possess as much soil in Germany." The General turned to
him with that gentle courtesy which marks the higher commands in France,
and answered: "Monsieur, we may never possess as much soil in Germany;
but there is something that you will never possess, and, until you
conquer it, you cannot vanquish France, and that is the spirit of the
French people."

The French find it difficult to understand the arrogance which appears
ingrained in the German character, and which existed before the war.

I read once that in the Guest-book of a French hotel a Teutonic visitor
wrote:

"L'Allemagne est la premiere nation du monde."

The next French visitor merely added:

"Yes, 'Allemagne' is the first country of the world--if we take them in
alphabetical order."

* * * * *

I left the war-zone with an increased respect, if this were possible,
for the men of France. They have altered their uniforms, but the spirit
is unchanged. They are no longer in the red and blue of the old days,
but in shades of green, grey, and blue, colours blending to form one
mighty ocean--wave on wave of patriotism--beating against and wearing
down the rocks of military preparedness of forty years, and as no man
has yet been able to say to the ocean "Stop," so no man shall cry "Halt"
to the armies of France.

I have spoken much of the men of France, but the women have also earned
our respect--those splendid peasant-women who even in times of peace
worked and now carry a double burden on their shoulders; the
middle-class women, endeavouring to keep together the little business
built up by the man with years of toil, stinting themselves to save five
francs to send a parcel to the man at the front that he may not suspect
that there is not still every comfort in the little homestead; the noble
women of France, who in past years could not be seen before noon, since
my lady was at her toilette, but who can be seen now, their hands
scratched and bleeding, kneeling on the floors of the hospitals
scrubbing, proud and happy to take their part in national service. The
men owe much of their courage to the attitude of the women who stand
behind them, turning their tears to smiles to urge their men to even
greater deeds of heroism.

In one of our hospitals was a young lad of seventeen, who had managed to
enlist as an "engage volontaire" by lying as to his age. His old mother
came to visit him, and she told me he was the last of her thr