HARRY LAUDER'S STORY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3182, 5 September 1917, Page 7

HARRY LAUDER'S STORY

Harry Lander is something more than a great comedian. In the words of a writer in the London "Morning Post he is also "a great patriot." This is tho story of an incident at the end of a day at which Lauder had given seventeen performances at the front, and kept his audience m nts ot laughter:— - , , . Lauder was asked to speak, and I givo his speech to the best of ray recollection, because it seemed to ine to interpret in a picturesque form tho ideals and issues involved in this terrible war. "Boys," he said, "do you know what you aro fighting and dying for? 111 tell you. One winter's afternoon, just as the light was failing, I was resting in my lodgings between two performances. As I looked out of the window t saw m the lower part of the road lights appearing one by one. Tho lamp-lighter was at ( work. . , i "Gradually the dark street became bright. Bit by bit the light spread -up 'to the street in front of me and went on up tho hill, each light driving away tho darkness of the winter ovemng. Boys, you aro lamp-lighters. "You aro dying every day in order that your children and your childrens children shall enjoy the light'of civilisation and the comfort of freedom. Hearty cheers of keen understanding greeted this speech, but not a sound was uttered by ihis audience when he proceeded to tell) tho story of his visit that day to the grave of his boy. . "To-day,-" he said, "I was at the graveside of my dear boy, killed in action. I had only one. prayer and desire, and that was that God would allow tho grave to open for one minute so that I' could kiss him on each cheek and thank him for what ho has done for Ins country."