BUFFETS IN LONDON

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2768, 11 May 1916, Page 3

BUFFETS IN LONDON

(From the; "Lady's Pictorial.") Place—Waterloo station, echoing to tho tramp of hurrying. feet and the traffic of a big London terminus. Time—anything between 10 and 11 a.m. Slowly steaming to its appointed plattorm enters the leave train, every window outlined by capped heads. Hardly has. the piston scayeu its swing ere doors open and out pours a stream of men in kuaki, stained with the mud of Flanders and of France, faces weary with fatigue, but light of heart as any boy home for tho holidays. One's heart goes out to thorn in sympathy with their joy; one is glad. to think of the hearths that have kept their fires burning for theso travel-stained , warriors, men who have dreamed these many days and months—lt months, sometimes—of the welcome now so near at hand, of the joys of home-coming. For them hearts are beating fast; in their ears the ceaseless roar of guns will be banished by the sound of voices perchance they have thought to hear no more, by the prattle of little ones in whoso prayers their nurao was ever mentioned. •

One seems to seo these thoughts in the keou, weather-teiten faces that go hurrying by. ThesH are the lucky ones with homes in London or in adjacent places. Others, living in the north of England ur in 'Scotland, must wait for connecting traiiis. They form long queues round the pay-boxes, where French, money is exchanged on especially favourable terms. Then comes a moment of indecision. Of this, members of tho National Guard—, that ■ useful body of men who meet all leave trains—take advantage. "Don't you see," they. ask, "that notice over the stairs of a free buffet for sailors and soldiers? Come down and have something to eat." Nothing loth, down troop tho men in their hundreds, packs over their laden backs, rifles in one hand and in the other various possessions. And there in the subway communicating with the various lubes they meet with a welcome that brightens war-worn eyes and brings responsive smiles. The sniper, with rille carefully encased, lays his .treasure against an adjacent wall in order to ac"cept the steaming hot tea or coffee for nlrich he craves, the tempting sandwich, and tho' cake, for which there is ho equivalent on the Continnt. It is difficult to say .which derives the most pleasure, she who gives or he who takes. Shakespeare's opinion is decided on this point; but when one's last bite or sup was 21 hours ago, or even longer—for eirpply on such' journeys cannot meet demand—perhaps one might venture to" 1 held in such an instance a different one. It is difficult for those not yet present at a scene like this fully to comprehend the pleasure our soldiers feel—and show —that we folk at homo are. thinking every day of their comfort; that we consider ho work hard that is done for their benefit; no leisure sacr'iced that is spent on their-behalf.