"THIS TRIFLE, LIFE "

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 85, 3 January 1918, Page 5

"THIS TRIFLE, LIFE "

HEROIC NOBILITY OP. DYING SOLDIER. "To die in the way that will coma to me is easy—for freedom and wliilo trying to lessen human pain—one could ask no more." So wrote Private Sydney Weir to Mr. J. Johnstone, of Havelock a few days before he died of wounds which he had been told were mortal. _. ■ ■ "When you receive this," he 'said, "I will already ha ve nasscd out. I thought I should like just to tell you I knew I could have littlo hope of returning after seeing our first battle., Beforo setting out on this 'stunt' I had tha opportunity of taking another job where the risks, wero not but I have always bolieved that m this fight there should as far as possible be equality of risk—and, indeed, I have bec-n almost happy in our work. Everything since the lighting began that we have had to do went towards reducing suffering, and to seo fa-ced death was great, but even greater still to see the way they helped one another after having been wounded. "I have learned to look upon death with but little emotion, and for myself it is a matter of hut littlo moment. I have no qualms of conscience in my actions hero, and for the Test have tiled to do my duty at all times. I know von linve always looked upon my tailings with a lenient eye, and magnified my qualities, so that I don't need to as kany indnlgenco of you. . . • "Now, when life closes before its midday, I regret no attitude of mine, save, perhaps, I have been inclined to he too hard upon those whose actions I despised. I have always respected goodness, and since being m the a™? 1 liavo tried to upraise the code. ot .decency, and, above all, liavo .tried to mako known the possibilities of a better social state. That time was wantinn to mo is not my tault. S lave wished to live on m a* earth perhaps I loved too well.