The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-08-13

every prec,ous cartridge. lest n
single bullet be wasted. lest any
pass Idly through the air: that each
one may account for n hundred
human beings simultaneously.
Father In Heaveni Thou arr
qaxina down at us In such terrible
slIenec. Dost Thou shudder n these
son. OF nen7 Thou poor and slight
God Thou couldst only rain Thy
paltry pitch and sulphur on sodom
and comorrah.
eu, we, Thy children. whom Thou
hast created, ws are going 70 es-
terminate them by hlah-pressure
machinery and butcher whole cities
In factoriea Hero we stand. ano
while we tretch our hands 20 Thy
Son In prayer. and cry Hosannahl
we are hurting shells and shrapnel
In the face OF Thy Image. and shoot.
Ina the Son Of Man down from HE
Cross like . target at the rifle butts.
And now tho holy communion IL
being celebrated. The organ IL play
ing mytesriously from afar off, and
tho flesh and blood OF the Redeemer
is mingiing with our flesh and blood.
There lie is hanging on the
cross above mo and gazing down
upon me.
How pale these cheeks look! And
these eyes are the eyes as OF one
deadi Who was this Christ Who
is to aid us. and Whose blood we
drink? What was II they once
taught us at SCHOOL, Didst Thou
not love mankind And didst Thou
not die for the whole human racer
Stretch out Trims arms toward me.
There In something | would fam
ask OF Thee. All they have
nailed Thy arms TO tho Cross, so
that Thou canst not stretch out a
finger toward us.
Hhuddering. fix my eyes on the
corpse-like face and see that He
has died long ago. that He is moth.
ing other than puppet- Christ, II
is no longer Thee TO whom We
pray. Look there! Look there.
IL Is he.
The new patron saint OF Chris
tian statel Look thcrel II Is he.
the great Djengis Khan. or him
we know that he swept through the
history OF tho world with fire and
sword. and piled up pyramids of
skulls.
Yes, that 10 he. Let us heap up
Of human heads, and
pile up heaps OF human entralls.
Great DIengls khanl Thou, our
patron saint
Do thou bless usl Pray 70 thy
blood-drenehed father seated above
tho skies OF Asia. that he may
sweep with u through the clouds;
that he may strike down that ac-
cursed nation I'LL II wrlthes In It's
iii u never can rise again.
A red mist swims before my eyes.
OF a sudden I see nothing but
blood before me. The heavens
have opened, and the red flood
pours In through the windows.
Blood wells up on the altar. The
walls run blood from the ceiling to
tho floor. and-God the Father
steps out OF the blood.
Every scale OF his skin stands
erect. his beard and hair drip blood.
A giant OF blood stands before me-
He seats himself backward on the
altar. and Is laughing from thick,
coarse lips-there sits the King OF
and butchers his slaves.
The black executioner raises his
sword and whirls II above my
head. Another moment and my
head will roll down on the floor
another moment and the red Jet
will squirt from my neck. =.
Murderersl None other
than Murderersl Lord God in
Heaven!
Then
The church door opens creakfng--
Light, air and blue OF heaven.
burst in.
draw a breath OF relief. We
have risen to our feet, and mt length
pass out OF the twilight into open
air.
My knees are still trembling
under mo.
We ran into line, and in our hob
nailed boots tramp in step down
tho street toward the barracks.
When | see my mates marching
beside me In their matter-of-fact
and stolid way. feel ashamed, and
call myself Il wretched coward.
What weak-nerved, hysterical
breed that can no longer look at
blood without faintingi You neu-