be at peace and make himself at home. Let him make his
explanations and apologies later.

Whatever you would have done, my overwhelmed friend temporized. He was
just edging the conversation round to the other General, waiting
alone in the dark wet road, when the General in the nice warm room
rose to go, commanding my friend not to disturb himself on that
account. Being a man of some years he was a slow goer; being a
General, he was not to be interrupted in his going....

I don't know exactly how it all ended, nor, you may not be surprised
to learn, does my friend, though he is always expecting to hear.

There was also on our boat a subaltern, coming to France for the first
time. He wanted me to tell him all about it. How well I know these
subalterns who want to know all about it. I was one myself once. Does
he ask you what it's like in the mud? Does he listen if you give him
details of bloodshed? Does he inquire about the food, the washing
facilities, parapet or parados; what a time-fuse does when its time
has expired, or even as to the use and abuse of the entrenching tool?
No, he's for war only, and there's only one question in war: Do you or
do you not need a Sam Browne belt in the trenches?

It is an old question; there is no solution. I told him that some say
one thing and some say another, and, as both are authorities with whom
you are not in a position to argue, the only way to get out of the
difficulty is to keep out of the trenches.

Yours ever, HENRY.

* * * * *

[Illustration: OUR AMAZON CORPS "STANDING EASY."]

* * * * *

From a hotel advertisement:--

"EXCELLENT CUISINE. SEPARATE STABLES."
_West-Country Paper._

The WISE KING must have had a presentiment of this arrangement when he
wrote: "Better a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a stalled ox and
hatred therewith."

* * * * *

"The Premier (Sir Alexander Peacock) said that many years
ago, when the world rang with the atrocities of Turks, Rev.
Dr. Parker startled the whole world when, in a fiery address
on those awful atrocities which were visited on the
Christians, he cried, 'Dod damn the Sultan.' Now, when they
heard of the cruelties and indescribable sufferings which had
been visited upon the innocent people in order to s