REVELATIONS.

1. - Now in the days when there was war, the leaders of the land did council among themselves saying, "Wherefore among the braves who fight each against the other, there is a large proportion of them that do not fight with sword, but wieldeth the pen and quill to stay our enemies. “Notwithstanding this work, it is important withal, verily we believe that the women they could do it.”

2. - Now the women O the lands which were at war, they did spend their leisure in fighting among themselves at the bazaars in the time when there were sales.

 3. - And the wise heads communed thus, saying: “So be it that the women of the land seek to fight, verily let us form them into battalions that they may fight in order.”

 4. - And thus it was done, and one section they did call them "Wrens."

 5. - Now it is of the "Wrens" that I write.

 6. - Their dress, it was of blue, and they did copy the garbs of the men who dwelt on the sea, and then they spake forth saying: "Verily we are daughters of the sea and brave withal. Have we not faced many a stormy sea on the lakes of the mighty parks? Have we not sailed on the bosom of the wondrous Thames to Margate? Yea! and even farther have we sailed even into the mighty city of Yarmouth.  Therefore, because of these things are we not fit workers to following in the steps of the sons of Neptune and do all things which they have done? Stay! Not quite all, but mostly all of the things which they have done?"

 7. - And so this it was done, and there came into the Captain of the Paymasters, a high potentate with many rings of gold, an army of the women of the "Wrens." And their duties they were legion.

 8. - And the Captain he did make speech unto them, saying: "One of ye, who is an adept at such things shall guard in faithfulness unto death the ark of distant voices, which men do call a telephone." To another he said: "Such is thy prowess in leadership among the women of the `Wrens' that I appoint thee leader of this strange army which hath assailed me." And to sundry others he did apportion duties to watch over others that they might transgress the laws.

9. - And to all these, which he did appoint as leaders, including the women of prowess in leadership, he did say: "Verily have I communed with the High Priests of this new legion of women called `Wrens' and the edict hath gone forth that ye shall wear medallions of burnished brass and the cut of the clothes shall be distinctive that all the peoples of the earth shall know ye among the multitude. So say I, the Captain."

 10. - And because of this speech there was jealousy among the women, who were not leaders.

 11. - They held speech among themselves, saying: "Why hath the Captain done this thing? Have I not the spirit of leadership strong within me, and am I not worthy of promotion?"

 12. - And some did commune among themselves, saying: "Forsooth, I would not wear this distinctive dress. It is not becoming in my eyes, neither are the medallions of burnished brass. Verily, I would not wear them, for they are swank in my vision."

13. - Whereupon the multitude did murmur to themselves: "This maiden, she hath partaken of the fruit of the sour grape vine."

 14. - Now as the days passed amid much travail and the heat of the sun, it was great, the women of the "Wrens" who did not wear the dress of leadership ate from the tree of knowledge, and found the top button, by the neck of their dress, it was not well that it should be buttoned, for verily they were partial to the V neck. Now this, it was a transgression of the law of "Wrens".

 15. - And the leaders, when they saw this, did admonish the delinquents for such transgression. And the women they did fear this admonition, and verily, when the leaders appeared in their sight, their necks, they were buttoned. And when the backs of the leaders they were turned, verily their necks were unbuttoned.

 16. - And thus the women of the "Wrens," they did wrangle.

 17. - And their collars of blue with white striped edging, they were small, and the women they did hanker after collars of a larger size.

 18. - But this, it was against the law.

 19. - Therefore, when a leader did appear before them and question the size of their collars, the women they were nonplussed and "rumbled" withal. Whereupon excuses they were invented, and the launderers they were blamed for that which they did not do.

 20. - Verily were the women of the "Wrens" artful.

W.R.N.S., D.A.M.S., London