THE WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6698, 16 May 1900, Page 4

THE WAR.

ST, PATRIOK'S DAY. "*

A Bath contributor to the London Spectator writes :—Sir —I venture to send you two little stories about the shamrock which may interest your readers. Several invalid soldiers from South Africa are in a convalescent home in this neighbourhood, and among them is one of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, so I was very anxious they should each have a bit of Shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, and asked an old Irishwoman to trv to get me some. She tried in every direc tion, but none of the real plant was to be found till she oaught sight of one preci 'us plant in a cottage window. She -was quite a stranger to the inmalies, but she knocked at the door, and. witfcuuany apologies, asked if they would Bel/ her a spray. "Sell my 'shamrock ? /No, irideed, I can't cut a bit of it" feaid the owner. " Well, I beg your pa»flon, Bir, but as it's for those "poor spMjnjjfl,np on the Down I ventured~ro 'aSaHl^jiFot the soldiers, did you say ? He^^^^K^l ■Btej^y>heyma7 have it all,'^^^^^H The BatnelfouaE^^iHß^^^^^^^B of one soldier and the widowTJT^^Bß^i has an only son ia the Coldstream v Guards, who was severely wounded at Modder River. He was expected to , arrive at our convalescent home this J week, and last Tuesday she went to the I railway station, hearing that some soldiers were arriving. Her son was not among them ; but she found two men, on their way to Ireland, who were waiting for a train to take them on to Milford. One had been severely [ wounded in the head, and the other soldier was charged to see him safely home. My warmhearted Irish friend carried them off to her Jictle home (only one room^ and led them-wrkfeftinetea and eggs she had prepared for her own boy. "jAnd they were so happy,' she told me, " and said it was just like home, and when they they were going away the poor fellow whose head was so bad that his memory is going said : ' Good-bye, mother, and thank you for that good cup of tea, and as soon as I get home I'll be sure to send you a bit of the real Irish shamrock.' " He was true to his word, for a little box of shamrock came by post yesterday, and I am glad to say the long, expected son arrived to«day.