Part 17 (1/2)
CHAPTER XXV
THE GREAT WAR
I was very busy with oil brush and water-colour brush during the su winter, in Ireland, accoe oil, ”The Cuirassier's Last _Reveil_, Morning of Waterloo,” and a nus, all of that inexhaustible battle, for my next ”one-man show” held on its centenary, 1915 I left no stone unturned to get true studies of dailight for that _reveil_, and I got theerton Castles, on a steep Surrey hill, I had my chance The house faced the east It wasat 230 I had rey horse and a ht direction, and there I waited, with palette spread, for the dawn Time was short; the first ray of sunrise would spoil all, so I could only dab down the tones, anyhow; but they were all-i picture run without a hitch Nothing delays a picturefor the true relations of tone without sufficient data But this is a truis to work out I had any aet fros; and I utilised the many studies of horses I hadin useful some day The result was the best ”show” I had yet had at the Leicester Galleries But ere that exhibition opened, the World War burst upon us!
First my soldier son went off, and then the Benedictine donned khaki, as chaplain to the forces He went, one may say, froh the ordeal which becahout the Empire
”_Lyndhurst, New Forest, Septe this est war the world has ever been stricken with is raging To think that I have lived to see it!
It was always said a ould be too terrible now to run the risk of, and that nations would fear toosoldiers into the great jaws of death in hundreds of thousands, and sending poor human flesh and blood to face the new 'scientific' warfare--the same flesh and blood and nervous system of the days of bows and arrows Patrick is off as ADC to General Capper, co the 7th Division Martin, as the first to be ordered to the front, attached to the 2nd Royal Irish, has been transferred to the wireless iment has been utterly shattered in the Mons retreat, so I have reason to be thankful for the change I aestion, that I may see an army under war conditions and have priceless opportunities of studying 'the real thing' The 7th Division[18] is now nearly complete, and by October 3rd should be on the sea I arrived at Southaood old son in his new Staff uniform was at the station ready to motor me up to Lyndhurst where the Staff are, and all the division, under canvas I was very proud of the red tabs on Patrick's collar, , the difference between this and my Aldershot i of the men is different They were always smart, always cheery, _but not like this_ There is a quiet seriousness quite new to ht in the face
”_Septe lesson in the appearance ofmarch, _plus_ that look which is quite absent on peacethe conditions What surprises and telling 'bits' one sees which could never be iht ht never to be forgotten; shapely, superb cart horses with coats as satiny as any thoroughbred's, in polished artillery harness, with the st manythrough these tea beasts They will suffer terribly
”_Septeht this weather with me Patrick waits on me whenever he is off duty for an hour or so, and it is a chare to direct the driver and explain to me every necessary detail The place swaruns and druo on all day The Gordons have arrived
[Illustration: NOTES ON THE EVE OF THE GREAT WAR]
”_Septens of pressure They may now be off any hour
The ammunition has all arrived, and there wants but one battery of artillery to coer and will be off without it if it delays and make up a battery _en route_ so at the hotel fresh froiven co in such nuiment, the old Royal Irish seem to have been so shattered that they are all _hors de combat_ for the present
”_September 27th_--What a precious Sunday this has been! First, Patrick accohan, in a secluded part of the cahed up by uns, as elsewhere, and where the altar was erected in a wooded glen The Grenadier and Scots Guards were all on their knees as we arrived, and the bright green and gold vestments of the priest were relieved very vividly in the sunshi+ne against the darker green background of the forest beyond Quite a little crowd of stalwart guards with their careful hands the candles from the soft warm breeze, one at each end of the altar We sit out in the leafy garden of the hotel and have tea there, we parents and relatives, with our boys by us at all spareSunday, there have been extra crowds of relatives and friends who have motored over from afar There is pathos here, very real pathos Howclose to their dear ones, for the last time, perhaps! Who knows?
The voices are low and quiet--very quiet Patrick and I were photographed together by M E These little snapshots will be precious
We were nearly all day together to-day as there was a rest All this quiet ti shattered on the banks of the Aisne Just nowWeto appear in the casualty lists
”_Septeht through the field of 'battle' in the ht covered with heather and bracken Our soldiers certainly have learnt, at last, how to take cover One can easily realise how it is that the proportion of officers killed is so high Kneeling or standing up to give directions they are very conspicuous, whereas of the lih a tell-tale knapsack or the round top of a cap in the bracken; yet the ground is packed with ht as they sprang up to reach a fresh position I noticed how the breeze, as they ran, blew the khaki aprons aside and the revealed tartan kilts gave a welcome bit of colour and touched up the drab eant told us, 'We are a grand diveesion, all old warriors, and e get out 'twill make a deeference'”
The most impressive episode to me of that well-reround at sunset and we looked down on the ca and the white moon was already well up over the carey wood-s, shadowy, far away; others in the low on the men's faces with an extraordinary effect They showed as ruddy, vaporous lines of colour over the scarcely perceptible tones of the dusky uniforles sounded the ”Retreat”; these dooue to a great tragedy
”_Septeade
The regiments in it are 'The Queen's,' the Welsh Fusiliers, Staffords, and Warwicks, with the hty uns aredaubed in blue and red blotches which ht on the hidden metal is seen
Still, there is h the colour, the sparkle, the gallant pluiven way to universal gririm war in all that splendour? My idea of war subjects has always been anti-sparkle
”As I sat in the'battle,' in a hollow road, lo! the Headquarter Staff caroup, _a la_ Meissonier, Patrick, on his skittish brownblack (_very_ effective), with the chief of the Staff nearly alongside The escort consisted of a strong detachment of the fine Northumberland Hussars, uard of the General at the Front