Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-18

LONDON. January 3l.--If the British
aristocracy shall disappear as a rcsui,
of war. it viii not he because an the
aris'ocrats arc dead. but because they
have become democrats War. like
love. levels ranks.
II is perfectly true that battle has
taken heavy toll OF the british arts
tocracy. Tho young men Of family, if
not already in the army. were the frs,
10 volunteer for the service OF their
country. No CONSUMPTION was needcn
10 draw tho aristocrat To duty. Ic
was an EnSiishman with IL knowlcdRe
OF what was due to his land. his in.
stitutions aud his follows
inonsands OF the nobility of Eng.
ihnd have died on the field Eldest
Son". youngest sons and sons in be-
t"ccn have gone the way together.
some ancient families have seen their
Younger male representatives cn,ircl,
disappear since the day that the Ger
man army broke into Belgium Til,
bravery of tho British aristucrat never
was doubted. and |, is not safe per.
maps IN this land To cxprcss doub, Of
IN" bravery or amy british man OF
whatever rank in life. Nobility is SUP.
posed Ia obige. and surely there Is
some ground for belief in the truth o,
tue ola saying. for when the call was
nobility Of England responded literal,
as one man.
with tho representatives Of the ola
established houses there went to tho
front IN" r"tainers Of these houses
They were quick to answer the cat.
as were their masters. With them also
went tho Jonioucr Of the back streets.
and tn" tenants Of tho cottages on =
Thousand manors. For awhile ii was
,hc middle class which held back
Th'n 'hiA class felt tho pulse Of the
thing. and. not 10 be outdone by those
VINO in EnSiand's social structure arc
above them or below them. they for
lo"e ed The rest
u Is saia here that CONSUMPTION diu
not get single aristocra.. AN ar!s,o-
crat IN the true British sense. Aris.
tocracy volunteered and SO did dcmoc-
rhcy /" the representative numbers or
2.u9o.o"". The uppcr-clhss recruits
were volunteers almost to :: man This
spcaks q convincing word in behalf
OF hcrcdity.' Tradition means much 1,
the noble houses Of England.
Always Ready 10 Fight.
Abroad, everybody hears OF the DC
generate british aristocrat. but /,
hears comparatively little or tho aristo.
ere; wh" is Not i degenerate aud who
IS a simple. straightforward English
man. With good many foolish idea,
perhaps about caste. hat who. never-
"ompanionahle. genial. and always
ready - fight ior the Tight Little Isle
When the war was eight months old
an American was travelling from Dover
10 London on n railroad train. There
was stop al a station. the door NJ
the carriage occupied by the Amcri-
can WAS thrown open. and n Young
EnGlishman bounded IN and took a
scat. lie Was little more than n boy
III years. but he stood SIX fec, one
and looked about as physically per-
feet ~ man can
The American travelling in England
knows tina, It characteristic Of travel
ing Englishmcn IL reticencc. PERTAINS
Irufncss. and n very marked molina
ton u looi, after his own comfort
ana be somewhat indifferent 10 the
comfort Of others. The young English
man who jumped into the railroad car.
rage was In the uniform OF n soldier
and he was hubblnE over with enthu-
Siasm and an evident desire to tall,
ms heart on, t. the first person who
gave MIN listening opportunity
The American took in tho situation
a; a glance and nc helped the young
ster along by saying. Where are you
goinG?'
The answer came like This: II have
had rotten luck for eigh, months. hut
now am going Ia the front am
going to join my regiment the -
I.auccrs. There Is nothing lef, OF II
bur the name ! missed Mons and ]
missed the whole glorious thing; rot
ten. rotten. but my luck has come Il;
last
Hines, Held Him Bnck.
rms young EnElishman was q sub.
aitern IN famous regiment which was
nearly wiped out of existence during.
the magnificent lighting retreat Of the
British and the French from tho Bel
ai.n llnc in the frs; days OF the war
lie started with his regiment for the
front. lie WAS on board n :ranspor.
when he fell. stricken With acute ap-
pendicitis. He was on tho operating
table within two hours and then hc
was held in the hospital for two
months. recovering slowly from tho
operation.
Ills rotten luck" continued. lie re
covered from the appendicitis. but in
StantlN was stricken with scarlet fever.
ne got over that and begged to be al
lowed to 60 TO tho Continent, hut the
doctors wouldn't let him. In his own
words. - was ashamed TO look any.
BODY IN the face. for fear they would
thihk was Stacker. Now 7 am
going Rotten luck has become good
luck. and viii be back with the reg
lncnt i'll ten hours. but tho lonely and
awful thiiiis is tina, the old men Of 1t
ar" all gone"
The feeling Of this young artist ocrat, |
an officer IL England's small regular
army. that he would bc looked upon as |
4 Stacker. even though severe illness |