in flanders fields and other poems-第17章

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as　well　as　for　herself。　　Too　soon；　after　only　eight　years；　it　was　her　fate
to　be　shrouded　in　them。　　After　her　death　　probably　because　of　her　death　
John　Eckford　emigrated　to　Canada。

To　one　who　knows　the　early　days　in　Canada　there　is　nothing　new
in　the　story　of　this　family。　　They　landed　in　Montreal　July　11th；　1851；
forty…four　days　out　from　Glasgow。　　They　proceeded　by　steamer　to　Hamilton；
the　fare　being　about　a　dollar　for　each　passenger。　　The　next　stage
was　to　Guelph；　then　on　to　Durham；　and　finally　they　came　to　the　end
of　their　journeying　near　Walkerton　in　Bruce　County　in　the　primeval　forest；
from　which　they　cut　out　a　home　for　themselves　and　for　their　children。

It　was　〃the　winter　of　the　deep　snow〃。　　One　transcription　from　the　record
will　disclose　the　scene：


　　　　At　length　a　grave　was　dug　on　a　knoll　in　the　bush
　　　　at　the　foot　of　a　great　maple　with　a　young　snow…laden　hemlock　at　the　side。
　　　　The　father　and　the　eldest　brother　carried　the　box
　　　　along　the　shovelled　path。　　The　mother　close　behind　was　followed
　　　　by　the　two　families。　　The　snow　was　falling　heavily。　　At　the　grave
　　　　John　Eckford　read　a　psalm；　and　prayed；　〃that　they　might　be　enabled
　　　　to　believe；　the　mercy　of　the　Lord　is　from　everlasting　to　everlasting
　　　　unto　them　that　fear　Him。〃


John　McCrae　himself　was　an　indefatigable　church…goer。　　There　is　a　note
in　childish　characters　written　from　Edinburgh　in　his　thirteenth　year；
〃On　Sabbath　went　to　service　four　times。〃　　There　the　statement　stands
in　all　its　austerity。　　A　letter　from　a　chaplain　is　extant　in　which
a　certain　mild　wonder　is　expressed　at　the　regularity　in　attendance
of　an　officer　of　field　rank。　　To　his　sure　taste　in　poetry　the　hymns　were
a　sore　trial。　　〃Only　forty　minutes　are　allowed　for　the　service；〃　he　said；
〃and　it　is　sad　to　see　them　‘snappit　up'　by　these　poor　bald　four…line　things。〃

On　Easter　Sunday；　1915；　he　wrote：　　〃We　had　a　church　parade　this　morning；
the　first　since　we　arrived　in　France。　　Truly；　if　the　dead　rise　not；
we　are　of　all　men　the　most　miserable。〃　　On　the　funeral　service　of　a　friend
he　remarks：　　〃‘Forasmuch　as　it　hath　pleased　Almighty　God；'　
what　a　summary　of　the　whole　thing　that　is！〃　　On　many　occasions　he　officiated
in　the　absence　of　the　chaplains　who　in　those　days　would　have　as　many
as　six　services　a　day。　　In　civil　life　in　Montreal　he　went　to　church
in　the　evening；　and　sat　under　the　Reverend　James　Barclay　of　St。　Pauls；
now　designated　by　some　at　least　as　St。　Andrews。




　　VIII

The　Civil　Years



It　will　be　observed　in　this　long　relation　of　John　McCrae　that　little　mention
has　yet　been　made　of　what　after　all　was　his　main　concern　in　life。
For　twenty　years　he　studied　and　practised　medicine。　　To　the　end
he　was　an　assiduous　student　and　a　very　profound　practitioner。
He　was　a　student；　not　of　medicine　alone；　but　of　all　subjects
ancillary　to　the　science；　and　to　the　task　he　came　with　a　mind　braced
by　a　sound　and　generous　education。　　Any　education　of　real　value
a　man　must　have　received　before　he　has　attained　to　the　age　of　seven　years。
Indeed　he　may　be　left　impervious　to　its　influence　at　seven　weeks。
John　McCrae's　education　began　well。　　It　began　in　the　time
of　his　two　grandfathers　at　least；　was　continued　by　his　father　and　mother
before　he　came　upon　this　world's　scene；　and　by　them　was　left　deep　founded
for　him　to　build　upon。

Noble　natures　have　a　repugnance　from　work。　　Manual　labour　is　servitude。
A　day　of　idleness　is　a　holy　day。　　For　those　whose　means　do　not　permit
to　live　in　idleness　the　school　is　the　only　refuge；　but　they　must　prove
their　quality。　　This　is　the　goal　which　drives　many　Scotch　boys
to　the　University；　scorning　delights　and　willing　to　live　long；
mind…laborious　days。

John　McCrae's　father　felt　bound　〃to　give　the　boy　a　chance；〃
but　the　boy　must　pass　the　test。　　The　test　in　such　cases
is　the　Shorter　Catechism；　that　compendium　of　all　intellectual　argument。
How　the　faithful　aspirant　for　the　school　acquires　this　body
of　written　knowledge　at　a　time　when　he　has　not　yet　learned　the　use　of　letters
is　a　secret　not　to　be　lightly　disclosed。　　It　may　indeed　be
that　already　his　education　is　complete。　　Upon　the　little　book
is　always　printed　the　table　of　multiples；　so　that　the　obvious　truth
which　is　comprised　in　the　statement；　〃two　by　two　makes　four〃；
is　imputed　to　the　contents　which　are　within　the　cover。
In　studying　the　table　the　catechism　is　learned　surreptitiously；
and　therefore　without　self…consciousness。

So；　in　this　well　ordered　family　with　its　atmosphere　of　obedience；
we　may　see　the　boy；　like　a　youthful　Socrates　going　about
with　a　copy　of　the　book　in　his　hand；　enquiring　of　those；
who　could　already　read；　not　alone　what　were　the　answers　to　the　questions
but　the　very　questions　themselves　to　which　an　answer　was　demanded。

This　learning；　however；　was　only　a　minor　part　of　life；　since　upon　a　farm
life　is　very　wide　and　very　deep。　　In　due　time　the　school　was　accomplished；
and　there　was　a　master　in　the　school　　let　his　name　be　recorded　
William　Tytler；　who　had　a　feeling　for　English　writing
and　a　desire　to　extend　that　feeling　to　others。

In　due　time　also　the　question　of　a　University　arose。
There　was　a　man　in　Canada　named　Dawson　　Sir　William　Dawson。
I　have　written　of　him　in　another　place。　　He　had　the　idea
that　a　university　had　something　to　do　with　the　formation　of　character；
and　that　in　the　formation　of　character　religion　had　a　part。
He　was　principal　of　McGill。　　I　am　not　saying　that　all　boys　who　entered
that　University　were　religious　boys　when　they　went　in；
or　even　religious　men　when　they　came　out；　but　religious　fathers
had　a　general　desire　to　place　their　boys　under　Sir　William　Dawson's　care。

Those　were　the　days　of　a　queer；　and　now　forgotten；　controversy
over　what　was　called　〃Science　and　Religion〃。　　Of　that　also
I　have　written　in　another　place。　　It　was　left　to　Sir　William　Dawson
to　deliver　the　last　word　in　defence　of　a　cause　that　was　already　lost。
His　book　came　under　the　eye　of　David　McCrae；　as　most　books　of　the　time　did；
and　he　was　troubled　in　his　heart。　　His　boys　were　at　the　University　of　Toronto。
It　was　too　late；　but　he　eased　his　mind　by　writing　a　letter。
To　this　letter　John　replies　under　date　20th　December；　1890：
〃You　say　that　after　reading　Dawson's　book　you　almost　regretted
that　we　had　not　gone　to　McGill。　　That；　I　consider；　would　have　been
rather　a　calamity；　about　as　much　so　as　going　to　Queen's。〃
We　are　not　always　wiser　than　our　fathers　were；　and　in　the　end
he　came　to　McGill　after　all。

For　good　or　ill；　John　McCrae　entered　the　University　of　Toronto　in　1888；
with　a　scholarship　for　〃general　proficiency〃。　　He　joined　the　Faculty　of　Arts；
took　the　honours　course　in　natural　sciences；　and　graduated　from
the　department　of　biology　in　1894；　his　course　having　been　interrupted
by　two　severe　illnesses。　　From　natural　science；　it　was　an　easy　step
to　medicine；　in　which　he　was　encouraged　by　Ramsay　Wright；　A。　B。　Macallum；
A。　McPhedran；　and　I。　H。　Cameron。　　In　1898　he　graduated　again；
with　a　gold　medal；　and　a　scholarship　in　physiology　and　pathology。
The　previous　summer　he　had　spent　at　the　Garrett　Children's　Hospital
in　Mt。　Airy；　Maryland。

Upon　graduating　he　entered　the　Toronto　General　Hospital　as　resident
house　officer；　in　1899　he　occupied　a　similar　post　at　Johns　Hopkins。
Then　he　came　to　McGill　University　as　fellow　in　pathology
and　pathologist　to　the　Montreal　General　Hospital。　　In　time　he　was　appointed
physician　to　the　Alexandra　Hospital　for　infectious　diseases；
later　assistant　physician　to　the　Royal　Victoria　Hospital；
and　lecturer　in　medicine　in　the　University。　　By　examination
he　became　a　member　of　the　Royal　College　of　Physicians；　London。
In　1914　he　was　elected　a　member　of　the　Association　of　American　Physicians。
These　are　distinctions　won　by　few　in　the　profession。

In　spite；　or　rather　by　reason；　of　his　various　attainments
John　McCrae　never　developed；　or　degenerated；　into　the　type
of　the　pure　scientist。　　For　the　laboratory　he　had　neither　the　mind
nor　the　hands。　　He　never　peered　at　partial　truths　so　closely
as　to　mistake　them　for　the　whole　truth；　therefore；　he　was　unfitted
for　that　purely　scientific　career　which　was　developed
to　so　high　a　pitch　of　perfection　in　that　nation　which　is　now