e I got married."

"Without shedding of blood there is no anything," said Mr. Meredith, in
the gentle dreamy way which had an unexpected trick of convincing his
hearers. "Everything, it seems to me, has to be purchased by
self-sacrifice. Our race has marked every step of its painful ascent
with blood. And now torrents of it must flow again. No, Mrs. Crawford,
I don't think the war has been sent as a punishment for sin. I think it
is the price humanity must pay for some blessing--some advance great
enough to be worth the price--which we may not live to see but which
our children's children will inherit."

"If Jerry is killed will you feel so fine about it?" demanded Norman,
who had been saying things like that all his life and never could be
made to see any reason why he shouldn't. "Now, never mind kicking me in
the shins, Ellen. I want to see if Parson meant what he said or if it
was just a pulpit frill."

Mr. Meredith's face quivered. He had had a terrible hour alone in his
study on the night Jem and Jerry had gone to town. But he answered
quietly.

"Whatever I felt, it could not alter my belief--my assurance that a
country whose sons are ready to lay down their lives in her defence
will win a new vision because of their sacrifice."

"You do mean it, Parson. I can always tell when people mean what they
say. It's a gift that was born in me. Makes me a terror to most
parsons, that! But I've never caught you yet saying anything you didn't
mean. I'm always hoping I will--that's what reconciles me to going to
church. It'd be such a comfort to me--such a weapon to batter Ellen
here with when she tries to civilize me. Well, I'm off over the road to
see Ab. Crawford a minute. The gods be good to you all."

"The old pagan!" muttered Susan, as Norman strode away. She did not
care if Ellen Douglas did hear her. Susan could never understand why
fire did not descend from heaven upon Norman Douglas when he insulted
ministers the way he did. But the astonishing thing was Mr. Meredith
seemed really to like his brother-in-law.

Rilla wished they would talk of something besides war. She had heard
nothing else for a week and she was really a little tired of it. Now
that she was relieved from her haunting fear that Walter would want to
go it made her quite impatient. But she supposed--with a sigh--that
there would be three or four months of it yet.

CHAPTER VI

SUSAN, RILLA, AND DOG MONDAY MAKE A RESOLUTION

The big livin