WHERE HONOUR IS DUE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 1 December 1915, Page 3

WHERE HONOUR IS DUE

The following extract from a soldier's letter will eliow women what our men think and feel at the front, states an Australian exchange:—"l guess there's many a hero in Australia whom we never hear of. Do you know the ones I conaider most worthy of praise? Well, I'll just tell you. ' All you brave womenfolk who aro doing your utmost for -us, writing us cheerful letters,' and generally keeping up our spirits while we are so far from home. lam going to tell you something. I used to consider I. belonged to a superior set one timo, but now I feel horribly inferior. One never rends in the papers of women goinjx on strike, whereas it's a common headline to read of strikes in coal mines and such like places. You never try to make profit out of troublous times as these, but just go cheerfully on, to outward appearances, while really you may be breaking your dear hearts over the loss of some-, one dear to you. You ought to hear tlio way the hoys-here speak of you. The age of chivalry has not yet passed, as you'll find out when tho men return. Of course. there are bound to be some lapses, for we are only human after all; but ; generally, I honestly beliovo you'll notice a change for the better; I don't mean to say that the returned ones will be paragons, hut we are gradually changing, and it's for the better. We need it, too, don't we? I can tell you I've often communed with myself, as" an old man I knew in Queensland usedto say, and have come to the conclusion that I am pretty poor trash. At night, on sentry duty, when all is quiet and one is expecting a bullet at any minute, olio has jilenty of time for reflection over one's past. life. It also gives one time to think better of and appreciate one's fellow men. There are 6ome grand fellows here, and it's a pity that it takes such an upheaval as this for one to find it wit. It rests with the people of Australia not to spoil them, the menfolk especially. Just let them got awav to their homes —to mother or wife first, and then, if the menfolk like, let them come along and visit. I am afraid that there will be lots of sharks on the lookout for easy prey. The boys will have lots of money, more in a lump sum than most of us have handled before or ever seen, and there -will lie the danger. I feel like an old, old fossil writing like this to-night, but I somehow felt I had to -get it off. Last post has just gone,, so I'll say gooi-niglit. Kindest regards and my homage to you for yourself and the sisterhood you represent."