the
North Sea! Ten British battleships had been sunk, but the whole German
fleet had been destroyed! For the first time war took on some colour.
Crimson and purple and gold began to shoot through the sombre black and
grey. A completely new set of emotions filled their hearts, a new sense
of exultation, a new pride in that great British Navy which hitherto
had been a mere word in a history book, or in a song. The children who,
after their manner, were quickest to catch and to carry on to their
utmost limits the emotions of the moment, were jubilantly triumphant.
Some of them were carrying little Union Jacks in their hands. For the
first time in their lives that flag became a th