New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-10

IAN ENGLISHM4N'S MIND RUNS BACK TO THE DAYS
UHEN HIS ANCESTORS FOUGHT THE DANES.


fn the sunshine for early. Not wholly
lonely. for a moves among The graves with
flowers IN her hands In the dark interior some
is playing; through the low dentelled arch
thrills the sweet sorrow OF Beethoven. The chan
eel IS ell and sunshine the flicker OF leaves and
rnur1nur OF bees-blsIneless Sabbath breakers-cone
;n through the low. ive-lighted windows. Mean
while the corners OF pews are getting themselves
filed a congregation for the most part OF elderly
laboring folk slip into cool dusk from the
glare outside. abase reverent, wrinkled faces for
a minute before passing the red handkerchief over
the swesty front. which done. the worshipper set
ties himself 10 wait Men these for the most part;
the wives VIII attend the afternoon service. being
otherwise occupied in the mean time. for men must
dine.
For the service it seems. as 1 understand the
matter. neither High" LOW Give peace
in time. O Lord.' This IS good discourse; the
parson is speaking OF what he knows. and withal
pitches his message neither at our heads nor over
them. Keeps a good distance. medium pace, and
seems dead the-where was II Thoughts
suggested ramify, wander even. II you must have
81. Warm weather, very. The grave. faunil-
lar tones together with pleasant indIstinct-
ness. but one is perfectly conscious, quite per
ceptive, you know.
There of a congregation than one
had fanced: kneeling, too; unusual perhaps but
all right One finds ones self without surprise
Bneelng close packed among the crowd upon the
cool flags. Some one is praying fast and loud, but
one catches nothing OF the sense Beyond the chan
eel arch candles are winking in the slant
beam that strains through louvred window.
Tinkle! Somebody is holding something aloft in
q napkin. The hush, the heat. the sense OF human
proximity grow oppressive A subdued cllnk and
Single here and there among us betray the presence
OF iron ones neighboTs 10 right and LEFT and the
man IA front wear their hair longer than is Gus
tomary. All are in state OF suppressed excite
rnent-
AT the altar step kneel two great pink faced
youths with shocks Of sandy hair falling over
their shoulders. The mutterings. the restlessness.
the play OF hot breaths become unbearable. One
finds one's self outside
Here the crowd is greater but less dense; at each
window slit stand strRining eye and ear TO
catch the service. crossing themselves fast and
fsrvently each tnlHle OF the secrtng bell within
Among the graves kneel men grown and bearded,
weeping hotIy upon little crosses OF peeled elder
or praying upon sword hits
Swords swords everywhere. IN the hands OF
lleathern tacketed smiths. athwart the knees OF
xmocked carriers and buskinned ploughmen, who
ieat astride the green hillocks honing the bright
edges while their lips move in haf-corscious
iprayer. Bucllers, too Of them, clean and
new. white wood and fresh stripped hide lean on
the churchyard fence.
Westward the lanes blocked far as one
can see with ttlted wagons; in the nearest two
women seated upon the sacks twiriing hand
Quern-
There are gIints OF bright metal among the
heeches upon the hilltops left and right; against
the sky line OF the bare down TO eastward stands
out a solitary mounted scout
We are no heroic figures, nor do we posture or
straddle IN blusterous wise, nor fail into picture
book groupings. For the more part We are com
mon men clumsy and slow gated, meanIy dressed
and pitifuIly armed sweaty and dusty, too. for
some of us have come far and lain rough for a
week past.
Field hands are We with the marks OF field labor
upon US; short of stature, round shculdered and
wooden featured; mere lOam hut loan that Is
alght at last and kilnlke. hot to the heart roots
with duh glowing unquenchable resolve
1t seems to me that have seen the men before
the brown, kindly faces are all so neienoorly'
These stubbly chins and sunburned thatches or
hair hang around the innyards OF Hungerford and
NeU-blry at the October hiring fairs. Just such
men have I met in the Hampshire woods at bark
stripping time when the tall oaks lay NAKED ana
sallow athwart sheets Of bluebells L am among
my brothers and know them all. and what they
will do pinch
NV mind seems clouded with a sense OF VICE.
whether overDast or impending cannot just say
1T is with me with one who has fallen asleep
under intolerable sense OF loss. a burden upon
the heart that signing Will heavs away, who
awakes IN the first dusk. crying feebly. 'Oh. what
has happened?" and again, ''oh. do not tell mel"
ard. To- rrom the tension and fear and high
strung resolve around me comes a clearness, an
understanding OF what 1t all means. and know
that the enemy is in the heart OF my country, that
he has careened his keels upon the Kings Meadow
and made the land OF The Radingas his horse
pasture; that EnglishInen are working under the
whips at his staked dyke between Thames and
Ksnnet-Inen whom I know. men whose wives
and daughters lie in his slave pen.
1t comes 10 my midland co not ask how-that
al the wild rascaldoIn OF Baltic pirate holds. ru1-
fans from Wexford and the Lirey from Laxford
and Kyle OF Tongue the Romsdal and the Nord-
land fjords. turned loose upon poor stolid
stupid Berkshire. The Danes are on us!-have
been upon since AIarch-sucking white q
poleoat sucks q lamb The Dane: look you. there
is no poetry. glamour about the name TO me-
song and saga and romance clean
forgotten Is If I had heard them The
word stands for everything that IS filthy and brutal
and base, and ali! too, for al that IS hopeessly
cunning and nmble and strong What the shark Is
20 the swimmer. such is this beasty foreign inter
Ioper me. something hateful 70 God and man
get strangely permitted. like his father the Fiend).
lVstful. butcherly strength, whom truce viii
bind, no weapon overcome
Al this comes home 10 nae with sinking OF the
heart know OF surety that the matched roofs
mill at Maplecurham is a smOulder1ng wreck. that
the Pits OF Coley have been r1ned or half tanned
hide and all the meal and malt ale and candle
talOw salt beef and stock fish Of three counties
around the ruins OF Lawrence Church fnfamies
unspeakable go on within Wherefore have
man, and have hidden our young thames inside
there TO lead the fyrd. We bound for the tryst
sildon Battle WIN be Joined before night. So we
are hearing mass while may and are by way of
last days work. To win? Hardly-we have been
beaten too often and too badly TO hope overnuch.
pon the 0 We q ch 5ns i0T 6a dc heps
needs be. but Gle killing each OF us HE man.
within, the priest OF Midghanl Whose church was
burned last Sunday shriyes US under the church
See ho sa6 how R'gP onsx oT john h o
Ihstcharn end young Edgar OF Beedon. who fought