are fighting God's battle.' Here
are our clergymen saying to our people, 'Go to church and pray--we are
fighting God's battle.' How can God answer both our prayers? They
believe they are in the right, we believe we are in the right, and so
to uphold what we both believe to be right we engage in this hellish
business."

"And that is your explanation," she said.

"Yes, Nancy; I cannot, I simply cannot be a soldier and a Christian at
the same time. But you will not let this come between us, will you? I
am trying to be true to my conscience, to act in accordance with the
teaching of the New Testament, and I cannot reconcile Christianity with
war."

"Do you believe that we shall win in this fight?" and the girl's voice
became hard as she asked the question.

"Yes," said Bob. "Yes, I believe we shall in the end. After rivers of
blood have been shed, after horrors worse than can be described have
been realised, after tens and tens of thousands of men have been
killed, after a whole continent has been desolated, I believe we shall
win. We shall be stronger than the Germans because we have such vast
numbers of men in reserve; yes, I expect that in the long run we shall
be able to dictate terms of peace; yes, I expect that."

"But you believe that no war can be justified?"

Bob shook his head.

"Think," said the girl, "think of the sixteenth century, when Philip of
Spain made such great preparations to conquer and subdue England. If
he had succeeded, our religion would have been destroyed, our homes
taken away from us, our liberty torn from us, our existence as a nation
would have been practically wiped out. Do you believe God meant Drake
and Hawkins and the rest of them to sit down quietly while the
Spaniards invaded our land and destroyed our liberties? Do you believe
that?"

Bob was silent.

"No, you do not believe it. You know that had Philip II succeeded
there would be no England to-day such as we know. Well, now it comes
to this: A greater and a more terrible power than Spain seeks to crush
us; but our men, thank God, have not ceased to be Englishmen, and they
will safeguard our liberties, and keep for us still the England we
love. When the war is over, and all danger is gone, I suppose that
you, who stand idly by, and talk about the ethics of war, will think it
your right to enjoy the liberties which these brave fellows suffer and
die to give you. Is that it?"

"Nancy, that's not fair."

"I