"It's a hateful, barbarous thing--all war by violence is. To drive men by hurting them is war, Ralph. Hunger, contempt, ostracism, do the work as well as Mausers and Zeppelins and submarines. Don't be a fool any longer--and by being a fool I mean insisting on things you know aren't so, and on methods you know the world has temporarily flung on the shelf. That's been your trouble--clinging to things left temporarily behind. You say they're defeated--lost--that all the betterments you and your friends had dreamed are ripped from the world. Nonsense! What's going on in England and France? The recognition of the necessity of accepting as government practices many a thing you've been turning Sabinsport upside down to get. This war is righteous in aim, and all righteousness will be shoved ahead as it goes on. That's what's happening, Ralph. Governments and parties are admitting, without contention, the need and the justice of measures they've fought for years. After the war you'll find this problem of yours half solved, and you will be forced to devise new ways of finishing the work, for believe me, Ralph, you'll never fight again in Sabinsport in the old way--you won't need to--Sabinsport is seeing new lights, dimly, but seeing them." "And what am I to do? I'm not the kind that climbs easily on a new band wagon, you know." "Ralph, I wish you'd try to forget the things you've been interested in; forget the Progressive Party, for instance." "Lord," said Ralph, "I don't have to do that--it's gone--dead." "Well, wipe your slate clean, start afresh. Take the world as it is to-day, try, without prejudice, to get at the things that brought about this convulsion. I have no fear of where you will come out, if you will but give up your idea of trying to reconstruct Sabinsport according to the formula you have laid down. Incantations are useless now, Ralph. You may cry 'Peace! Peace!' until you swoon, but you'll cry it to unhearing ears. You can say your formulæ backward and forward and wave your divining rod as you will, but it won't work. There is no magic wand that is going to end this thing. Realities are at work, and the greatest of them is the reality of hope--the hope for greater freedom to more people. When you once understand this, Ralph, you will find that you have a religion far greater than that which the Progressive Convention of 1912 gave you." "Of course you're right, Parson. You always are. The war has won. I've known it would some day. Don't expect much of me. It will be like learning to walk, to accept the war."