Canada -- Fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada -- Fiction
It was the same at the bonfire in the evening at the Rushbrookes'.
The island was a fairy picture of mingling lights and shadows. As the
flaming west grew grey, the pale silver of the moon, riding high and
serene, fell upon the crowding, gaily decked launches that thronged the
docks and moored to the shore; upon the dark balsams and silver birches
hung with parti-coloured gaudy Chinese lanterns; upon the groups of
girls, fair and sweet in their white summer camping frocks, and young
men in flannels, their bare necks and arms showing brown and strong;
upon little clusters of their fathers and mothers gravely talking
together. From the veranda above, mingling with the laughing, chattering
voices, the alluring strains of the orchestra invited to waltz, or fox
trot. As the flame died from the western sky and the shadows crept down
from the trees, the bonfire was set alight. As the flame leaped high the
soft strains of the orchestra died away. Then suddenly, clear, full and
strong, a chord sounded forth, another, and then another. A hush fell
upon the chattering, laughing crowd. Then as they caught the strain men
lolling upon the ground sprang to their feet; lads stood at attention.
“Send him victorious,”
some one sang timidly, giving words to the music. In one instant a
hundred throats were wide open singing the words:
“Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save our King.”
Again the chords sounded and at once the verse from the first was sung
again.
“God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save our King,
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save our King.”
As the last note died Ramsay Dunn leaped upon a huge boulder, threw up
his hand and began,
“In days of yore, from Britain's shore.”
A yell greeted him, sudden, fierce, triumphant, drowned his voice, then
ceased! And again from a hundred throats of men and women, boys and
girls, the words rang out,
“There may it wave, our boast and pride,
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine,
The Maple Leaf forever.”
Again and again and once again they followed Ramsay in the quick, shrill
Canadian cheer that was to be heard in after days in places widely
different and far remote from that gay, moonlit, lantern-decked,
boat-thronged, water-lapped island in that far northern Canadian lake.
Following the cheers there came stillness. Men looked sheepishly at each
other as if caught in some silly prank. Then once more the Spectre drew
near. But this time they declined not to look, but with steady, grave,
appraising eyes they faced The Thing, resolute to know the worst, and in
quiet undertones they talked together of War.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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