With our French Allies, too, the spirit of faith has reawakened. An English officer writes to the _Evening Standard_: “The French soldiers go into the trenches, each with his little medal of Our Lady hung round his neck--they pray aloud in action, not in fear, but with a high courage and a great trust.”
“On All Souls’ Day,” he adds, “I saw the village _curé_ come out and bless the graves of our poor lads. The graves, mark, of rough Protestant soldiers, decorated with chrysanthemums by the villagers. These poor dead were blessed, and called the faithful departed, and wept over and prayed for.”
“And thine own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.”
If one may reverently paraphrase Simeon’s prophecy to the mother of the Man of Sorrows, can one not say that the soul of the world is pierced to-day, and the thoughts of the nations revealed?
A neutral diplomat, recently arrived in England from Vienna, via Paris, has told us of the singular indifference of the Austrian capital to the tragedy in which her own sons are taking part. “Vienna,” he says, “has shown only one moment of emotion, and that was when the little breakfast rolls were condemned. No one cares in Vienna. Life is--how shall I say?--it is all one ‘Merry Widow.’ It is not that they have any confidence in their own army. They shrug their shoulders and spread out their hands, but in Germany--they have the faith of the hypnotized! Nothing can happen to Germany, therefore Austria is safe.”
Recently an order was issued to have the cafés closed at one o’clock in the morning. It was not agreeable to the public, but they have contrived a substitute for their _petits pains_ which is some slight compensation.
“I shall return,” he added pensively--“I shall return with how much regret to the indecent carnival that is Vienna!”
His impression of France was very different. He could not sufficiently express his astonishment at the change that had come over the country. The dignity of France, the quiet strength of France, the spiritual confidence of France! In the army was only one apprehension: lest they should not be upheld by the civilians in their determination to fight to the very end. The churches were crowded; men and women have alike returned to the faith of their fathers. There was no unseemly merrymaking there, no unworthy attempt in café or theatre to forget the agonizing struggle.