"THE RAINBOWS."

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16472, 15 March 1919, Page 11

"THE RAINBOWS."

A SOLDIER'S PHILOSOPHY: • The Australian, soldier lias his own clioerful and philosophical wav of telling the story of his doings to his friends "who, stayed -'at,home." Thovfollowing letter, is typical of many received.from "Diggers"--in Palestine: — !'- "Your ever welcome letter finds mo' .back ; in;hospital, inVthe land of Pharaoh, recovering; from Spanish 'flu,' better known amongst the diggers as "Dog's That and Jordan malaria , Old , Harry. with, us in the last !few. months\ and exacted a heavy toll. However, wo managed, to silence Old Jacko before thon, so that it-did not get too hard a" grip. "It was some stunt, too, that final one. - A wild man on a woolly horse, with a wicked-looking sword in his hand,, coming on him at full, gallop, was too much for Old Jacko. 'It was the-will of Allah, to chuck it, so be it.' ' "The Germans could, not for tho lit'o of them make out how we had managed to. get 70 miles behind them in one night 2so word .could express their surprise. . Ho\y beautifully they.: 'slip; 'pea.'" . "I received the cltib parcel in tiis. . .It was-doubly -welcome, lis bully. ' ■ ibaef and biscuits had been our only, diol : for a.mont'i. '"When we are going home is'tho, ' questiotf of .the moment..? Atthe rate of -progross, some timo in 1922, I should say. It is going to be very weary, this time of waiting. But all must be , patient, frooi . the 'l>inkums' .to the : 'Rainbows.' - • - .

" 'Rainbows,' by the; "way "is tho nickname of ;,the last reinforcements 1 to arrive. 'After the storm they comoth,' : d'ye see ? ' . / J. "Well,-Johnny, rfeel rather glad'my , crusading days are over at last., .1 don't lore the bookmakers and the, pawnbrokers enough to ever go on .another restoration. stunt on their behalf. I was not quite as uninterested in' tho Holy Land, or quite as unmindful \of '' 'higher things,' as fra inebriated Bill- ; jim! who (while being shown, round a \ church in Jerusalem) was informed by. ■ the guide that a certain candle thero - had been burningfor 2000 years, blew it out, remarking that the had been burning long enough anyhow. Hut. I failed to be impressed as a true Christ- - ian ' should. , Life itself was'too veal. However, all'is over now. thank good- - ' ness, a,nd we I>ll> win, didn't we? I hope the haopy day wben.thc smells-of Footscray floating uj> the dear old Yarra assail my nostrils is not far dis- ; tanfc. If 'Ikey Mo' so desires; lie can < hand me his properly in Aussie, in return for which I bequeath him tho whole of the blessed kingdom of the Israelites. T can See them all return-• ing here (I don't think). / ' "Cheero, Johnnie, see you soon.'' ,'