A Levin Lad In France

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 June 1916, Page 3

A Levin Lad In France

SOLDIiER'S LIFE AT THE FRONT.

An insisting let Lei' written to Mr jlj. •JUcjiain by a relative now on active service in France has. been handed us for publication :— fi eel we have ibeeui shifting aibout ao much iutely that one is lucky to receive letters at all. So far I have received all of mine. lou will no doubt know, bofore this, just where the New Zealand boys we. Don't you thing we are lucky? Of course wo have known this 'for some time Jbut have not been able to mention it in our letters. My word, it came as welcome news to us hoys who have done nothing for months but tramp the hot sands of Egypt, to see green fields after that; it makes one's eyes •water. But the time J. spent in Egypt was spent to great advantage, and I will remember it for all time. You were right when you say "Ancient Egypt in all* its vile surroundingß." It is certainly ancient and therefore interesting. Far one to see all the antiquities such as the Virgin's Well, the tree under which Joseph and Mary camped when fleeing from Palestine, and other scenes so prominent in Bible history, is something to reanemiber. But modern Egypt is not lees interesting. One Saving at home in a country village in New Zealnmdi begins to open one's eyes when one see« and realizes the slow rate at which a'nation so old as Egypt has advanced in modern manners and civilization. To spend an hour in the slums of Cairo is enough to sicken the heart and alinc st the stomach of tlie most ironical. The shameful barefacedness of evil, and the shocking immodesty of -the inhabitants is appalling. One can scarcely realize the depths of depredation to which human being can be lowered. Worse than the lowest form of animalism aire the acts of some ol the worthless beings (I cannot calS them people) who tried and sometimes succeeded in alluring the weak-willed audi drunken colonials to disgrace and degradation, and in a number cf cases to physical ruiu. Oil! Uie remorse one experiences when one sees or hears of healthy young New Zealanders in their prime of life and development (not manhood) who just through a weakness for dirink. are now crying their lives out in isolation, loneliness and utter disgrace in a "lock-up" in Egypt, far from deai- home, well knowing that never moie may they expect to see civilization or home again. The utter pity of it makes one weep and I am not an exaggerated case of a senti- | menbaJisi. The way the natives live (in diity, iow, mud huts or straw pig- j styes) and their iiaibits and customs of living would constitute a book on its ' own, so 1 will not eniuage upon that l

now. Tho last two months of our stay ui Jfigypt was spent in Isnialia, a town composed mostly of Greek inhabitants, oil tlio baiuk of Suez Canal <uid -Uie batiks ow Lake Tinisah. " Hi is lake was; where wo all used to bat Tie and as the weather a while before we iOic was beconnny very not (JLOOdeg. in t ie shade) we had plenty of time during miduay to bathe. Sometimes, aboii c 5 p.m., the shores of that lake were j list a live with men of all units — Australians, Mow Zealanders and Indians. I iuive »een upwards of ton tliou and men on the shores at a time and this would be continued all through the i.ay (not the bathingj tout the going and coming of the different units tor their swim. Truly spoken: tliiß was , a mimly scene. We left ,ali this behind on sth April, and at 0 p.m. one night we steamed out of ismalia and made off over the desert railway to Alexandr a. We travelled in open \ trucks and 1 have often recalled since I in ietters home the ©motions 1 felt when lying down to sleep with the floor ot a truck for a mattress and the side of a truck for a pillow and , gazed up .at tile .stars and let my mind , wander baoii to home and wha4> those , at home would think if only they oould 1 see! IJut this life is full of emotions! 'JJlius we arrived at Alexandria at . 2 a.m. next day audi alter transferring our kite ou board ship went back and ; carried our luggage to the side of tho ship to be loaded next morning. At I 3 a.m. we settled down again on board, : some on tables and some on the floor I to gain anotiier two or three hours' I slieep .Next day we loaded our horses I itnd it was a tedious process. Horses i had to walk or be pushed u,p aiid down I a tails, twisted and. turned umtil they knew not whether they wero standing oil their heads or thoif lieeie. But it is wonderful what a horse will do when niusftered, so most of tliemi went oi l i-iitnc aitcmooii we puiied | u.ii, iw.i anoiorwd in uio liaiibour tin uext morning. (jur snip ws wie nrst to get anay and matte a most Ueautitul i-tiip, tut.) coa v\ a-s tio ca mi ab *1 mill— pun>... no tiuveoAiu ou a very largo steamer witii \eensoieu;. inis was a most meiiiiuiiauie trip as 1 expert it will be me only one l snaii ever spend in winch the danger ol submarines w .la so pronounced that all day long ine men uuiie uiedeits and ai niyiit sicpt with them betide tnem. fleiie was also a strong submarine guard* posted on the upper decks and they had to Keep a watch day and night. Anyhow we made port safely and in good time, iuckily, for that night fciaw a most terrific storm at sea, and all tJhipfi bciluiidi us had a rough time. We were lour and a half days on the watetr and ifc was a beautiful time. We landed at Marseilles next morning and then began another memorable journey of 55 hours in the train. It was through the most beautiful country and so never laoked interest. Through hundreds of miles of orchard) land we passed and marvelled at the grand .state ol cultivation the orchards were in. There was hartley an afbleibodied man to be seaii; all at the war. Thus we passed three days and two niglu in the train sleeping on tRe floors and seats of the carriages. So easy does a soldier taike life that 1 slept all night without waking, while I travelled onwards." From hore on I . am unaible to mention names. We found the French people most hospitable. The endl of our journey landed us in a very cold region and on arrival we were greeted with a little enow. It came as a gre-aE change tan the hoat [ of Egypt and now most of us ha? <i j folds bu.t otherwise quite well. 'iTie weather is fast improving and we find it roost bracing and enjoyable though

tile big gnus are ''rocking it in" day and mailt. I cannot tell you as much ' . ,4. ae I would. like to but-nm woiknig , „ . four hours per day and tour per night. ' 1. . . J .- 10 l . , diitv to-nisdit 4s 1- p.ni. to 4 a.<ni. • It «, during tins space <xl tune when there 1S not much work 1 write.letters.