IF THEIR MOTHERS KNEW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 11

IF THEIR MOTHERS KNEW.

; ;: 4, ;;'';;CADETS'W:CAMP.:..'",;;. The prospect of a journey f out.-to the Hiitt Park through yesterday's drenching rain—the dull' ■ trip to the Hutt. and the possible. ..threes-miles'.-, walk .over road—was" riot at,. and one felt.' l( very- Heroic .when \ determining that this .journey should,-bo,made, come.what might. But the .heroism, lacked the., charm 'of' being- conspicuous; there wore so many, valiaat spirits, nnd one journeyed .out .with ,:hundrede.;.of .others all. firedfiwith tho. same, determination./ i It may -be', said that'the trip out; to the .park; was a, very wet.■ one,. and many, passengers were well soaked before -.they; even- reached- the lagoon-in the,road where the coacheS'Set them down,- or .plunged through the morass ; that -> surrounded 'the grandstands. -. \Such,'ia ; .gi;an(lstand! -ilt was packed tightly with a ,moist.'cro.wd—men;women/ and a,i great; number.- of children,.- unir-as." one. .worked.- one's. ; wa'y,- to. the/top.' of the tier /it, was to find-that along the '.:very. back.ran. a'.Bedroom, , ' piles ; of. - .straw.:6liow-; ing -where, some; of the men: had been glad on ■ the ; ,previqus.;night to find, a dry ued.. Occasional,dishes :\vere scattered about, , and:a half a pound of butter on-p..plate reposed.;under- a-seat—evidence':.of; hasty batching.;'-.,The--stand was by no means waterproof, and those,near, tue.frpht were soon -.as."wet as. the cadets, while bthers were, under n. sort of waterfall, but theso things, by no means .spoilt, ,their ; enjoy- , inent of.the.-day.and.the'.occaeioni- ';

/'Faiicy.^That.i , : , . ';■ :;; .;-;■■; V '■':'■■, ' '.- ; It'was'agree'd that'Lord;Kitchener had done , nobly .to come.out on such, a, day, but. one regretted -from the spectacular point- of ...view, -that , he .' had. not. come mounted on a prancing steed,"for'it was difficult: to-'feel the: suitable, 'thrills \of emotion'when; , there, was nothing. to gaze at.biit: the. back of ,'a, long'military coat and , flat hat:.' One 'could -say:- : "That'ia the'.'great :K.' ,of' K.. gazing with ,admira.; tipir at --pur; little"New ;Zealand-.boys. Fancy-'that!" ; ,; But, the ; pranbing steed would 1 hnve i '. , befin"a i: help -to '.thrills, , and , given a decorative effect highly to be admired.-. ",■ . .■■■■■...'■.■ .-..,.- ~■".■"..•■.■...; .

Careful'.watch.was'kept on 'the' great soldier :.ns 'he; rapidly, walked' .past the ranks, to.'see -•whether ,,, he' "repeated; : nis great ■ "'Australian--••ochievementj'-.an'd stopped..tb;db:,up,'the ; .tbp.button-of any. iinfant cadet,:.but-neyerVonce'.did'he -stop' fo'v, such, a , purpose: ■ Proba'bly onr ■ cadets were'nir buttoned-I'6, the -neck':''" "-,•■ :;/ i! ' iTlie.stand was-half-filWa'.with" parents',' whol.were.' '■tremendously , .proud as' their boys-; doubled, , : orfather ran/past; .with,' the Tain; beating -in- theif faces/-and -while there-wasyalways' a 'laugh•■• ivhen : anyone' fell •■ at;, the ...hollows :in the'■'ground,'-' as' happened, on; more , .tban;qne ; occ'asidn..'lt' 'ivasu;sympathetic, laugh,- hot' one of'derision;'for lt'-was.Wasy-.to'iin'defstandthat. tiie young;soldicrs ! were., being' put'-"to."a-very.' serere.".test. The-'audience .was' admi.rmg'.:right " through,■ but' perhaps , its' greatest' admiration was U ; eserved' for ' the httle companyiof'Boy Scouts; who 'looked like a'-regiment ;of ; pikrimsT 8 they stood their staffs 'in 'their hands, and'their little .pennons -trying ito float in therain.': : : - ■■"•■•■ •.'; -; .' ■'."■-' :

M Ire ari d> M irtfi/ / r |; V ' ; :-'\ '■■;'■ / ':'''' ■"■/- ' ■ j ae °» ■ ilw field, a ..noble little, army. One hopes that Lord ■Ki tohener.; .was -: pleased-' with the spirit that made, them insist on-turning/out in ■,wat: downpour, though' .they_ wore told •tjui-t .the)-'need not do ■ so. •-'. Hβ oertain.lv like a regiment, of, pilgrims,. as they stood' .«r; the __gato, after /the ';' inspection, and ■watched, some of- them'-pass. ■';■■ , '.- .-"■ ; . Tho; miserable' conditions 'under ;which thevboys-had passed the' previous "inorni. :ing_and: night-migte'-vrell hayediminisned ; their.enthnsiasm,'and : a-Tisit toth© camp .'niade, one -feel - very 'glad that' ;?nly ; *-veiT: : few-of ;the .mothers;' p'ene-' trated' to that■ pirt'of:- , tlie ground:.tThe : ground 'vin.v. front , \ • b! "■ the. stand ' ivas ; ! marshy; nt"the'side, 'where the teatsy'.were-i'it was infinitely w.orse.y.'To'get , ,to : ;fhe : building'whefe'the stores were; kept-' one' had. to 'wade' thrbngh a lagoon,- and. while;ithe'visitorsiat' first 1 ,watohed:;the>performanco "with ''a , • fasci■nated horror, ; they :sbon found 'that' to get anywhere ix they-had ; to-wade too: Great' quantities .of./manuka 'scrub'''had been' .cutj, and laid 'down to form aniaiin'path-' : : wax.'tliroufeh tte'ifente;.but'by thVoniTbf .the- afternoon7.it •was"'a]mbst'bflttedi-and : .one sank'through''i-t:into 'slush'a'nd pud-' , The boyis- were most. olicerful. They■had fled 1 straightway tents',-.where' dryj ; 'to"" get- so ■.much.-.raeanre. of. comfort' before putting .on-'their. , wet- , things'again, since they .'had >no 'dry "cldthes to;change to,:■ and as they' paddled; round "in 1 the slushy. :6traw'and /puddles 'of their , '. .tents;/ 'one■ conld■ hear ishouts■ of '"S. ''sayr where's that ,: diving -board?"• "Lend me '• jonr• ■ water-wings;". ;and so', on':'". ';'.-;:" '"'■'; ;.'",v.- : 'V ; '!-,. > ; .- ; .

:CaWp>Hbus'ekceplrig; -f~' /;:V'V ■;,■."■''■'•.•.■''■•:' ''i Trenches-hid been; of ' the. tents, but..as.;a;lnst'resoit, : ' this .savod,: the ten v tf. -from' .flooding;/ it could; not--make', them 'dry,.or,'.habifable.. ■Jjovul past; the ;tents'; this cooks-w;ere busilypreparing a.nice :hot meal:', Long vail way Ira]]* were .laid ; along, the. ground;,supported by : bricks.;. Fires-were built neath,.: and. the -camp': kettles' laid ion -top, ;for. the ...ground! was .too sandy to. allow .the usual method of,cutting atrenoh .to' be-folloived: ■■< Along,;- these: there . was : a most imposing, row: of;huge, tea.';boilers;, and- a:iunmber'.'of, -large';cauldrons' filledmth imeat.-.-.-:-A-i.visitor jguessed-:at , "Irish istair/Vand', was gravely-, oorrectod.""Steak land tomatoes,", said'the'cook lifting one .'lid, -i "hai'ioot T muttbn,": ; and,"lrish, stow;"' .It'all. looked ■as though it: would, be appe-;tising,-but it seemed- tnat- thore would not ■be enough. .Everywhere in: New Zealand •camp_ cooking utensils': are'an ..demand, with the result that'the Hutt camp; had not>,half enough boilers.for tea, and the ,'obok sadly showed-a pile of suet puddings ■ready .tied up ,: ..inv:olbths,' which .could •.rieyenbei cooked,-: because;- there. was: no-: I thing; to; cook them;in;<;while a huge bowl :of chopped-vp suet.was'stauding , patiently •in the'raih,''with.rio hope ofbeing turned to.good use,,unless''itj.weie io help the drenched , wood-to bum. 'Cooking was indeed', 1 being' conducted • under ..difficulties, and-one'-was": not, surprised'.to .hear, one of -the cooks .say with ■.eigh ) 'l"lf. 1 only. Kitchener-'could-see'us here, .he'd give us;the V ; .C; J, :,••-- , ; .;-.-.■ ;.-. ; -.'; ;. . ,No time was lost after, the'iaspection-in moving 'thV camp,'., and-'beforepthe last of .'the ; visitors' had' reaohed: town, 'd', spe-j cial' train, obhtaining.lSOO-.'bb'ys, had: hur-; : rie'd ;into; Wellingion,-' where . : .',fhey '., were .housed.'in the -Drill-Shed, another 'thou-;sand'remaining'at-.theiHutt,-where they were'sent -td.thei-Drill Hall-'- and. -Hie : school.' V The ■ mothers "of -the,-' boys: will 'hardly,' ..belieVe . that'/: they.;'. dept jery, soundly;" alter :their'' exertions,';":l)ut' at. ' least:. it-• was ■ 'satisfactory. fd /knowi-that '■ffiejvware.warm' aid.- dry','■■' instead ■;-. of spending another' nijhtrin the' Venice of- 1 'the"Tents./-^a-'.^'r'..-.:.:-•• ■ .-"-.-