Part 68 (1/2)
”Why mustn't we, Mother?”
”Well, Father wouldn't want it. We hate the evil they do, but we must pray that they will be shown their wickedness and repent.”
”If they re-pyent will they stop fighting?”
”My dearest, yes.”
”How would they stop?”
Jean, who was ready for church and waiting, warned, ”You'd better not try to give an answer to that, Margaret, there isn't any.”
Teddy ignored her. ”How would they stop, Mother?”
”Well, they'd just stop, dear--”
”Would they say they were sorry?”
_Would William of Prussia ever be sorry_?
”Can G.o.d stop it, Mother?”
Margaret wrenched her mind away from the picture which his words had painted for her, the Kaiser on his knees! _Miserere mei, Deus_--
With quick breath, ”Yes, dear.”
”Then why doesn't He stop it, Mother?”
_Why? Why? Why? Older voices were asking that question in agony_.
”He will do it in His own good time, dearest. Perhaps the world has a lesson to learn.”
With Teddy walking ahead with nurse, Jean proclaimed to Margaret, ”I shan't pray for them.”
”I know how you feel.”
”Shall you?”
”Yes,” desperately, ”I must.”
”Why must you?”
”Because of--Win,” Margaret said simply. In her widow's black, with her veil giving her height and dignity, she had never been more beautiful. ”Because of Win, I must. There are wives in Germany who suffer as I suffer--who are not to blame. There are children, like my children, asking the same questions--. This drive has seemed to me like the slaughter of sheep, with a great Wolf behind them, a Wolf without mercy, sending them down to destruction, to--death--”
”And the Wolf--?”
Margaret raised her hand and let it drop, ”G.o.d knows.”
And now soldiers were being rushed overseas. Trains swept across the land loaded with men who gazed wistfully at the peaceful towns as they pa.s.sed through, or chafed impotently when, imprisoned in day coaches, they were side-tracked outside of great cities.
And on the battle line those droves and droves of gray sheep were driven down and down--to death--by the Wolf.
The war was coming closer to America. A look of care settled on the faces of men and women who had, hitherto, taken things lightly.