ing a stand at last on the Piave line. To be sure military
critics say they cannot possibly hold it and must retreat to the
Adige. But Susan and Gertrude and I say they must hold it, because
Venice must be saved, so what are the military critics to do?

"Oh, if I could only believe that they can hold it!

"Our Canadian troops have won another great victory--they have stormed
the Passchendaele Ridge and held it in the face of all counter attacks.
None of our boys were in the battle--but oh, the casualty list of other
people's boys! Joe Milgrave was in it but came through safe. Miranda
had some bad days until she got word from him. But it is wonderful how
Miranda has bloomed out since her marriage. She isn't the same girl at
all. Even her eyes seem to have darkened and deepened--though I suppose
that is just because they glow with the greater intensity that has come
to her. She makes her father stand round in a perfectly amazing
fashion; she runs up the flag whenever a yard of trench on the western
front is taken; and she comes up regularly to our Junior Red Cross; and
she does--yes, she does--put on funny little 'married woman' airs that
are quite killing. But she is the only war-bride in the Glen and surely
nobody need grudge her the satisfaction she gets out of it.

"The Russian news is bad, too--Kerensky's government has fallen and
Lenin is dictator of Russia. Somehow, it is very hard to keep up
courage in the dull hopelessness of these grey autumn days of suspense
and boding news. But we are beginning to 'get in a low,' as old
Highland Sandy says, over the approaching election. Conscription is the
real issue at stake and it will be the most exciting election we ever
had. All the women 'who have got de age'--to quote Jo Poirier, and who
have husbands, sons, and brothers at the front, can vote. Oh, if I were
only twenty-one! Gertrude and Susan are both furious because they can't
vote.

"'It is not fair,' Gertrude says passionately. 'There is Agnes Carr who
can vote because her husband went. She did everything she could to
prevent him from going, and now she is going to vote against the Union
Government. Yet I have no vote, because my man at the front is only my
sweetheart and not my husband!"

"As for Susan, when she reflects that she cannot vote, while a rank old
pacifist like Mr. Pryor can--and will--her comments are sulphurous.

"I really feel sorry for the Elliotts and Crawfords and MacAllisters
over-harbour.