Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-14
ISIT THE CRYING OF
OUR BROTHERS. BLOOD
From the Ground to Heaven, That
Brings These Warnings to Us
in Furry of Elements?.

Uncle Sans most imposing war ma
chimes in our nearby waters, find
the Evening Capital with its thrilling
story OF the storm of August 8, wait
ing me.
My heart aches as / picture Gods
Acre at ST. Anne's, storm torn and
deseerated by the elements, and echo
the query of the splendid editorial
in the same paper Again God
Speaks" What is He saying to us?
Is it the crying of our brothers blood
from the ground to Heaven that brings
these warnings TO US?
Some months ago The Capital let me
speak on THE Blessings of War" The
war was not quite the. awful thing
then It has since become. l have.since
that writing. seen with my own eyes
that General Sherman told only half
the truth when he declared war to be
H. It's terrors, fits vices, are almost
beyond comprehension. nevertheless,
/ still believe the blessings of war"
are many.
After eight thousands of miles eXpe-
rience of the war zone, for that zone
really begins when our three-mile wa
ter bounds are passed, can confident
~ say that the nations of the earth are
being turned back to God by the fires
Of the battle field. Italy's full church
es was the first impression had of
that sunny land, even though war had
not been declared when l reached the
country. War, / found, had turned the
Partisan back TO his God. This was
borne in on me most forcibly on every
side during the days of Passion Week,
and az the Eastertide
Once, this time Of the spring festi-
val spelled fun and fashion, frocks and
holiday joys. This year all was chang
ed. Day after day ceremonies elabor-
ate and solemn. filed the churches,
long lines Of people waiting in due
formation in the pouring rain for
chance to pray before some high altar.
The Madeline, used by Napoleon in
praise OF victory, now restored to the
worship of the God of Hosts, in par
ticular, was the scene Of a touching
ceremony when a picture Of the Last
Supper was displayed above the altar
from which the Host had been remov-
ed. Only once a year is this done, on
Holy Thursday, and the empty cham
Der Is marked I'm peace times by few
lilies. This year those who had loved
ones in the battle, or who mourned
soldier dead, brought flowers, and their
offerings were laid on the marble steps
in the form of a cross,as more and still
more flowers were extended until the
beautiful glowing symbol Of mans sal
vation stretched thirty feet along the
pave Hundreds Of tapers, lighted by
those with hope in their hearts twink
led, but not a sound broke the stiffness
OF this worship but the sound OF feet
eagerly approaching the altar. and
slowly returning from prayer.
At Notre Dame the ceremonies were
too brilliant and intricate for the un-
Initiated to describe, but a funeral mass
was given for an officer OF rank whose
pail was the tricolor; merging into
mass for the soldiers in the various
fields Of battle; for those who had died
and finally the Cardinal was invested
with golden robes brought to him by
twelve gorgeously clad bishops. Then
all the glittering garments we're dOf-
fed, and simple habits put upon them
as a sign of humility in the sight Of
the Overruling Power. The religious
fervor and exaltation of all who took
part, the brilliant picture and splendid
music will never be forgotten. On that
very spot victorious Napoleno once
TODD crowning himself Emperor. be-
cause he recognized none higher than
himself to perform the rite. His
kingdom did not stand; the hoary
walls of Notre Dame have Witnessed
the rise and fall Of many human rul-
ers, but these wiser days they ring
with praise to the living God and into
the humility of His subjects.
Crossing the Channel, my first hours
in London were passed at st. Pauls
great Cathedral. Again was a memo
rial service being conducted for these
fighting, dying far away. The build
ing is so vast little could be heard Of
the service except fragments Of a GER
mon containing an appeal for prayers
for victory. This great temple is
really founded on conquest. there is
much more of the success of the pas
sions Of the men shown forth by the
memorials Of triumphal battle, than
there is of the service of God, or love
Of man, and there was a Jar and dis
cord between my feelings of the Fa-
therhood Of a God Of the whole world
and the monuments and the words of
prayer for victory not for right, but
for Our Side"
But the organs began to peel forth
deep accompaniment 20 the chanted
Litany, and the cry from hundreds Of
throats God have mercy" Christ
have mercy" rose and seemed to
climb yisibly to the arch Of Heaven.
All fret passed from me, here was the
need of the world, the cry from the
heart of suffering man to his Father
Have mercy" Materialism has been
the keynote Of the latter half of the
nineteenth century and the first de-
cade of the twentieth was little better
Is It not possibl in the trial Of fire and
food, and the devastation Of worldly
goods by war that the world is receiv-
ing a warning TO look to the reward
| instead OF temporal happiness as the
real aim Of life?
We are a nation founded by faith. IL
our faith waning? Is II not in love the
Father of all men is chiding His sons