CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2964, 30 December 1916, Page 9

CHURCH AND WAR

A RECENT FRENCH NOVEL THE MEANING OF DEATH. Professor Calvet, of the College Stanislas, . Paris, contributes a, iino article' to the September number of "The Constructive Quarterly" on 'Trench Literature During tlio War." 'Referring to a much-discussed novel by Paul Dourget, entitled "Le Sens dc la Alort," Professor Calvet writes: As it puts openly a moral question, one forgets the development of the romantic theino in order to apply oneself wholly to the problem. The French have always been, moro interested in matters of conscience- than in those of aesthetics, and nothing impassions thorn so much as casuistry. It would, however, be just to notice with what art Bourget, who has the dramatic sense, has guided his novel. By easy stages he leads all his characters to a clinic of tlio famous surgeon, Ortegue: the surgeon himself, a combative positivist, his .wife,.. Marguerite, whom ho has converted to his idoas, his wife's cousin, Le Gallic, a'Breton, officer, who believes in God and who fights with all his soul, Doctor Marsal, a dramatic utility, who listeus and replies and makes the connecting link between the three- principal characters. Le Gallic is wounded and is about to die. Ho loves God ■enough to be able to bear the pain, to sacrifice his life, which ho knows is failing, and his profound and secret love for Marguerite. Orteguo is stricken .with cancer and knows that ho is "dying, but as he thinks that all is ended, with death, ho considers it useless to boar the pain, and ho is about to kill himself- More than this, a lover even until death and jealous of Le Gallic whose feelings lie has divined, ho will involve his wife in tho suicide, and ho makes hor promise to die with hiin. The denouement is. rapid and. brutal. •Tlie two rivals confront one another—Ortegue, violent and excited, Le Gallic, master of himself. Then they die—Ortegue poisons himself and Le Gallic gives himself up to God, having dragged-from Marguerite the promise that she will survive- hor husband. Tho drama is clean-cut, compact, poignant, and I do not beliovc that Bourget in any other book has attained an equal power of concentration.

Paul Bourget does not leave to the reader the effort to formulate the moral question .which springs of itself out of the contrast between the two-deaths, that of Ortegue and that of Le Gallic. Ho sots it forth and discusses it hinisolf, and ho ends liis novel with a. moralist's dissertation. A disciple of William James, .ho appreciates a doctrine in accordance with its practical value. Of tho two systems—that of Lo Gallic who believes in God and who accepts pain and death in order to make reparation for his faults and tho faults of others, and that of Orteguo who believes in nothing but matter and denies to pain and death all signification; the first aided in vanquishing pain and death by joyous hope; the second driven to despair, to narcotics, to suicide—tho first can be utilised, the secoud is useless, and this creates in favour, of the' first a presumption of truth. '

Then enlarging the question wild considering the'murderous.war, the moralist adds: If the affirmation of Ortegne is true, if death has no meaning, then battles are nothing but a. monstrous and brutal butchery; if Lo Gallic is right, if death is a sacrifice whicii God witnesses' arid which He accepts, a consoling thought hovers above tho destruction, and we may look for a better world l , to emerge from the scourge of, war. For tho honour of humanity it is necessary that Lo Gallic bo right. It is possiblo-to. resist. Bourgef's arguments, but ono cannot dodgo Ui6 : prob--' lem which he offers for our reflection; it is to the honour of the novelist;that ' ho has known how to oxtract from the war the essential question, and, sinco the war has destruction for it's aim, to have asked of himself what is the meaning of death. \ • "The Constructive Quarterly" also contains articles by Dr. Inge ("Tho Justice of God in History"), Dr. Du Boso '("Incarnation"), Dr. W. E. Orchord ("The Future of English Nonconformity"), Professor H. L. Stewart ("The' Religious Consciousness ,as a Psychological :Fact"), and other contributions. It is an exceptionally interesting number. ;''... \ ■ THE VICTORIA CROSS. WON. Br A BISHOP'S. SON. ' j The Army, tho Church, and tho modi-1 cal profession are to bo congratulated] on account of tho Victoria Cross awarded to Captain N. G. Chavasse, M.C., M.8., R.A.M.C. (says the "British -Weekly"). He is one of the two [sons of the Bishop of Liverpool, whose four sons and one daughter are serving at the front. He is also a- grandson of the : late Thomas Chavasse, F:R.C.S. Captain Chavasse joined tho Liverpool Scottish ,on mobilisation as second medical -officer, and went abroad with them about two years ago as the senior medical officer, and ho has been, with them ever since. It is-recorded that last winter they were the only i battalion in a- certain division which 'had not one case of "trench foot." On this fact their medical officer was 'highly complimented. Captain Chavasse is extraordinarily popular, especially in Liverpool; When the Bishop addressed a gathering of students in the Liverpool University in eonnectldn with the National Mission, Professor Conner, who presided, congratulated him and Mrs. Chavasse upon the honour bestowed on their soil. He said they wore proud to think of Captain Chavasse as a past member of the University. The Bishop, in reply, said he had known for somo. little time past that his son was to receive the honour,and when ho hinted it to him ill a letter his answer was, "Well, I never thought the Victoria Cross could be won so cheaply." 'Die general verdict is that never was an honour hetler deserved. "WE ARE ALL RIGHT." A MESSAGE FROM -THE FRONT. After, three months' work for the Y.M.C.A. in France, the Rev. G. E. Darlastou recently returned to his duties at Park Chapel, London. There was a large congregation to welcome him. Mr. Darlastou did not keep his people waiting for the news he had brought from the front. To children and grown-ups he told as much of what bo had scon and heard as ho could press into tho allotted timo. The sermon was Full of encouragement for anxious relatives. "If there is one messago more than anothor that I am authoritatively commissioned to bring home from the men who aro fighting," said Mr. Darlastou, "it, is this: 'We aro all right.' " , When the men in France send this messago home, he added, it is not merely with the desire to allay anxiety. "In a strange, true way. thev aro all right." "To tho onlooker in France there is a certain sameness about everything at first sight," said Mr. Darlastou. "The men themselves almost-appear feature- 1 less. They'lake on the colour of tlie earth in which they are living. Coming out of the trenches on a hot summer's day, their trench holmets white with the chalk, the. dust clinging to their clothes, the men seem almost to blend wilh the read along which they are marching. Ft is the same on a winter's day, only mud takes the place of Uia dust. The round ' shrapnel hcl-mc-L comes well over the brows and bides tho eyes, so that it is not at all,] easy to recognise men you know quite |

well. ... This is the outsider's view, this is from a distance. Beneath that colourless nionolono tlioro is something hidden which all tho difference between tlio appearance and the actuality of it. Thore is a- great wealth of coinradeship-7tho richest thins: .1 have over seen in my life. There is an intense determination to play the game. There is a creat idealisation in every heart of you and home and what is callerf 'Blisiii-' "