Tombstone epitaph., 1915-03-28

Brothers shooting at brothers!" Duprez continued. Do you suppose those poor devils of Germans want to kill us, Do you suppose this is their war? Do you suppose we should ever have come hunting each other over these fair hills and valleys if We had come to know each others thoughts if we had had the sense and the cour- age to unite ourselves, to work to- gether for the cause of man? Do you think this sort of thing is going on forever? Some thought it was going on forever away back in 1793. In the name of God. are we go- ing to lose the gain won by the sacri- fees of our ancestors in the cause of human freedom? Are We for all time going to be fooled by the silly shibbo- leths of country and flag and patriot ism?
 ITO die for three strips of bunting sewn together, For boundary line that hasn't even a river or a range of mountains or any other kind of an ex- cuse. For a sentiment that enables your masters. blood-sucking vampires. to keep you huddled in your pens. to be plundered and plucked at their will! If you want to die"
 They were all silent now-even Martineau. as Duprez took another step toward them. his head lifted high, his eyes blazing with the fire of his ! spirit. his face grown almost majestic and Godlike, under the transforming power of his idea.
 'I have brought you here to pre- pare you to die for a cause-for the greatest of all causes-for the cause. The brotherhood of man, It is com ing. The way is prepared. But llt- tie while and such a war as this will | be impossible.
 The armed hordes will no longer move at the command of tyrants. Germans. French, Austrians. Russians. English-all alike will refuse to kill one another at the will of a few | shrewd and self-seeking schemers who play upon the folly and the ere dulity of the masses. The masses! | The masses shall rule, and the pow der factories shall be idle, and the warships shall rot at their piers. and the bayonets shall be turned into"
 He was interrupted for moment by the much nearer tumult of the bat | tie that was raging beyond the hill. ! But he smiled in kind of triumph.
 They are dying yonder-for noth' ing-for worse than nothing. l tell you that the world of men needs only the inspiring uplift of a great ec. ample. have thrown down my rife. ask you to throw down yours. We shall wait for our brothers to | come and end us. We shall not re- sis. We shall be tried by court. | martial and shot at dawn, in the sight of the two battalions, who will see for once what real courage may achieve.
 We shall set our great example before France and before the world If we must die, let us die for some thing worth our lives. our reason and our souls. Let us die for the great cause of peace and humanity-for the brotherhood of man, No more militarism, No more butchery of peoples. No more tyranny"
 With the last words he drew from an inside pocket of his coat a small volume, worn and ragged from long study, turned to a well-worn page and began to read:
 Patriotism is, for the ruling classes. a sentiment natural and profitable; for us it is a fools trap The nation is for them a kindly moth CT: for us 1t is a stepmother, a shrew who detests and persecutes us
 We are we'll aware that if a wal should break out between France and England or Germany. it would be but the capitalists Of each country cudgel ing each other for the markets of the world. If we have to risk our lives we should risk them not to defend na tionalities, but rather to found the socialist nation that we already carry in our brains"
 "Herve." cried Tillier. as he raised his rife and flung 1t on the ground.
 The name was repeated here and there: and another ride-two. three four-siipped from loosened fingers and dropped into the dust or were thrown down like Tillier's.
 Yes, Nerve, our great teacher. oul prophet Listen."
 And while the roar of the battle grew steadily nearer. on the other side of the hill, he read:
 Flags are only emblems. They have no value beyond what they seem to represent There are thousands of flags that no longer stand for any thing. And countries, What are they: Every country or nation. so called, is composed of two groups of men-the few seated at the loaded table and the mob begging for the crumbs. A country of the present time is nothing but a monstrous exploitation of man by man. Behold your country that they wish us to die for. Behold"
 A shell came screaming over the hill and exploded so near them that dust flew into their faces. Duprez stopped for an instant. and there was brief change in the expression ol