FIJIAN BOY'S HERO

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 125, 4 July 1941, Page 5

FIJIAN BOY'S HERO

LOCAL SOLDIER'S FRIEND \ QUAINT LETTERS RECEIVED. From a series of letters received by Pte. Jack Butler of Whakatane, from a little Fijian boy, Andrew. McGoon, it is very obvious that the! local man has found a hero-wor-sliipper in the small lad who pours out his feelings; in a quaint but unmisitakeable manner. Jack Butler had apparently adopted the youngster for a day or two, and hadi taken him upon an excursion by boat and later to a sports meeting. A strong bond of friend-* ship resulted and letters receive'cl when he was back home on final leave, indicate how heart-broken the little fellow was to loseliis soI-» <lier friend. If one can overlook the spe;lling T punctuation and general framing, the letters, which have been handed to us for the pleasure! of reading, furnish a good idea of a native boy's reactions to life in general*. He was for instance terriWy withr the e foters c and tooks upon his! hero as the best 'frend* in the 'wirld.' His saddest day was whew the boat sailed w?th the 'soljers* back to New Zealand. There ife; tno doubt but that Pte Jack Butler had found a life long friend whose opinion of him would be hard to beiat even by his own people. The last letter carries a short piece of poetry and reads: 'Jack* good poitry ; No cross, no crown; No loss, no gain; They too must suffer, Who would reign. He best can part with life Without a sigh, Whose daily living Is to daily die. Youth pleads for age; Age pleads for rest. Who pleads for Heavem Is heavenly blest.