s and influences our acts unknown to us, and brings
out kindly feelings and hope, as much in 1883 as my reminiscences show
it did in 1854."

[Illustration: GENERAL LAURIE AND HIS THREE SONS IN 1901.]

IN TRENCHES.
_Christmas Day, 1914._

Here we are, on Christmas Day! We have had a curious time of it. Last
night, about eleven o'clock, the enemy (100 yards only from us) put
lanterns up on the parapet and called out: "Do not shoot after twelve
o'clock, and we will not do so either." One of our men ventured
across; he was not fired upon, and was given a cigar and told to go
back. A German officer came out next, and asked for two days' truce
from firing, but we said, "Only one day." Then we saw both sides,
English and German, begin to swarm out to meet each other; we thought
it wiser to keep our men in, because we did not trust the Germans, so
I rang up the General to tell him this. We had to station sentries on
the trenches to keep the men back; they were so eager to talk to the
Germans. Then I offered to go across myself and learn what I could,
and finally the German General asked me to send one of our officers
over to them. This I did, and gave the latter as an ostensible reason
the _Daily Telegraph_ of December 22nd, which I had got hold of, and
which contained a very fair account of the troubles in Austria-Hungary
and Berlin. He went out with this paper, met some German officers, and
discovered a certain amount. They were very anxious to know if the
Canadian Division had arrived, whether our trenches were very muddy,
and told him that our rifle fire was good. We said that our rifle fire
in general was our weak point, etc., etc. So now this is the queer
position of affairs: we fire a pistol shot off at 12 midnight to-night
by arrangement, and they reply with some shots over our heads, after
which things continue to hum as before. You have no idea how pleasant
everything seems with no rifle bullets or shells flying about. I need
hardly tell you that we have kept our men ready in the trenches all
the same, as we do not trust our friends further than we can see them.
As to other matters. (1) The pheasants and the partridges arrived in
time, and we lunched off them sumptuously to-day; many thanks. (2) The
chocolate arrived, and was distributed this afternoon to the men. (3)
I enclose three Christmas cards. They are very hard to ge