Let us take a brace and not worry your poor mother . '' `` In the Enterprise today it was reported that Lord Kitchener says the war will last three years , '' said Rilla dubiously . `` I am not acquainted with Lord Kitchener , '' said Susan , composedly , `` but I dare say he makes mistakes as often as other people . Your father says it will be over in a few months and I have as much faith in his opinion as I have in Lord Anybody 's . So just let us be calm and trust in the Almighty and get this place tidied up . I am done with crying which is a waste of time and discourages everybody . '' Jem and Jerry went to Charlottetown that night and two days later they came back in khaki . The Glen hummed with excitement over it . Life at Ingleside had suddenly become a tense , strained , thrilling thing . Mrs. Blythe and Nan were brave and smiling and wonderful . Already Mrs. Blythe and Miss Cornelia were organizing a Red Cross . The doctor and Mr. Meredith were rounding up the men for a Patriotic Society . Rilla , after the first shock , reacted to the romance of it all , in spite of her heartache . Jem certainly looked magnificent in his uniform . It was splendid to think of the lads of Canada answering so speedily and fearlessly and uncalculatingly to the call of their country . Rilla carried her head high among the girls whose brothers had not so responded . In her diary she wrote : `` He goes to do what I had done Had Douglas 's daughter been his son , '' and was sure she meant it . If she were a boy of course she would go , too ! She had n't the least doubt of that . She wondered if it was very dreadful of her to feel glad that Walter had n't got strong as soon as they had wished after the fever .
`` I could n't bear to have XXXXX go , '' she wrote .
Blythe Canada Cross Glen Ingleside Kitchener Nan Society Walter first