“DAD’LL COME BACK.”

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 25 November 1915, Page 3

“DAD’LL COME BACK.”

The gijrls standing around try to laugh and they cry; and the merry ]?ds pick up their bundles with a joke and go forward singing to the fate which rests with the God of battles. You can hear their voices -when they are gone, and you can see a young wife assuring heir month-old baby that “Dad’ll come back, ducks.” As she divides her attention in the fleeting minutes between her husband and Iher babv her face talks to you.

“We fought poverty' together,” it seems to say, “now we’ll fight the Kayser. Not murh the diff. One starves yer and the other kllis yer. You got a spoirtin’ chawnce with each . . . God sive the King.” Here is an old lady come with her officer son. As they pass slowly inside, she leaning on the fine young fellow’s arm, a dirty little street arab who has studied at the school of human feeling pushes himself forward and plays “Say au revoir but not goodbye” on a mouth-organ. The old lady give s him an appreciative smile. “No good, Bill,” he mutters to his pal; “w r on’t work.”

“No, it won’t,” cries a porter, at the same time helping the lad outside. As he makes his hurried exit there is a joyful shout, and a Tommy Atkins commandeers the instrument and marches forwstrd to the tune of “Keep the home fires burning.” Women laugh; then they are struggling to keep the tears back. Men cry “Bravo!” —then lumps are rising in their throats. And all the while soldiers are tramp, tramping by and remarking something to the effect that the farewell is a thousand times worse than the fighting.

a -- _ .—w .c..i,.ury of the Patriotic Committee there between £3OO and "£4OO p •«* -- m

tres in New Zealand are also paying good salaries to their secretaries. This fact was mentoined at the local Pa'rioiic Society’s meeting yesetrday, when a prominent member remarked that it was most important that good men should be appointed to such positions, for the wojrk involving on such officers was very considerable, and they bad big responsibilities.