The spiritual life

146 The SpiritualLife.

iheirmeaning,whenavast host strugglesfora

singleend. Sometimesasmallbandofsoldiers

willbesenttoachieveahopeless,animpossible

task. Sometimestoacommanding officermay

comean orderwhich heknowsitimpossibleto

obey:"Carrysuch-and-suchaplace"-perhaps

ahillside,bristlingwith cannon,and he knows

thatbeforehecangain thetopof thathill his

regiment willbe decimated, and, if he presses

on,annihilated. Does it make any difference

tothe loyalsoldierwho trustshis general and

leads his men? No. The man does not

hesitatewhen the impossible taskisput before

him; he regards it only as a proof of the

confidence of his commander, that he knows

him strong enoughto fight and inevitably fail.

And after the last man dies, and only the

corpsesremain,have they failed? Itlooksso

tothosewho haveonlyseen that littlepart of

thestruggle; butwhile theyheld the attention

oftheenemy,othermovementshadbeenmade

unnoticed which rendered victory secure, and

whenagrateful nationraises the monument of

thankstothosewhohaveconquered,thenames

of thosewhohave failedinorder tomake the

victory of theircomrades possiblewill hold a

placeof honourintherollof glory,andof the

nation's gratitude. And so with the spiritual