I have the greatest difficulty in
preventing them from going to fight other children out of sheer
patriotism. The darlings do look so nice and smart. I could not resist
buying them flags and tin swords and helmets like real soldiers in spite
of the Moratorium, which I called by mistake _crematorium_, and James
made delightful fun about it. He also said some clever thing about banks
which I can't recall; it may come to me later.

Every one talks of nothing but the war. Even the errand-boys must have
their say; I caught one of them setting up our nice loin chops in the
dusty drive and knocking them down with pebbles for bombs; while the
girl who fetched the laundry stayed for an hour in the kitchen teaching
cook First Aid bandaging, and dinner was spoilt in consequence. However
these are all the little discomforts of war and must be borne in a
cheerful spirit.

Your affectionate Sister, MARY.

P.S.--Dear James's joke was about John Bull and bullion. Harry will
understand and appreciate it.

* * * * *

MY BROTHER'S LETTER.

Relations used to be for the most part a bore, and, unless rich, it was
well that they were disregarded. But the war has altered all that. The
war has brought relations, no matter how humble, into fashion.

Not all, but some. I have as a matter of fact myself one brother in the
Fusiliers, in camp, and another who is a special constable and three
times has reported an airship by telephone; but these do not count. It
is fathers, brothers, cousins, sons, uncles and nephews at the Front who
count.

Anyone who can refer to a real relation at the Front is just now
conversationally on velvet, while, if a letter from this relation can be
produced and read, everyone else must give way. SYDNEY SMITHS, THEODORE
HOOKS, RICHARD PORSONS, THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAYS even, would be
three-a-penny to-day as against one obscure individual who happened to
have a brother in the trenches and a letter in his handwriting.

But that is not all. There is reflected glory too. To know a person who
has a relation at the Front is to be immeasurably promoted socially, and
most of the conversations which one overhears in trains and elsewhere
have some such opening as this: "A friend of my brother's has seen a
Belgian...." "A cousin of my wife's who is a doctor in a field hospital
says...." "I know a man who was talking with a wounded Tommy, and
he...." "An undergraduate friend of my boy's who i