A] RHODES SCHOLAR'S LAST LETTERS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15728, 23 October 1916, Page 10

A] RHODES SCHOLAR'S LAST LETTERS.

'THE VICISSITUDES OF THE

GREAT STORM."

The ''Spike,'' the Victoria University College magazine, includes in its last issue some very interesting extracts from letters from ex-students now oil active service- Amongst them axe several taken from the last letters received from the late Captain Alan Macdougall, recently killed'in France, and who was a former Rhodes scholar from the Victoria University. These lettons rather convey, an impression that, the loss of friends- who had fallen on the field of battle had saddened--him and left him lonely. Just two weeks before his death-he wrote: —

"It -is curious how the vicissitudes and liabilities'of this' great storm alter one's scalp of values. Most of us, if any of our crowd survive, will apply different standards, to life in general after the war is over. In the meantime wo take each <!ny as it comes, and keep pretty cheerful. Thonextfew days will sec us inthe south. The prospects down there leave us calm. Mosrt of the men whose, friendship 1 valued at Oxford f are on the lists, some dead, some grievously wounded. I don't think there is j anyone of my real friends actually in the line_ cxcr.pt possibly a Frenchman; and it's weeks since I heard from him." In what was possibly his last letter he wrote: — "I am kept very busy these days. We are moving from village to village every day, and this means work forme. Our original battalion has changed considerably. 1* ew of tho original officers remain, and few of the men. My best subaltern, as fine a boy as ever breathed, was killed ten days ago. I haven't quite roalisod the fact: he was unconcious throughout—whiph was sad- His expression was more pure and serene than any dead man's I've.seen —touched as it wero with immortality. Wo buried the boy close to tho line, amongst his men, and I think all is well with him and them.- The Bosch gave us about fifteen .miniitcs for. tho service, and then the machine-guns spattered all around and we had to get off. Purely a coincidence, as it was oil indirect fire." .

Victoria. University is vory proud of its Roll of Honour, a pride which it has every reason to feel' and express. Botaveen 300 and 400 students and exstudents are on active service. The Roll of Honour consists of 36 names, and amongst- these are two Rhodes scholars —Captain Alan Macdougall and Lieut. A tho!. Hudson —both of whom were killed in action within a few weeks of one another.