in flanders fields and other poems-第20章

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had　passed。

Henceforth　we　are　concerned　not　with　the　letters　he　wrote；
but　with　the　letters　which　were　written　about　him。　　They　came
from　all　quarters；　literally　in　hundreds；　all　inspired　by　pure　sympathy；
but　some　tinged　with　a　curiosity　which　it　is　hoped　this　writing
will　do　something　to　assuage。

Let　us　first　confine　ourselves　to　the　facts。　　They　are　all　contained
in　a　letter　which　Colonel　Elder　wrote　to　myself　in　common　with　other　friends。
On　Wednesday；　January　23rd；　he　was　as　usual　in　the　morning；
but　in　the　afternoon　Colonel　Elder　found　him　asleep　in　his　chair
in　the　mess　room。　　〃I　have　a　slight　headache；〃　he　said。
He　went　to　his　quarters。　　In　the　evening　he　was　worse；
but　had　no　increase　of　temperature；　no　acceleration　of　pulse　or　respiration。
At　this　moment　the　order　arrived　for　him　to　proceed　forthwith
as　Consulting　Physician　of　the　First　Army。　　Colonel　Elder　writes；
〃I　read　the　order　to　him；　and　told　him　I　should　announce　the　contents　at　mess。
He　was　very　much　pleased　over　the　appointment。　　We　discussed　the　matter
at　some　length；　and　I　took　his　advice　upon　measures　for　carrying　on
the　medical　work　of　the　unit。〃

Next　morning　he　was　sleeping　soundly；　but　later　on　he　professed　to　be
much　better。　　He　had　no　fever；　no　cough；　no　pain。　　In　the　afternoon
he　sent　for　Colonel　Elder；　and　announced　that　he　had　pneumonia。
There　were　no　signs　in　the　chest；　but　the　microscope　revealed
certain　organisms　which　rather　confirmed　the　diagnosis。
The　temperature　was　rising。　　Sir　Bertrand　Dawson　was　sent　for。
He　came　by　evening　from　Wimereux；　but　he　could　discover　no　physical　signs。
In　the　night　the　temperature　continued　to　rise；　and　he　complained　of　headache。
He　was　restless　until　the　morning；　〃when　he　fell　into　a　calm；
untroubled　sleep。〃

Next　morning；　being　Friday；　he　was　removed　by　ambulance
to　No。　14　General　Hospital　at　Wimereux。　　In　the　evening　news　came
that　he　was　better；　by　the　morning　the　report　was　good；
a　lowered　temperature　and　normal　pulse。　　In　the　afternoon
the　condition　grew　worse；　there　were　signs　of　cerebral　irritation
with　a　rapid；　irregular　pulse；　his　mind　was　quickly　clouded。
Early　on　Sunday　morning　the　temperature　dropped；　and　the　heart　grew　weak；
there　was　an　intense　sleepiness。　　During　the　day　the　sleep　increased　to　coma；
and　all　knew　the　end　was　near。

His　friends　had　gathered。　　The　choicest　of　the　profession　was　there；
but　they　were　helpless。　　He　remained　unconscious；　and　died　at　half　past　one
on　Monday　morning。　　The　cause　of　death　was　double　pneumonia
with　massive　cerebral　infection。　　Colonel　Elder's　letter　concludes：
〃We　packed　his　effects　in　a　large　box；　everything　that　we　thought
should　go　to　his　people；　and　Gow　took　it　with　him　to　England　to…day。〃
Walter　Gow　was　his　cousin；　a　son　of　that　Gow　who　sailed　with　the　Eckfords
from　Glasgow　in　the　‘Clutha'。　　At　the　time　he　was　Deputy　Minister　in　London
of　the　Overseas　Military　Forces　of　Canada。　　He　had　been　sent　for
but　arrived　too　late；　　all　was　so　sudden。

The　funeral　was　held　on　Tuesday　afternoon；　January　29th；
at　the　cemetery　in　Wimereux。　　The　burial　was　made　with　full　military　pomp。
From　the　Canadian　Corps　came　Lieut。…General　Sir　Arthur　Currie；
the　General　Officer　Commanding；　Major…General　E。　W。　B。　Morrison；
and　Brigadier…General　W。　O。　H。　Dodds；　of　the　Artillery。
Sir　A。　T。　Sloggett；　the　Director…General　of　Medical　Services；
and　his　Staff　were　waiting　at　the　grave。　　All　Commanding　Officers　at　the　Base；
and　all　Deputy　Directors　were　there。　　There　was　also　a　deputation
from　the　Harvard　Unit　headed　by　Harvey　Cushing。

Bonfire　went　first；　led　by　two　grooms；　and　decked　in　the　regulation
white　ribbon；　not　the　least　pathetic　figure　in　the　sad　procession。
A　hundred　nursing　Sisters　in　caps　and　veils　stood　in　line；
and　then　proceeded　in　ambulances　to　the　cemetery；　where　they　lined　up　again。
Seventy…five　of　the　personnel　from　the　Hospital　acted　as　escort；
and　six　Sergeants　bore　the　coffin　from　the　gates　to　the　grave。
The　firing　party　was　in　its　place。　　Then　followed　the　chief　mourners；
Colonel　Elder　and　Sir　Bertrand　Dawson；　and　in　their　due　order；
the　rank　and　file　of　No。　3　with　their　officers；　the　rank　and　file
of　No。　14　with　their　officers；　all　officers　from　the　Base；
with　Major…General　Wilberforce　and　the　Deputy　Directors　to　complete。

It　was　a　springtime　day；　and　those　who　have　passed　all　those　winters
in　France　and　in　Flanders　will　know　how　lovely　the　springtime　may　be。
So　we　may　leave　him；　〃on　this　sunny　slope；　facing　the　sunset　and　the　sea。〃
These　are　the　words　used　by　one　of　the　nurses　in　a　letter　to　a　friend；　
those　women　from　whom　no　heart　is　hid。　　She　also　adds：　　〃The　nurses　lamented
that　he　became　unconscious　so　quickly　they　could　not　tell　him
how　much　they　cared。　　To　the　funeral　all　came　as　we　did；
because　we　loved　him　so。〃

At　first　there　was　the　hush　of　grief　and　the　silence　of　sudden　shock。
Then　there　was　an　outbreak　of　eulogy；　of　appraisement；　and　sorrow。
No　attempt　shall　be　made　to　reproduce　it　here；　but　one　or　two　voices
may　be　recorded　in　so　far　as　in　disjointed　words　they　speak　for　all。
Stephen　Leacock；　for　those　who　write；　tells　of　his　high　vitality
and　splendid　vigour　　his　career　of　honour　and　marked　distinction　
his　life　filled　with　honourable　endeavour　and　instinct　with
the　sense　of　duty　　a　sane　and　equable　temperament　　whatever　he　did；
filled　with　sure　purpose　and　swift　conviction。

Dr。　A。　D。　Blackader；　acting　Dean　of　the　Medical　Faculty　of　McGill　University；
himself　speaking　from　out　of　the　shadow；　thus　appraises　his　worth：
〃As　a　teacher；　trusted　and　beloved；　as　a　colleague；　sincere　and　cordial；
as　a　physician；　faithful；　cheerful；　kind。　　An　unkind　word　he　never　uttered。〃
Oskar　Klotz；　himself　a　student；　testifies　that　the　relationship
was　essentially　one　of　master　and　pupil。　　From　the　head　of
his　first　department　at　McGill；　Professor；　now　Colonel；　Adami；
comes　the　weighty　phrase；　that　he　was　sound　in　diagnosis；
as　a　teacher　inspiring；　that　few　could　rise　to　his　high　level　of　service。

There　is　yet　a　deeper　aspect　of　this　character　with　which　we　are　concerned；
but　I　shrink　from　making　the　exposition；　fearing　lest
with　my　heavy　literary　tread　I　might　destroy　more　than　I　should　discover。
When　one　stands　by　the　holy　place　wherein　dwells　a　dead　friend's　soul　
the　word　would　slip　out　at　last　　it　becomes　him　to　take　off　the　shoes
from　off　his　feet。　　But　fortunately　the　dilemma　does　not　arise。
The　task　has　already　been　performed　by　one　who　by　God　has　been　endowed
with　the　religious　sense；　and　by　nature　enriched　with　the　gift　of　expression；
one　who　in　his　high　calling　has　long　been　acquainted　with　the　grief　of　others；
and　is　now　himself　a　man　of　sorrow；　having　seen　with　understanding　eyes；
　　
　　　　These　great　days　range　like　tides；
　　　　And　leave　our　dead　on　every　shore。

On　February　14th；　1918；　a　Memorial　Service　was　held
in　the　Royal　Victoria　College。　　Principal　Sir　William　Peterson　presided。
John　Macnaughton　gave　the　address　in　his　own　lovely　and　inimitable　words；
to　commemorate　one　whom　he　lamented；　〃so　young　and　strong；
in　the　prime　of　life；　in　the　full　ripeness　of　his　fine　powers；
his　season　of　fruit　and　flower　bearing。　　He　never　lost　the　simple　faith
of　his　childhood。　　He　was　so　sure　about　the　main　things；　the　vast　things；
the　indispensable　things；　of　which　all　formulated　faiths
are　but　a　more　or　less　stammering　expression；　that　he　was　content
with　the　rough　embodiment　in　which　his　ancestors　had　laboured
to　bring　those　great　realities　to　bear　as　beneficent　and　propulsive　forces
upon　their　own　and　their　children's　minds　and　consciences。
His　instinctive　faith　sufficed　him。〃

To　his　own　students　John　McCrae　once　quoted　the　legend　from　a　picture；
to　him　〃the　most　suggestive　picture　in　the　world〃：　　What　I　spent　I　had：
what　I　saved　I　lost：　　what　I　gave　I　have；　　and　he　added：
〃It　will　be　in　your　power　every　day　to　store　up　for　yourselves
treasures　that　will　come　back　to　you　in　the　consciousness　of　duty　well　done；
of　kind　acts　performed；　things　that　having　given　away　freely　you　yet　possess。
It　has　often　seemed　to　me　that　when　in　the　Judgement　those　surprised　faces
look　up　and　say；　Lord；　when　saw　we　Thee　anhungered　and　fed　Thee；