"I GO FORTH TO SEE."

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 6

"I GO FORTH TO SEE."

Another brilliant young life, full of high promise, litis been sacrificed for his country in the person of Second Lieutenant the Hon, 'Denis Buxton, Coldstream O'unnk. only son of Lord Buxton, the (ilovcmoFuenerrtl of South Africa.

'"Denis and I went to Kton in September 1010, and were at Well's together till July, liH.j, when he left to go to South Africa," writes in the Times, "(to was captain of the House his last half. I think he enjoyed every moment of his time at Kton. \ Tie read a great deal at Eton, but at the front even more, and he generally preferred to choose a, particular author and read several of his works in succession, to reading indiscriminately. He says in one of his letters from the front: "'I have 'been reading Tolstoy. He has claims to be the greatest of writers as most free from taint of bookishness. . . . Some one told me the way in which monkeys are caught in India. They made a. hole in a gourd and fill it with nuts. The monkey cornea along and smells the nuts, put, his band in the hole, and takes a large handful, so that when be tries to take it out again it is too large to go through the hole, and there he is caught, as it never occurs to ihirn to let go of the nuts and go away. That is just our attitude to a great many things; we are caught by them, because it never occurs to us to let go of them. Tolsoy's vision begins to see through this, though sometimes it carries him too far the other way.'

"Denis had definitely decided to go into politics. Writing of his decision, Tie says: 'I have definitely made up my mind to go into politics after the war—not immediately, as I should like to educate myself a little more first. People run dov-'n politics nowadays, but politics can be made to mean almost more than any other sphere of action in England.' ''His unself-conscious happiness seemed to lay hold upon life with an energy and love which )>" could not withhold. The magnificent spirit which inspired everything lie thought and did. his vigorous enthusiasm for ideals, and the memory of his splendid personality will live for ever as the greatest gift a man ever made to his friend.

''The following verses were written Jiv Denis Buxton as his farewell to Eton before joining the Army: ■ ) Mother, I go forth to see The old things of the world, and new, And all that you "have made of me,

And all that I have made of you I talce to prove my fealty, And pay you honor due.

You are immortal as your sons Immortal are; they owed to you The seed of higher things that once You sowed in foil so new, A tale that he may read, who runs, Of all they found to do.

What though my labor feeble seems In thee: forth go I to make known, Tf falsely fair my future gleams. And all those hopes were hopes alone And all those dreams were only dreams, Which first you gave me for my own.

You, that have east your lot in me, And me upon the waters' face, If aught I won of loyalty, Shall find me after many days, Striving with all my 'best to be Worthy of all vour love and grace. —July, ISHS.