Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-16
WAR AS MEANS OF GRACE
One Of tho Days Best Cartoons.


q "Ineans Of grace" IL non part OF
the accepted creed OF all the churches
save one. II not war tn general, at
any rate this present var is whole
some spiritual tonic. According TO tbs
Rev. r. J. Campbell. Of the City Tenn
pie, the nation Is to-day, Giving on a
loftier plane" than when the war
broke out. II ia more responsive 10
the can OF spiritual things Tho cier-
gy of all denominations are rejoicing
In the larger opportunity that Is COM
ing to them. not only in their In
creased congregations, but in lhe
more attentive hearing they are re.
eeiving.
This Is not the only evidence TO sup
port the theory that grapes do some
t,Mss grew on th9rns and figs on
cruits has awakened Q spirit of self
saerhee in ali clssses Of the consnp-
nifty. II we may believe the THINGS
History Of the War Il has even been
an effective agency IN the reclamation
q hsbi,nsl erimipssIs' According 70
cidenee that throughout Britain the
war period was marked''--the writer
uses The past tense, inasmuch as his
history Ia to be regarded not as y
oontemporary diary, hut as stand
ard work Of reference in which every
thing will appear In. true perspective
Thy an amazing absence Of crime.
tagonism between scheme OF world
war Matched at Rotsdam and q bur
glary planned IN Whitechapel But
many a burglar, moved to honest In
disnation by the German outrage. en-
listed az soldier, or found some other
OF the Right; and thus many police
We're set free TO protect tho nations
interests. instead of watching the
criminals" -
When even Bill Sykes has thus
gained the right TO wear an unaccus-
tomedt halo, It is scarcely necessary
TO say that the normally iAw-abidins
people are not Iasking In. their devo-
selfish zeal is frankly and thankfulIy
Of the opinion that war has closer
afinities with hell than with heaven.
amid the darkness,a says the
Friend. tone of the few CLEANS OF
hope. which we should prize and cher
ish, Is that, while but few weeks
ago English people were DIVIDED into
to get something from the state in
SUPPORT OF their particular interests,
now the country. and in it's anna ler
sphere the society. ls full Of persons
banded together to give something to
the state"
And not to the state only, as many
Relgian and French refugee would
bear grateful witness. II anything,
the relief Of distress Of all kinds in
n or Ia N Mt Mt &c Gtiff or
not so much from indifference as from
an over!supply Of pninstructed enthu-
siasn. Everybody is not only willing
to help, bpt anxious to help, and the
problem IS 70 turn This immense fund
Of personal service to practical acr
count.
These are obvious gains Of the war.
What Is there TO set on the other side?
For one thing, there lis the plague Of
over the whole country. The myth
about the passing Of the Russian
troops through England, did no par
ticular harm, but When the same In
dpstry Is shown in mag ginning and cir
sedlating stories, Of German atrocities
II Is more serious matter.
4 short time $50 thoroughly
peated to me . tale that Was current
in his neighhorhood, An English doc
tor had come home from the war, with
both hands cut off by the Germans.
The alleged authority for the story
was q letter from the wife of.'a Meth
odist minister, who had apparently a
personal knowledge Of the case. This
seemed a precise enough clue, and.
as ] happened to know the minister
mentioned, wrote TO ask him for par
ticllsrs, IIe replied as follows:
1T 70 true that we have heard OF
doctor in one Of our hospitals who
while he was attending to our wound
ed on the battlefield; but we do not
know his name, nor in what hospital
he is"
My correspondent had further told
me that . local doctor OF his acduaip-
nurse from his own old hospital being
the victim. ascertained tile name
Of the hospital--one of the largest in
London--aand sent the sefretary Of 1t
letter sc inquiry. Here ia his reply:
as to any nurse Of ours having been
injured in any way whatever by tho