The Canadians were beaten that day at Ypres when the gas came upon them.  Any troops i’ the world would ha’ been beaten.  The Germans knew that.  They knew just hoo things were.  And they knew that, if things had been sae wi’ them, they would ha’ run or surrendered.  And they couldna imagine a race of men that would do otherwise—­that would dee rather than admit themselves beaten.

And sae, do you ken hoo it was the German officers reasoned?

“There is something wrong with our information,” they decided.  “If things were really, over there, as we have believed, those men would be quitting now.  They may be making a trap ready for us.  We will stop and make sure.  It is better to be safe than sorry.”

Sae, because the human spirit and its invincibility was a thing beyond their comprehension, the German officers lost the chance they had to win the war.

And it is because of that spirit that remains, that survives, in the world, that I am so sure we can mak’ it a world worthy of those who died to save it.  I would no want to live anither day myself if I didna believe that.  I would want to dee, that I micht see my boy again.  But there is work for us all tae do that are left and we have no richt to want, even, to lay doon our burdens until the time comes when God wills that we maun.

Noo—­what are the things we ha’ tae do?  They are no just to talk, you’ll be saying.  ’Deed, and you’re richt!

Wull you let me touch again on a thing I’ve spoken of already?

We ken the way the world’s been impoverished.  We’ve seen tae many of our best laddies dee these last years.  They were the husbands the wee lassies were waiting for—­the faithers of bairns that will never be born the noo.  Are those that are left doing a’ that they should to mak’ up that loss?

There’s selfishness amang those who’ll no ha’ the weans they should.  And it’s a selfishness that brings its ain punishment—­be sure of that.  I’ve said before, and I’ll say again, the childless married pair are traitors to their country, to the world, to humanity.  Is it that folk wi’ children find it harder to live?  Weel, there’s truth i’ that, and it’s for us a’ tae see that that shall no be so.

I ken there are things that discourage them that would bring up a family o’ bairns.  Landlords wull ask if there are bairns, and if there are they’ll seek anither tenant.  It’s no richt.  The law maun step in and reach them.  Oh, I mind a story I heard frae a friend o’ mine on that score.

He’s a decent body, wi’ six o’ the finest weans e’er you saw.  He’d to find a bigger hoose, and he went a’ aboot, and everywhere, when he told the landlords he had six bairns, they’d no have him.  Else they’d put up the rent to sic a figure he couldna pay it.  In the end, though, he hit upon a plan.  Ane day he went tae see an agent aboot a hoose that was just the yin to suit him.  He liked it fine; the agent saw he was a solid man, and like tae be a gude tenant.  Sae they were well along when the inevitable question came.