THOSE GUARDS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2392, 16 November 1880, Page 4

THOSE GUARDS.

The following letter appears in one of the Wellington papers:—“Being only a new arrival in Wellington I was very much struck with several not very large men dressed in our English Guards’ dress. On asking who they were I was answered with a look of pity, “Don’t you know? Why, they are the Wellington Guards!” Now, sir, I should like to know why these people have not better sense, and if they are volunteers to stick to the old dress, and not try to ape one of the finest regiments, I may say, in the world. The men that I saw were boys or half-grown men, and the idea of them dressing themselves up in that dress reminds one, of the* monkeys at a circus riding round the ring on a dog, with a red coat on. At home in England the volunteers never dress the same as the regular troops —in fact the War Office would not allow it; but here, in Wellington, a lot of shop-boys, clerks, and others strut about like turkey cocks. On making inquiries who the officers were, to see if there were any men amongst them who knew anything about drill, this is the result: The captain is a man of first-rate position in Wellington, who, I have no doubt, is a very good fellow, but his experience as an officer must be very limited ; the second in command an ex-coachman ; aud the other a paper man. Now sir, the sooner this foolery is pnt down the better it will be for the Wellington volunteers ; and before your new Government comes they should dress themselves like men, and not like monkeys.— l am, Ac., Captain Stanoisii, H. M. Second Dragoon Guards [on leave).”