It was the first
experience in my life of a thing like that. I had a cold chill down my
spine as I realized that it was not so easy as I had thought to separate
myself from Life. We stood there together--a little group of women--and
silently read it through--this command for the rising up of a Nation.
No need for the men to read it. Each with his military papers in his
pocket knew the moment he heard the drum what it meant, and knew equally
well his place. I was a foreigner among them, but I forgot that, and if
any of them remembered they made no sign. We did not say a word to one
another. I silently returned to my garden and sat down. War again!
This time war close by--not war about which one can read, as one reads
it in the newspapers, as you will read it in the States, far away from
it, but war right here--if the Germans can cross the frontier.
It came as a sort of shock, though I might have realized it yesterday
when several of the men of the commune came to say au revoir, with the
information that they were joining their regiments, but I felt as if
some way other than cannon might be found out of the situation.
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