TO VOLUNTEERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 10

TO VOLUNTEERS.

.'Sir,—May I-crave. spaco. for a .few words ti the volunteers, cadets',.- and' others intprestet in- the military .education'.of our.youths, to: at bugrayini;.:: which appears in the windows of. n stationer's''shop in ■ the city ?-'. It is a copy ol the..famous :picturb, .painted.-by Xady Butler, entitled,-:"Tho: ; Rotiirn• from tho.Battle of In kerm'ari,".- and,- which is-.■ a companion to' 1 tilt world-known:,'effort by ■ the same , lady, "The )Roll-Call."."; TliC'Drst-montioned; is worthy; oi close- study in- detail, . The central' figure is of. a mounted:officer of, the Guards'- brigade, .apparently: unscathed "in,body, if not in mind, alter the' terrible; struggle : of '.'• "the: soldiers' battle" r Holding onto his' off stirrun-Jcath'oi' is iy.bravo.buglar,,'boy ...of . the 20tn Munste. Ucgimont, :' who. :C woundedv,. as' he' . is, has one hand free to* obey'any order, the officer mayVdircct,. to, whom ho looks.'up pathetically in anticipation. Next to him are jtho np'oie bbysof tlio "drums/' 'whose duty, it then was ■ to'.carry,tho woundedi. off' the..field of battle, which they aid'doing under tlio difficulty of an improvised .stretcher,;and' a 'wounded:"•■ young •officer.;; The. faces, plainly 'indicate .'the strain of ;• .the .undertaking. fiUhts group -of tho. .principal fioure,s,.is a mixed one of many regiments : and . ; thc- 'whilst■ v nu:,ambulahco wagon, of the'lrenin 'army, passes' tho' gallant suryivors. - The occupants,./chough woundetl, cheer: the vjctorious,..if. .exhausted, -British. "Ono.'-hiah ,of -the Guards has'.sucoiihibr'd .to fntigde,' l 'whilst 'a comrado "stoops, to raise', him to his* fc'ot'again.'.: Inthoccntro is a'.wounded man, 1 , clutching Ms wrist, to still the pain'of ' his hurt, and besides .him stalks one,..who carried.t.ho weapons!bf both. Next follows tho "Mark Taploy".'of • the, party, getting solace, after'-his hard ' 'day's'■".work; "on ' 'an empty stomach, from a whiff; ; of tho pipe. Bohmd himWs-one,-the. picture of "'exhaustion' and closclyi-foldcd amis,. strugBling'.manfully.on.An'blßcer marches on foot on Jho flank, and, ominously enough, carries l his 'sword' over"his:shoulder,.'reversed!."Tho rear is .brbught,-up ';by ~'tho;-.'- mournful bearers, shoulder-high, of qno who is .what'somo ,of his companions would fain ,be; at'rcst, To'complete- tho scene, thero hovers, 1 already having "scontod tho- battle,afar," those birds of illbmori which .follow an army,; scarcely waiting for the departure of tho living bro they attack the dead,. As tho party is on the move; tral ' figure stooping to bandage his'log, would bo in the way. What heart and head-ache are depicted on most of tho fnccsl "Tommy's" inentablo: dog, his faithful companion; ; trots' besidohis friends.—l am,, etc., c : i '. ; :, j .-;■'.;.. . ' -SYMPATHY.