BETWEEN THE CAMPS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19724, 14 September 1929, Page 15

BETWEEN THE CAMPS.

"Hast thou then no fears, No sharp regret, Wilt thou not still look back? Not too late yet!" "Not I. I chose with clear Eyes seeing far; And a will hard as stone Took me to war." "But hast thou counted cost And knows' t not well The morrow sees thee hurled Quick into Hell? "And hast thou aught to gain? For us is sure The victory, and > beyond Life calm and pure." "Nay! 'tis mine to ask What shalt thou gain? I shall know evil, I shall know pain "And love and hate and grief, Passion and vice, The bitter choking smoke Of sacrifice. "Beauty I shall buy And know it whole, Though for it I barter Mine own soul. "The churning and the roaring, The breaking billow; Or in the dusky pool The echoed willow. "So part we now Darkly as we met; To the shining towers thou, I to the pit."

—A.W. Mr Augustine Birrell recommends to young people who may have read David Alee Wilson's series of volumes on Carlyle, without having read the 30-odd volumes of Carlyle's own work, an incident recorded on p. 333 of the latest Wilson volume, "Carlyle to Three-Score and Ten." Carlyle had found fault with the faithful servant Charlotte for not being able at once to lay hands on his missing spectacles, which, all the time she was hunting for them, were hitched kt> on their owner's forehead:—

"He took tk« glasses off and looked at them, and then said, 'l'm sorry, Charlotte. Nearly a' ma life I have been ca'ing other folk fools, but I think I am yin masel. Whit do you think, Charlotte V Charlotte made no attempt to answer her beloved matter's question, says Mr Birrell. but went downstairs.