The Story of Porcelain | Page 2

why it means to me something that
no other place can. After the rush of the city, the jangle of telephones,
the constant sight of sick people, there is nothing to compare with the
restfulness of these woods."
The Doctor, who had been standing with his back to the fire, his hands
clasped behind him, drew out his pipe, lighted it, and puffed a ring of
smoke into the air.
"You have had a very busy year, Father."
"Yes, and I fancy there will be a still busier one ahead. Before I attack
it I feel that it is my duty to get a good rest. In these war days a doctor
never knows where he may be needed to serve. Thus far my place
seems to have been at a home hospital. With eight of our operating staff
in France it has meant much extra work, too. Not that I am complaining
of that. I am only too glad to do my bit wherever it is. But I had got to
the point where I felt that the man who can give the best service is the
man who does not allow himself to become too fagged. So I
determined to take my usual vacation even though on the face of it it
seemed a crime to devote myself to nothing but fishing for a whole
month."
Theo glanced into the face of the big, earnest man before him; he felt
suddenly very grown up. His father had seldom talked to him like this.
"This war," went on Dr. Swift thoughtfully, "is going to make demands
on all of us--demands for money, work, and time. We should be proud
to give these, for it is the first time our country has ever asked anything
of our generation. We have taken unthinkingly all the benefits America

has to offer--libraries; schools; well ordered cities to live in; the
blessings of constant peace and prosperity. For it we have returned to
the government only the slight taxes demanded for the up-keep of these
things; and most of us, I blush to say, have grumbled a great deal about
it, at that. As a nation we were becoming too comfortable, too rich, too
selfish, too complacent. Now a crisis has arisen when the United States
is asking more of us, as it has every right to do; and we should be eager
to prove our gratitude for all we have so freely received. Only those
who have traveled much can fully realize what a home and an
education in a place like America mean. Never forget, son, that all we
can do, even to the sacrifice of our lives, is none too high a price to pay
for our beloved country."
"I wish I might have gone to France, Father," said Theo earnestly.
"A boy of fifteen is too young to go," returned Dr. Swift. "If you were
older I should be the first to bid you Godspeed, for it is a great
opportunity for service. Those who are not sharing it are missing one of
life's richest experiences. It means danger, privation, perhaps death; but
it means also the exercise of all that is finest in our natures--patriotism,
heroism, the dedication of ourselves to a great cause. I should have
been proud to have you in France, Theo. However, there is much a boy
can do here and now. He can begin being a loyal unselfish citizen, and
training himself to bear his part when he shall be older. Get your
education first. Prepare yourself to be of value to humanity so that
when your time to help comes it may find you useful and ready."
There was a moment of silence.
The great logs in the rough stone chimney crackled and snapped, and
up the flue roared the blaze. Outside all was still save when the breeze
stirred the giant pines causing them to give out a mighty whisper like
the murmur of the sea.
It was a cozy interior over which the firelight flashed.
The log cabin had been sheathed to keep it warm and tight, and to
conceal its barrenness on the walls had been tacked a few gaily colored

prints. On one side of the room were several well-filled bookshelves,
while on the opposite wall were racks for pipes and guns. From over
the fireplace an elk's head peered forth, catching the scarlet glow from
the fire on its mammoth antlers. Two small bedrooms which led out of
this living-room completed the cabin. Outside stood four others built
exactly like this one, and in addition a dining-cabin, cook-house, and
two cabins for the guides.
Aside from this tiny settlement on the lake's edge there was not a house
for twenty miles. It was a wilderness indeed!
"Are there any other