DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4593#0102
THE IONIAN ISLES 85
The royal yacht of the King of Greece was lying
in the harbor, and a few cables off was the English
war-vessel, the " Camperdown," which had come so
quickly on its errand of mercy. Not far away lay an
Italian ironclad and two Greek men-of-war, all on the
same gospel mission. Three political kingdoms were
represented by the flags in the harbor. The royal
family of Greece added personality to vague and
abstract conceptions of government. In honor of
the king and queen, the Italian vessel was gayly
decked with flags. A white puff of smoke from a
port-hole; and, four seconds afterward, the boom of
the gun reached my car on the hill-top. Another fol-
lowed, and another, till the full compliment of thunder
had been paid to the sovereign. But to my thought
a kingdom was proclaimed in this suggestive scene
not symbolized by any of the flags. More silently
than the blazing guns, the willing lightning carried
under the ocean the message of sorrow and devas-
tation and the appeal to human brotherhood. Every
one of these great war-vessels, native and foreign,
had come in answer to that appeal. Each one had
brought aid and comfort. What a majestic fulfil-
ment of the prediction that the spear should be
turned into the pruning-hook ! To what nobler ser-
vice can a war-vessel be put than to go on a mission
of philanthropy, bearing bread for the hungry and
shelter for the homeless? The music of that artillery
was the angel song of peace on earth, good will to men.
Each vessel bore the flag of its own kingdom, but also
the invisible banner of the larger kingdom of love and
brotherhood.
And tinsglory was not wanting. A wonderful illumi-
The royal yacht of the King of Greece was lying
in the harbor, and a few cables off was the English
war-vessel, the " Camperdown," which had come so
quickly on its errand of mercy. Not far away lay an
Italian ironclad and two Greek men-of-war, all on the
same gospel mission. Three political kingdoms were
represented by the flags in the harbor. The royal
family of Greece added personality to vague and
abstract conceptions of government. In honor of
the king and queen, the Italian vessel was gayly
decked with flags. A white puff of smoke from a
port-hole; and, four seconds afterward, the boom of
the gun reached my car on the hill-top. Another fol-
lowed, and another, till the full compliment of thunder
had been paid to the sovereign. But to my thought
a kingdom was proclaimed in this suggestive scene
not symbolized by any of the flags. More silently
than the blazing guns, the willing lightning carried
under the ocean the message of sorrow and devas-
tation and the appeal to human brotherhood. Every
one of these great war-vessels, native and foreign,
had come in answer to that appeal. Each one had
brought aid and comfort. What a majestic fulfil-
ment of the prediction that the spear should be
turned into the pruning-hook ! To what nobler ser-
vice can a war-vessel be put than to go on a mission
of philanthropy, bearing bread for the hungry and
shelter for the homeless? The music of that artillery
was the angel song of peace on earth, good will to men.
Each vessel bore the flag of its own kingdom, but also
the invisible banner of the larger kingdom of love and
brotherhood.
And tinsglory was not wanting. A wonderful illumi-