Deepening Stream Part II

Matey and Adrian have a daughter Priscilla (called Petella) a year after their marriage and then a son. Matey's sister Priscilla comes to stay to see her new niece, and seems to settle into the dull but pleasant life of the Forts and their friends. She does not seem to be bothered that it is provincial and "small towny", now. She gets involved with Peter Russell, a neighbour in their town who is a very quiet dull shadowy man. His wife died leaving him with several small daughters who need a mother. Priscilla decides to marry him and look after the children, though it seems that she does not want sex or more children, but is happy to have a life taking care of Peter and his children. Matey is also happy with her life. Francis, their brother, has married. He and his wife have a baby daughter but the child dies a few days after birth and he is very upset. War breaks out in Europe, the First World War, and Matey hears news from her French and Belgian friends. She is horrified by the barbarity of war, in the 20th century and upsets herself a lot thinking about it. She becomes irritated by the way that her friends in her small town America home seem indifferent to the war. Adrian, though he has a Quaker background, is very ambivalent. He starts to think that although he is too much of a Quaker to fight, he should on moral grounds get involved with the war and try to help the French. Francis tells him there's nothing he can do and that he should not neglect his own children when he cannot make a difference in Europe. But Matey is also upset and wants to do something to help. She and Adrian take their two small children and sail to France. They spend the war years in France, with Adrian working driving an ambulance, and Matey doing social work, helping refugees to get whatever assistance is available.. and their own children go to school there. Matey works very hard, but Adrian is very ambivalent. He wants to help the French, but he feels unhappy about being part of the war machine and feels that war is brutal and evil and he can't seem to see that sometimes it is necessary. Matey decides to spend the money she inherited from her great aunt, helping people in France. She meets her brother, at the end of the war, and is upset to find that he is pleased that he and other Americans have made money out of the war.