TOPSY-TURVY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 6

TOPSY-TURVY

';;;;.. .•; AN AMAZING' CLIMAX. ';' ■•"-' (By-a Canadian Colonel, in the' .:■•:■•-• "Daily Mail.") lam a lieutenant-colonel and-a commanding officer—the "father" of a family of 1000 men, with 30 oddoiQcers as assistant fathers. i ;• Quite contrary. to what one ■ ■ might .' think, I'am not as old as Methuselah— . f only ; 33, as, a..matter. of. .fact. I am also "; a'bachelor. ' Poverty is another of my assets. . ■ . ' • Youth and bachelorhood are an excel- ! lent combination for at eoldier on active tv6?r.vice.'for vfighting .purposes, but battles t.-only: take J ..up:u: small; part of our time. ' ■ They- - arec rather .■ an inconvenient: com- • bin'ation for a commanding officer wlien ■ imitating Solomon at'the morning "or- ■•■' derly room," but,' like the proverbial eel .during the'ekinning.process,-one gets used •Sto.it; • { ■■■-■; ;',;:..:.■ ■:.- ■ -Hoary sinners 'proved guilty of "absent ! ■'■without leave/' "drunkenness," or "con---'.duct'to the prejudice of good order and 'military discipline," are easily disposed .': of, but after,them como the character. i;..studies who want to .be "paraded before './.the commanding officer." t <■■-■ ' The, sergeant-major, -saluted and said: "'.'•Sir.i-iPrivate Moore '.wishes to Iμ paraded. He has received permission from Captain S." "Very well, sergeant-major," I replied,' and wondered casually who Private 'lloore might be before he was a private, ■'• and- also ;what- my poverty, youth, and Worldly inexperience could do to meet his case, whatever it might be. : Private Moore walked in- smartly, sainted, and stood at'attention.! He was apparently about ten years my junior, and I therefore felt, capable of telling .. him anything he wanted to know. ~ ;< "Sir,''- said' Private .Moore, "1. wish to be married, and I understand that I require the consent'' of' my commanding' officer." :.■,',,,

"Quite'.right,' Moore."'l assuVe'd him,

; ;■''"Have' you" got .all'the necessary'docuj. ""'mints? : You require' a'statement from j> the paymaster as to your 'bnlance and a. ! certificate as' to the; character of your- ; . wife/' .

;cHe produced satisfactory documents,. and now the onus , of giving consent was thrown on me. I pondered deeply. Here, no.doubt, was a casij of romantic'attachment where a young and penniless Canadian soldier on leave had met an 'equally-young'and' penniless English girl greater'capacity for romance than for 'cooking. ; . •■ .•.•■■•■,• "Moore;" said I, "presumably you can support'a wife on a private's pay with the aid of .the separation allowance; but, my boy, remember that in a fewmonths we will probably bo demobilised and your pay will stop, soon after discharge. What you havo saved from your private's pay will only see you half-way through a honeymoon. Even with my lieutenant-colonel's pay I will be penniless after the war. .Think seriously, Moore, before asking an innocent girl to leave, a comfortable home and.-share your poverty. Before giving my consent to this marriage I want to ask you as man to man—havo you any money in the bank?" , \ • Opening the'pocket of his jacket, Moore produced and handed me a pass-book from the — branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, I opened the book and saw the balance—,£Booo. I consented! '• ■■•■"■■