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Narcissus Off Duty
WhenAmorywenttoWashingtonthenextweek-endhecaughtsomeofthespiritofcrisiswhichchangedtorepulsioninthePullmancarcomingback,fortheberthsacrossfromhimwereoccupiedbystinkingaliens—Greeks,heguessed,orRussians.Hethoughthowmucheasierpatriotismhadbeentoahomogeneousrace,howmucheasieritwouldhavebeentofightastheColoniesfought,orastheConfederacyfought.Andhedidnosleepingthatnight,butlistenedtothealiensguffawandsnorewhiletheyfilledthecarwiththeheavyscentoflatestAmerica.
InPrincetoneveryonebanteredinpublicandtoldthemselvesprivatelythattheirdeathsatleastwouldbeheroic.TheliterarystudentsreadRupertBrookepassionately;thelounge-lizardsworriedoverwhetherthegovernmentwouldpermittheEnglish-cutuniformforofficers;afewofthehopelesslylazywrotetotheobscurebranchesoftheWarDepartment,seekinganeasycommissionandasoftberth.
Then,afteraweek,AmorysawBurneandknewatoncethatargumentwouldbefutile—Burnehadcomeoutasapacifist.Thesocialistmagazines,agreatsmatteringofTolstoi,andhisownintenselongingforacausethatwouldbringoutwhateverstrengthlayinhim,hadfinallydecidedhimtopreachpeaceasasubjectiveideal.
"WhentheGermanarmyenteredBelgium,"hebegan,"iftheinhabitantshadgonepeaceablyabouttheirbusiness,theGermanarmywouldhavebeendisorganizedin—"
"Iknow,"Amoryinterrupted,"I’vehearditall.ButI’mnotgoingtotalkpropagandawithyou.