A BOY HERO.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 21 May 1915, Page 3

A BOY HERO.

A TOUCHING STORY.

M. Basin tells the following touching story:—

.a beardless young soldier of the north was lying. siravCiieu m a wench, suirering from a frightful snrapnei wound m tne stomaen. xn spue 01 nk tembie piight, iie made no murmur or complaint, and one could scarce.y recognise in his big ; open, upiilted eyes tne expression of sadness which he always wore. For since he left home he had no word of his own people, or of his invaded country. His comrades assisted him as tliey could, put water to his lips, unbottoned his tunic, and attempted to stop -the flow of blood. Then, opening his eyes, which he had closed for a moment, with the air of one who suffered no longer, he addressed one ofhis comrades, a big, rough-looking sol-' dier, who was bending over hiA:— "You won't tell zav mother of this hideous wound of mine? A bullet wculd have been better."

Then he distributed several small articles which he had taken firm Tiis pocket—a knife, his pui'se, a corkscrew and a sieeJ—a last bequeathal which was soon finished. Finally he opened his pocket book, and, commencing to write, although he saw with difficulty, he traced some characters with his pencil and expired. When the pocket-book was examined, this is what th^'soldier was found to have written: —"Goodbye, father; good-bye, mother; goodbye, little sisters. I die for my ccuntry. Vive la France."