St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-08-26
ENGLAND AT WAR.
Mrs. Shane Leslie Writes of the
Feeling There-Her Husband
Serving in Belgium.

Mrs. Shane Leslie Writes of the
Feeling There-Her Husband
Serving in Belgium.
Judge Henry C. Ide has consent
ed to make public portions of pri-
vate letter from his daughter, Mrs.
Shane Leslie, which show, as few
had realized, what it means to be
living in London today. The letter
was dated August 6. A cablegram
received since that date states that
Mr.. Leslie had offered his services
and been sent to Belgium.
Words simply can't describe the
state of things here. Never in my
life have 1 admired anything as 1 adj
mire the British nation in this, it's
most terrible hour-the quiet dig
nifty and calm of the crowds, the
stern set faces, the heroic patriotism
of every man and the brave way,
almost Japanese in it's stoicism, in
which every woman in England is
giving up her husband, sons, broth
ers-without a word of regret-for
their country.
Until Germany had behaved so
abominably, the atmosphere was
one of indescribable gloom, but now,
the war, more glorious and for
more noble purpose than the world
has even seen, has really begun, a
wild patriotism and hatred of the
Germans has taken it's place so that
1 feel 1 could give my all and fight
to the death myself, to help stamp
out the terrible iron and blood men
ace to all Europe and civilization.
Noble Little Belgium.
"Was there ever anything as noble
and inspiring as little Belgium at
this very moment, fighting that ter
rible sinister great bloodhound
alone? oh! With all its untold and
hideous horrors l believe war is a
glorious thing. Petty feelings, ami
mosities, personal sacrifice, all are
swept aside by the great holocaust of
patriotism and desire for justice.
"The night war was declared we
went out at 1900 p. m. to join the
crowds at The Palace and Trafal-
gar Square. A full moon was rising
amidst thunderOus clouds, behind
the black spires of The House of
Parliament. That wonderful Gothic
mass was lit up, every window, at
midnight, and behind those windows
sat the stern faced heads of the ma
ton, silently taking the awful step
In0 0AlSI0uCS Ol LA0 AdI1OA anu
safety of the world. The sacrifice
to every man, woman and child will
be heart-rending, every device for
peace was tried first, but when the
fatal hour came, not one voice was
raised in protest from one end of
the kingdom to the other.
Everything for War.
'It doesn't seem possible, think
foc frrs-
phe, so appalling, so colossal that
the end of the world couldn't stun
one more. The silent march through
the streets, day and night. of sol
diers, reserves, volunteers, countless
miles of horses, young and old, taken
from buses, stables, private polo
ponies, delivery carts, even thou
sands of private motors and most of
the motor buses, all commander
ed by the government. Yours may
have to go, father, no one escapes.
Nearly all the chauffeurs at the gar
age are already enlisted They pay
you something for it, but I know you
won't mind, for the glorious pur-
pose. AS it is, | am using it while
| can, on useful work. One hears
all the night and in the CHASTITY ear
ly morning hours the hoarse cry of
men selling extraS-and it seems as
if one had awakened into a night
mare, an inferno too dreadful to be
true.
every man is called out from |
prince to pauper and not one wall, |
one hysteric, one complaint have | |
heard yet. The Ritz and Carleton |
are closed-Harrods half closed and |
in a few days the government will |
take over all the food and dole out |
daily rations.
VIII Be Much Suffering.
"If there is any danger here l |
shall take the baby to Ireland where |
there is food and safety. But until |
then / feel that l must stay here and |
help. The suffering among the poor
and the millions cast out of employ
ment will be awful. Then there will |
be bandages to make, Red Cross
work to do and a thousand things
to help the nation in its terrible
hour. Shane has been to Redmond /
and offered himself for the Irish
(Nationalists and Union
sts combined) to protect and keep
peace in Ireland. He goes oyer next
Sunday for few days, to drill, make
speeches, etc. This war lis there any
word in any language more terrible
han WARD is splendid, the way
t has already wiped out petty quar-
-els and grievances like Ulster and
made the whole nation, rich and
poor, as one man.