wash, scrub, carry despatches, anything."

"By Jove, you would be a good one!" exclaimed her brother. "I would like
to have you in my company."

"Couldn't it be worked in any possible way?" cried Nora.

But Larry made no reply. He knew well that no reply was needed. What was
her duty this splendid girl would do, whether in Flanders or in Alberta.

At the door of their home the mother met them. As her eyes fell upon her
son in his khaki uniform she gave a little cry and ran to him with arms
uplifted.

"Come right in here," she whispered, and took him to the inner room.
There she drew him to the bedside and down upon his knees. With their
arms about each other they knelt, mingling tears and sobs together till
their strength was done. Then through the sobs the boy heard her voice.
"You gave him to me," he heard her whisper, not in her ordinary manner
of reverent formal prayer, but as if remonstrating with a friend.
"You know you gave him to me and I gave him back.--I know he is not
mine.--But won't you let me have him for a little while?--It will not be
so very long.--Yes, yes, I know.--I am not holding him back.--No, no, I
could not, I would not do that.--Oh, I would not.--What am I better than
the others?--But you will give him back to me again.--There are so
many never coming back, and I have only one boy.--You will let him come
back.--He is my baby boy.--It is his mother asking."

Larry could bear it no longer. "Oh, mother, mother, mother," he cried.
"You are breaking my heart. You are breaking my heart." His sobs were
shaking the bed on which he leaned.

His mother lifted her head. "What is it, Lawrence, my boy?" she asked
in surprise. "What is it?" Her voice was calm and steady. "We must be
steadfast, my boy. We must not grudge our offering. No, with willing
hearts we must bring our sacrifice." She passed into prayer. "Thou, who
didst give Thy Son, Thine only Son, to save Thy world, aid me to give
mine to save our world to-day. Let the vision of the Cross make us both
strong. Thou Cross-bearer, help us to bear our cross." With a voice
that never faltered, she poured forth her prayer of sacrifice, of
thanksgiving, of supplication, till serene, steady, triumphant, they
arose from their knees. She was heard "in that she feared," in her
surrender she found victory, in her cross, peace. And that serene calm
of hers remained undisturbed to the very last.

There were tears again at the parting, but the tears fell ge