forced leisure in studying the customs, laws, and society of the nation
into which they were thus thrown. There were highly cultivated and
scholarly men among the captive officers; yet they were naturally a
little prejudiced, so that they were not a little astonished when they
found the customs and laws not only not inferior to their own, but in
many cases almost exactly the same. More than that, they continually
came upon little habits, sayings, even superstitious customs at births,
weddings, funerals, and other occasions, which they had been familiar
with at home from childhood, and which they had been told by nurses and
old servants should be observed and respected because they were family
peculiarities, handed down from times so ancient nobody could have
counted the years. Still greater was the astonishment of those who
discovered that a great many of the religious ceremonies, prayers,
hymns, which were held particularly sacred in their native country for
the same reason, were observed and treasured with only slight
differences by those whom they had always looked upon as the merest
strangers. When the holy books and the sacred laws of both nations, also
the stories of favorite ancient heroes, were found to be so much alike
that it was clear they were all heirlooms from the same family treasure,
no more proof was needed for those who had so recently fought--and might
fight again any time--to say: "We are kin; years and years ago, our
fathers were brothers and lived in one common home."

It was not in one place, or two, or three, that such discoveries were
made, but in many and all over the world. For after chance had led to
the first, people became interested and began to look for forgotten
kindred to turn up. The well-known signs were watched, and compared,
and verified, till nowadays no one doubts that the descendants of the
families who once upon a time recklessly migrated from the
long-forgotten valley are scattered over the face of the earth and can