A THOUGHTFUL ACT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 2 November 1917, Page 1

A THOUGHTFUL ACT.

The following letter to a Dunedin resident, dated Claremont, Cape Town, August 18, 1917, speaks for itself:— Dear Mrs B , —You will.be surprised at* hearing from a stranger, but I have a. message of good cheer for you: from your boy, Lance-sergeant ——, -whom I had" the pleasure of meeting yesterday. I thought you would like to know that he was looking very fit indeed, and was in excellent spirits, I thought: He wished me to tell you that they had had a very rough paisage, but that everything was all right. You may wonder how I met your son. Well, my cousin and I saw "him withrhU friend, Sergeant ——,' standing about in town, and we just invited them to tea with us. You see, my uncle, a brother, lots of cousins, and my fiance are all on active service, and have been forj'a long time. We know how lonely they sometimes feel, and how they would love a friendly word from homely folk, and so. we often try to do to those who pass through our city the little things, which we hope others will do for our boys. That is why we were so bold as to speak to your son without an introduction. Have we your pardon? What a splendid lot of meii New Zealand has sent. I wish our land could boast of a like, record. W« have so much internal strife that it seems impossible for us. I suppose we have not gone far enough from our civil strife Is let the Dutchmen forget they are a conquered race, and they hate the Britisher and his cause accordingly:—or many of them do. Now T must close, with' the sincere wish that your son may be restored to you speedily in the best of health.— Believe me to be, yours sincerely, E-r D—.