Alter Ego: A Tale

203 METRE HILL AND MUKDEN

Before a crowded audience and under the auspices of the Young People's Club, Mr. Devoau said: "Now, before I launch right out into a description of battle charges, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand that I feel so humble and modest in this matter that I believe if I had never seen Port Arthur the defence would have been just as stubborn, and if I had not been in the advanced works at Mukden the battle would have lasted nineteen days all the same, and the army of the Czar would have been saved. Nothing worthy of notice occurred during my long voyage from Montreal; at least everything was so tame in the shape of the railway trip from Ottawa to the above-mentioned place, and the tossing upon the waters of the mighty deep until a blockade runner landed me at the seat of war, to what followed afterwards that I will not weary you to-night by relating it.

"When I arrived at headquarters General Stoessel did not require my services, as Russians only were preferred, but I pleaded so hard with him through an interpreter, and told him I had come all the way from Canada, and was just spoiling for a fight, telling him at the same time if he desired to know more about me to send a cable message to their consul at Ottawa. This seemed to satisfy the general, and he at last assigned me to the Prebensky Regiment of sharpshooters that held 203, after testing me with a rifle. I soon got well acquainted with my comrades, and a jollier lot of fellows never lived, who had no end of fun at the expense of the little niggers, as they termed the Japanese. Our fun, however, was shortlived, for one day the hills opposite our position burst into flame as though struck by lightning, and 203 Metre spurted flame, and boiled like a cauldron from a succession of fearful explosions, as shells alighted upon it. Our colonel signalled us to lie close. Every little while a gun would be tossed clean into the air by the explosion of an eleven-inch shell, and sometimes a whole squad of men would be literally torn to pieces, legs, arms and fragments of flesh flying in all directions. This pounding made us dreadful angry, a number of the men swearing fluently, even the grey-haired colonel, I was told, made some unmentionable remarks, and I, who had never sworn in my life, made some very sarcastic references to the proceeding.

"Those horrible eleven-inch shells made bomb-proofs and covered works of all kinds very little more secure than the open. Many men were struck down around me, some of them horribly mangled, and portions of the works literally smashed to splinters, but such is war, and some call it glory.

"After this fearful hammering had gone on for a time with hell reigning all around, as suddenly as it started the appalling din ceased, and nothing could be heard but the piteous moaning of men who were so horribly mangled, many of them, that if their own mothers were present, they could not recognize them. During the awful bombardment, just as we had expected, the enemy, who had made considerable progress under cover of the night, had advanced right to the foot of the hill. Hitherto we could see nothing, as not a soldier was in sight, and all that we could do was to pound the naked hillside, but now the little brown squads, in twenties, began rushing across the fire zone, and it appeared as if they were reserves coming up to reinforce the men at the base of the hill.

"Our blood was up after the abuse we had received, and we pounded them with big guns, pom-poms, Maxims and rifles, but still they came, and quickly forming, marched up the valley of the shadow of death until a shrill whistle rang out, when they turned square toward our position, another whistle and they doubled files, and came on with splendid precision. Their colonel, a grey-haired veteran, stood on a spur, and heedless of shrieking missiles, had only one thought, and that was of 203. It is true the hill had been assaulted before, while it is equally true that the enemy had been beaten back with frightful carnage. Now, however, something seemed to say that the end was near, as old Teleda, the veteran of twenty-seven engagements, stood as if on parade, directing the attack. His men sank to mother earth singly and in mangled heaps, but he had no eye for their dead or ear for the moaning of their wounded; 203 was the game, and anything smaller, such as noting the mutilated forms upon the blood-drenched sands in the valley, was beneath contempt. A battery of six guns came up to the foot of the hill at a gallop, the gunners setting them at an angle of many degrees, so as to rake our works, but though they concealed themselves as best they could, our sharpshooters frequently got a bead, and an artilleryman would throw up his hands with a shriek and tumble in a heap.

"After a rest the enemy opened again, the hills in front spouting flame, and the battery at the foot of our position vomiting death. Between the explosions, however, and they came thick and fast, we saw the figures of men as numerous as ants swarming up the base of the hill. Our machine guns were soon angled upon them, and our rifles sent rattling volleys among them, but the explosions in our position now come so frequently that we are soon choked in clouds of dust, and battered by splinters of gun carriages and even falling sand bags. The signal now rang out to fix bayonets, and this was no sooner done than hand grenades were hurled in upon us, the explosions of which tore the heads off some of our men, the legs and arms off others, but the most sickening sight to me was that of a man not three yards away who had the fore part of his chest clean torn away, leaving his mangled lungs exposed to view. At this stage observation was cut short by a whole battalion of Japanese infantry tumbling over the parapet, followed by swarms of reserves. We sprang upon them with the steel, and a frightful conflict ensued, men fell dead in twos, often with their bayonets buried in one another's bodies. For two or three minutes nothing could be heard but shots, and imprecations, and shrieks, and rattling steel, and then all was over, 203 Metre Hill was taken, but after we got out—that is, all that was left of us—it was turned into a smoking volcano by the shells from our forts around, and the enemy nearly shared our fate in being ejected."

CHAPTER V

THE BATTLE OF MUKDEN—AND CALL OF MR. DEVOAU AS ASSOCIATE MINISTER

After the recital of the fall of the key to Port Arthur, the speaker of the evening gave his experiences in the world's greatest battle as follows: "I arrived at Mukden long before the fight, and after the famous victorious charge of Poutiloff up the slopes of Lone Tree Hill, by which the Japanese were driven out with fearful loss, I wanted to be one of its defenders, but General Kuropatkin seemed to know all about me, and insisted that I connect myself with the force holding Yuhungtun. I was angry and thought I was going to miss the liveliest part of it, but the general knew better.

"There was a good chance to become acquainted with the men before the conflict, and I found them really fine fellows. Some were capital marksmen, and as the enemy's outposts drew nearer amused themselves by sniping the men in the advanced pits, and many a Jap whose head only was visible did we see lifted out of his hole with his brains oozing out of a bullet perforation in his upper story. The time came at last, however, when 1,000,000 men confronted each other in the lines of battle, who were destined to suffer a loss in killed, wounded and prisoners within three weeks of 250,000 men, or just one-fourth of the entire number. Although the battle proper lasted about nine days, what with preliminaries and the rear-guard action which followed, it might be safe to add ten more. The struggle was fearful, and nobody was so much master of the situation as our commander-in-chief, who knew from the beginning where the blow would fall.

"General Rennenkampf, the Cossack chief, had with his staff traversed the entire one hundred miles of front and had handed in his report to his superior. The plan of Marshal Oyama was to outflank our army and cut off its retreat, and after surrounding it pound it, until it capitulated, but in Kuropatkin he had met a man so able in strategy that he could easily outgeneral him and bring his plans to naught. When the eleven-inch shells which had wrought such destruction at the port began to fall it soon became evident that the works on which had been expended the labor of months and the skill of the best engineers were going to dust. In spite of the fact, however, that we were outclassed in numbers and heavy artillery our men put up a terrible fight. After a fearful pounding with all kinds of guns, one day the enemy in overwhelming force came upon us with the bayonet, and after a hand-to-hand struggle, without parallel we believe, in which the ground was piled with the slain, we were forced out and our works taken. During the awful struggle which cost us our position, I was struck in the side by the steel of a Jap, which cut a groove between two of my ribs, but although I was not seriously hurt I recognized the fact that one inch more, or possibly half of that, and to-night instead of talking to you I would have been in a nameless grave on Manchuria's plains, with my warrior shroud for a winding sheet, until the earth would give up its dead.

"It is a remarkable fact that although people said, with the advent of modern repeating arms and machine guns, that bayonet charges were no longer possible, as such rushes in force would spell annihilation, yet there never was a battle in all history where so many charges were made and in which cold steel crossed so often as at Mukden.

"Word now came to us that our army had taken the offensive in the centre, and was forcing the enemy back, and encouraged by this we determined to retake our lost position. As we were forming for the attack the divisional commander came along, and noticing the shortage of officers, said to the colonel of our regiment: 'Take the most experienced men from the ranks and put them in charge of sections and companies.' Although this was said in Russian, I had now picked up enough of the language to understand it. The colonel did not like the advice and said: 'General, this is contrary to custom; you know we need to safeguard these positions by the use of a little red tape.' The general became furious and said: 'Red tape to –! It has been the curse of the army in the past, and it will curse any army, and at, best bring nothing but humiliation. What we want is merit, which practically means experience and courage with a large amount of intelligence thrown in.' It was now evident to the colonel that he must obey his superior officer, and he came over to me and said: 'Devoau, I want you to take No. 5 Company, as its officers are all dead or wounded.' I set my teeth and obeyed, believing that I myself would soon be as they. All was soon ready and the order was given, 'Forward, steady under cover.' When we reached the open or fire zone two whistles pierced the air—one to deploy in loose order and the other to double. We now swept forward, the enemy's batteries opening upon us. The men of my company went down, sometimes one and sometimes three or four in a heap at a time. As we reached our old position I was perfectly furious because of our losses, and though I had never sworn in my life before I yelled between my clenched teeth, 'Give them hell, boys!' Just as we were tumbling in upon them our colonel, who was braver and better than any of us, was shot through the brain and instantly killed. Even though the colonel was killed and whole companies had gone down in that awful rush, the Japanese might as well have tried to stem Niagara's torrent as to beat back our infuriated men, and all that was left of them got out faster than they had charged in. The night within the village was one that would never fade from memory. The streets were strewn with broken rifles, twisted sabres and bayonets, dismounted guns, broken gun carriages and dead men, some of whom still clutched each other in the grip of death. I was now ordered, though I felt unequal to the task or honor, to take temporary command of our decimated regiment.

"In trying to hold on to our old position we had to withstand some terrible bayonet rushes on the part of the enemy in efforts to retake it, and our regiment, which entered the battle with 2,450 men, had just 585 left to respond to the order to retire. Another regiment lost 1,100 men. The place assigned us in this most, orderly retreat was in the rear-guard, and just as we took our places our brigade commander was decapitated by the explosion of a pom-pom shell, and I was ordered to hand over my regiment to a major and take charge of the brigade.

"We had an awful time during the retreat, but every onrush was stemmed, and at each repulse of the foe our men, with bayonets dripping red, cheered to the echo.

"The war was now practically over, and although every man of ours had two foemen opposed to him, the Japs had a narrow escape from defeat; nothing but the accident of a duststorm averting it, by enabling them in the darkness thereof to break the lines of General Linevitch when his men could not see a yard ahead of them.

"When we reached headquarters I, having nothing but a temporary connection with the Russian army, went to my chief and tendered him my uniform and arms, telling him, as there was not likely to be any more fighting, I would return to Canada. He, however, refused to take anything, saying that as a mark of honor and appreciation I must retain them, and after saying 'Good-bye' to my battle-scarred comrades I went to the station to entrain for the coast, and as it steamed out a crowd of officers and men waved their caps and handkerchiefs, shouting, 'Canada for ever; long live Canada and the Canadians!' I felt I did not do much for them—any one, perhaps, would have done better—but I had done my little best, and they had trusted and honored me. I like the Russians; they are good fellows, and are greatly slandered in the West. They have a moral code, and with some exceptions, they live up to it, and any nation that crosses arms with them will pay a heavy toll.

"In closing, I presume you would like to know more fully my opinion of war, and in giving it I will say that if you murder a man by shooting or stabbing him you are merciful, but if you kill him by exploding an eleven-inch shell, in many cases he will be torn to fragments and his dismembered body scattered over an acre of ground. In other instances that I have seen at Mukden and 203 Metre Hill, men have been mortally wounded and left an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood, which for days heaved with anguish and life, while others, after hours and sometimes days of agony, died with broken bayonets protruding from their backs, having entered as gallant breasts as ever swelled with breath and life.

"I have forsworn war for ever, after the dreadful scenes which I have witnessed, and there were scenes which I did not witness, in far-off Russia and Japan, which were infinitely more appalling, where was seen the dreary sobbing of broken-hearted widowhood and the piteous wailing of hungry, fatherless children. Added to this was the pale-faced sorrow of sisters bereft of brothers and sweethearts, who had lost those who would have been nearer than brothers, and who now with broken hearts ceased to live and began only to exist in hopeless despair. The Russians met in their foes armies trained after the pattern of the German military system, and none of us ever again desire to cross weapons with men trained as those are, who have learned from that land of advanced scholarship and military superiority. The Japanese were foemen worthy of their steel, but instead of their arms being dishonored fresh lustre was shed upon them."

At the close of his address Mr. Devoau was applauded to the echo, after adding as a rider that in his denunciation of war he would, of course, make an exception of defensive operations.

The next Sabbath in the morning service Mr. Melvin started the tabernacle congregation by announcing that as he would soon reach the retiring line, and as the immense congregation, with its many needs, overtaxed his strength, he had long thought of an associate who, when he retired, would take full charge. Continuing, he said: "I have spoken to Mr. Devoau and asked him if he would not abandon the thought of a life so selfish as that of making himself one of the foremost iron founders in Canada and join me in the work of preaching and teaching. His answer has been favorable, if it is the will of the people, and he has further said that if it is their will he will accept it as the Master's will."

A meeting of the officers of the church was called for Tuesday evening, when the matter was discussed, and Mr. Devoau's profession of faith heard, when he told them that he was of French-Canadian parentage and could not subscribe to every technicality. His frankness and fearlessness won every heart, a vote was taken, and he was unanimously called to be associate pastor of Mount Zion.

CHAPTER VI

FURTHER TEACHINGS AND HOW THEY ARE ESTIMATED

After his ordination the new preacher took his place in the pulpit once every Sunday, and being now a close student of theology as well as of other subjects, he soon became an eloquent and powerful speaker, and the entire congregation was delighted with him. The last Sunday of the national year, Mr. Melvin announced a sermon on "The Ideal Relationship of Capital and Labor," prompted by the recent trouble at the foundry between employers and their hands. The preacher of the day said: "Beware of so-called socialism, for it trenches very closely on the borderland of anarchism, and after having listened to lectures and sermons an hour long and read many books upon that much-abused topic, I am constrained to turn to the teaching of the Man of Nazareth, and find in that teaching something more rational and common-sense than elsewhere. In the first place our Saviour recognized property rights when he said, 'Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's.' This doctrine is for the workingman as well as for his employer, and enables both to procure homes for themselves and hold them in their own right.

"We cannot fail to recognize the fatherhood of God, and if so then we must recognize the brotherhood of man, for all men truly should be such. If you and I have come to that point where we regard every man as our brother, on the authority of Jesus Christ, the social problem will be solved, and the capitalist will regard and treat the man who toils for him as the son of his Father God, and the toiler will regard the employer as not only his brother, but co-heir with himself to an incorruptible inheritance. Much depends, brethren, on the exercise of that charity which translates love. Love one another and you will use one another aright. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and there was life as the wounded Israelites looked upon it, so there is life in a look at the crucified One, and there is more than that, there is adjustment of relationships between husband and wife, between pastor and people, between citizens and their chief magistrate, between capital and labor. I can do no better than lift my hand toward the sky and utter that little classic, 'Ecce Homo,' and He is the Man of Sorrow."

The senior pastor's sermon had a marvellous effect upon the people, and it was said that the iron workers' difficulty was soon settled on the Christ principle. The next Sunday being July 1st, the anniversary of Confederation, the Rev. Mr. Devoau preached a sermon in keeping with the day, and said "that the Iroquois term 'Kannatha,' which was very restricted in its meaning, and only signified a collection of wigwams or huts—a village, we might say—had become corrupted into Canada, but now stood for dominion power and nationality. The population had grown into many millions, and the area was 3,750,000 square miles, or nearly as great as the entire continent of Europe. The mineral and coal deposits are almost inexhaustible, and the exports and imports the astonishment of the nations.

"The growth of our cities is simply wonderful. Winnipeg has doubled its population in five years; Calgary has nearly trebled the number of its citizens in the same period, while Montreal has become the New York of Canada. Truly the words of our text apply specially to us, 'He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgments we have not known them.'"

Continuing, the speaker said: "The God who has so wondrously blessed us since 1867, when a confederation of our leading provinces took place, expects us to be rational and sane, and stand for unity and consolidation of languages and creeds, that Canada may show to the world what the brotherhood of man means and that the Saviour's teaching has been put into practice upon our ocean-girt shores. A large number of our people do not know what the term Canadian means. They will do well to remember that it takes in not only the people of old Ontario, but the people of the greater Canada beyond, with its diversity of speech and polity, and no responsible person would say or do anything that would not tend to weld together the different doctrines and tongues. If we are true to God and each other we will one day stand in the front rank of world powers, and our fleets, not of war, but of commerce, will ride upon every sea. The battle of the Sea of Japan or Corea proved that battleships were not worth the coal that steamed them, but our mercantile marine is of priceless value, for it carries our wares to every land and our commerce into the marts thereof and into every clime."

Immediately upon the close of the sermon, Mr. Melvin, who had occupied a seat upon the platform, arose and said, "This is the best sermon to which I have ever listened; it is truly the teaching of a man who is saner and wiser than his fellows." Upon the utterance of these words the vast audience broke into thunders of applause, evidencing the fact that it was the sentiment of all.

As the summer advanced, Mr. Devoau invited Mr. Melvin to take a trip to Ottawa with him, as he was going to visit his parents for a day. The invitation was accepted, and these two kindred spirits started off on an early train for Canada's beautiful capital, where they were met by Mr. Devoau, senior, who heartily welcomed the friend and colleague of his son. As they walked toward the home of the Devoau family, whom should they meet but the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada, who was out for a stroll, and with whom the elder Devoau was well acquainted. Both preachers were at once introduced to the Premier, who was very gracious and genial. Mr. Devoau said they were having a day's recreation after their recent teachings. Sir Wilfrid said: "I will not ask what those teachings were, as I am sure they were all right." Mr. Melvin said: "They were not exactly like those of the Scotchman, who was asked if his health was good, and he said, 'I am no verry weel the day, for last nicht I was teaching the bairnies doon at the hall hoo to vote.'" Said he, "We are not exactly teaching people how to vote, but we are trying to pound sin out of them." The Premier then made the hit of the day when he said, "Get all the sin out of them and they will vote right."

After a splendid day, during which they visited the noble pile on Parliament Hill and had a sail in a steam launch on the majestic river, the pastors of the tabernacle returned to Carsville, where at the Young People's meeting the senior minister related their experiences while in Canada's beauty spot, as the capital city might be called. He told of meeting the Premier and of his friendliness and geniality. "This country," said he, "has had gentlemen in that position, and it has had statesmen for prime ministers, but it never so strikingly combined the two great qualities as in the person of him whose name will be engraven with a surpassing lustre upon the bead-roll of the nation, and the name will be that of the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier."

Mr. Melvin, who did not feel quite so strong recently, thought of seeking a much-needed rest in retirement for a time at least, now that his colleague was immensely popular, and could now handle the entire congregation, though it never was so large. However, just as he was preparing for this move an invitation came to him to enter upon higher educational work, which he at once accepted, saying that, he would still preach and teach, and would really have a larger field in which to do good, and the change of air and scene would be as good as a rest.

The people of Carsville expressed much regret at the departure of one who was known as an admirable citizen as well as an able and effective minister. Mr. Melvin, however, always told them that he was leaving with them a man after his own heart.

Before the day of his leave-taking a farewell banquet was tendered him, at which were appreciative after-dinner speeches, the chair being occupied by Rev. Mr. Devoau, informally. Abraham Thompson, Esq., senior member of the Board, when called upon, said: "I am grieved at the departure of one who has been everything that I could wish—broad-minded, sympathetic, and scholarly—one in whom all could alike trust, ever finding in him a wise counsellor and a safe guide; a man of splendid mental balance, of unusual wisdom. To say that I endorse his teachings is not enough; I heartily endorse all of it, and pray that the Great Head of the Church will bless and keep our mutual friend, together with his much appreciated partner, unto their journey's end."

The next called upon was Thomas Edwards, the leading merchant in the place. He was shrewd in business and a keen discerner of men. He said: "Though I am not on the same side of politics as Mr. Melvin, yet in the main I think his teachings are sound and the product of a sane mind. Personally, I have learned to respect him. I will, like one who has preceded me, go farther and say I have learned to love him, and wish him and his godspeed in a ministry which has been a blessing to my whole house."

The next official was Edmund Garvin, general manager of the foundry, and a man of intense perception. Said he: "I have noticed that our worthy senior pastor, whose removal I deeply regret, always stood for unification in the home and independence, and not only there, but in the church and nation, and I may say his sentiment is mine. I, like him, am no hanger-on—only poltroons are that—and no man in his right senses would be anything but a brother to all the races and creeds in our country, and in all his utterances our clerical friend has proven himself not only wise as a serpent, but also a true Christ man. I wish him and his amiable wife great happiness and success in future life."

The chairman now saw that as the time was getting late they must close, and said in a few closing words that his colleague had endeared himself to him, and had done more for him than he could ever repay. "I, like yourselves, regret his departure, but feel that he is going into a field of great usefulness, and he doubted not that he would be happy and prosperous."

Shortly after Rev. Mr. Melvin's departure old Uncle Reynolds, as he was called, was struck by a pilot engine at the station, and so seriously injured that he was taken home in the ambulance. He was the most saintly man in the tabernacle, and Rev. Mr. Devoau, now in full charge, was sent for. His practiced eye at once told him that the old man's hour had almost come. Stooping down he said, "Uncle, how is it with your soul?" and opening his weary eyes the aged veteran said, "It is well; it is well." Talking for a moment or two with his pastor he said: "Our dear Bro. Melvin is gone from us, but, oh, how precious are his teachings! As the result of them my feet are on the Rock of Ages—the rock of Christ—and I have long since found out that 'all other ground,' as the sacred bard says, 'is sinking sand.'"

Coming back late in the evening Mr. Devoau said, "Uncle, is there light in the valley?" and the dying man raised his feeble hand and blessed his pastor, and whispered to him that he had already been a blessing to many and the people loved him. Then he said: "Oh, yes, the valley is bathed in light; for He has said, 'At evening time it shall be light.'" With these words trembling upon his lips the old man swept through the gates of paradise, a ransomed soul.

Finished as was the course of this saintly man, yet the great world, as in all such cases, moved on, and with it the teaching of the new pastor of Mount Zion.

Speaking to the young people some time after this, he said: "Let there be no misunderstanding concerning what I stand for, and what we all should stand for. I am for liberty of conscience, freedom and independence, along all lines, both religious and national, even to the granting of home rule to poor, old, long-suffering Ireland, which, by all means, it should have, and is justly entitled to in this twentieth century.

"The question arises, How can we best qualify ourselves for the salvation of ourselves and fellows, and the working out of our destiny along general lines? I answer, by consecrating our ransomed powers to the great Arbiter of Destinies, who stands behind all forms and systems, but ever watchful of His own."

At the conclusion of the address Mr. Henry, principal of the Public School, arose and said: "I beg that the Young People's Club will place upon record, and in letters of gold engrave and place amid the archives of the church, the admirable and fearless utterances of this evening."

Mr. Henry was followed by one who, in the educational world, stood higher than he, namely, the head master of the Collegiate Institute in Carsville, who capped everything by saying, "'Pro bono publico,' and as well as being for the public good, though I am an independent in politics, I will say that the Rev. Mr. Devoau has the faculty of always saying the right thing, and his teachings are an inestimable boon to all classes in this place."

In a few mouths after this the pastor of Mount Zion was honored with a degree from world-renowned Harvard, and his influence increased, and his ministry truly became one of reconciliation and power, until the ever-circling years at last brought near the Age of Gold.