THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 3

THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE

FOR GROWN-DPS (By yi") Tho Spirit of Sacrifice slipped from her fleecy bed oil the cloudlet, kissed her hand to tho stars, and slid down a moonbeam to tho brown earth below. The path of the beam led to tho window of a building, and beeauso fairies aro more curious even than women, she. flattened her elfin nose on the pane, and peeped in. "Dear me!" she said to herself, "what a lot of Jjoltlej!" It was a carnival of bottles. Medicine bottles, pint bottles, quart bottles, scent bottles, whisky bottles, beer bottles, champagne bottles, sauce bottles, an organised army of bottles, arrayed in platoons, battalions, divisions, ready offensive. And beside tho army wero the munition dumps, piles and piles ot' tins. As sho gazed at the scene she wondered whether the big fly that tinted the room was not a horrid aeroplane in .disguise, ready to drop a few bombs among the battalions and the dumps. Hut because she was curious, even more curious than (but I said tha.t before), but because she was curious she dolfed her gossamer gown, made herself invisible, and sat down among tho bottles to hear what it was all about. Presently some Earth People came in mil began to talk about the bottles and tins, and opened up some bags and got oui more bottles. These were made to look smart; and soldicr-like, and finally v.'cro drafted into battalions. Looking and listening, she began to see what it was all about, but she was not 'iitite satisfied. "I'm. going to find out more about all these bottles and tins," she snid to herself. Ho she left the room, and in a dark corner of .the street changed herself into a fashionable young lady. Then she picked up some pebbles from tlio road and changed tliem into money. A littlo more magic, and n limousine appeared mysteriously from ' round the corner. Then sho got into the limousine, gave tho chauffeur an address, and was driven off.

"So you see/' sho said to the young man who was with his back to the fire, regarding her with ill-concealed admiration, "I want all your bottles and tins. You must have heaps and " "Eh?" he exclaimed, startled. "Heaps of tins—heaps," sho coiiciTtded, dimpling.

"Oh, tins! I don't know. I suppose bo. I'll see," he said. "I know you MUST have about fifty pairs of boots and slioes and tilings. What DO you do with all the empty polish tins?" "I don't know. I'll ask." he said, helplessly. "What'll I do with 'em thenh" "Bring them along tu us," she said. "All right. I'll send 'cm along tomorrow, or —" , "You're to bring them!" she said, with delightful emphasis oil tho "bring." "Oh, here, I say!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that—l mean to say " "'Look!" she said, pointing to the wall. Puzzled, ho looked at the wall. Then amazement seized him, and held him spellbound. A grey cloud spread over the wall, then broke in tho centre, disclosing a storm-tossed sea and an open boat.' The gale drove the spume from the crests of the great seas in a driving spray. There were live men in the boat Four were pulling desperately to keep the head of the frail craft to the rollers. The fifth, lay tinder the thwarts, his stark, unseeing eyes staring at the grey clouds above. He was dead. Beyond, a submarine rolled awash. Then the scene failed, and was gone. Tho young man wined liis brow, and turned to his visitor. "Great Scot!" Jie exclaimed, "who aro you ?" "I?" she said. "What does it matter? Is it a sacrifice to give without feeling that you arc making some sacrifice? 'flie men in that picture were sacrificing their lives. They knew the risk beforo tliey went forth. We want you to do something for tho others, to " "Here," he said, "I'll give you a cliequo —" t "Tlumlv yon, sho said, but I uaiu more than that. You can afford the cheque. What I want you to do is to pack up those battles and tins yourself, ami carry them yourself, and every step of the way you will realise more deeply than you do now what a little real sacrifice moans. Good-bye." "But —," lie began. "Hullo! She was gone, vanished. He rushed to tho door. There was 110 sign of her. Unly a little boy scuttling along the street with a bundle over his shoulder. "Sonny!" 110 called. The boy stopped. "Have you a lady pass this way?" "Nope," said the boy. "That's a pretty hefty, bundle you've got there," lie said, benevolently. "Yep," said tho boy. "Bottles and tins for the sailors. Been collect'n' alt night. 'Got J ny?" * 4 * #

And now we come lo the lady in the case—not one, but several ladies, insisting, wheedling, coaxing, demanding oven, that wo shall deliver forthwith bottles and tins that they may sell them lor money to buy comforts for the sailors. "But," you say, "what about the story?" Well', T've just I old you the story. Oh, the moral? I'll lcavo that to you —something about giving, giving cheerfully; getting other people to give, for tho'sako of the men who—well, the men we saw in that picture and others of their' rannly breed.