The “Broken Soldier.”

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 209, 29 May 1902, Page 3

The “Broken Soldier.”

The “ broken soldier,” disabled in his country’s service, and hard put to it to make a living, has, says the Press, been an object of compassion long before he moved toe pity of j-VI Gwyn, or “ talked the night away” with Goldsmith’s father. The orange girl is credited

with having p n vat' ! npon King Charles ll tu fn ~i I a i l ™?- pital for his wounded vein,'...;. An Englishwoman of to-day has gone further than this, in devising a plan which will enable them to support themselves in comfort. A charity directed and supported by the Countess of Meath has secured a small suite of rooms in London, in which the disabled soldier is received, and instructed in toy-making. The toys are made chiefly from cigar boxes, which have been contributed in generous numbers by clubs, hotels, restaurants, and private persons. Already the wounded men have shown themselves for the most part intelligent and , capable workers, and a few weeks’, teaching will generally enable a man to turn out toys second to none “ made in Germany.” The latter inscription, moreover, has during the present war tended to become less and less a recommendation, and it is thought that the articles bearing the Royal Crown and letters, E.R.1., which | are being turned out by British soldiers, should rapidly increase in favour. Even now they are being sold in large quantities, ami the secretary of the Society finds that the different dealers, apart from swntimental considerations, see real value in them as saleable commodities. The charity does not mean to confine its work to toy-rnaking, and is considering the question of teaching “ Tommy” to make a special hand-made brand of cigarettes, bearing a familiar seal of origin. It is certain that these would find ready adoption in the army. Other trades which it is pointed out might easily be taught are simple carpentering,bookbinding, cobbling, beaten silver and«copper work for ash trays, the making of patriotic devices, and many more. The chief needs of the society at present are workshops. The Dublin branch of the organisation has now over 100 men on its list of workers. They earn about Bs a week at toy-making, which, in addition to their grants from other benevolent societies, gives them something lika from 15s to £1 a week to live on.