LEAVE THE PANELS DOWN

Nelson Evening Mail, 28 July 1916, Page 4

LEAVE THE PANELS DOWN

A* the Christmas; day dinner of the ■ A.A.P.C mess at Cako the iß<aiu card contained a> drawing 'by oh© of the members, which portrayed: a small t wooden hnt on the hills, somewhere -m ! Austa-aliai sm-roundted by a tibree-ra-l, with one of the panels down.. The drawing and the verses following were the work of Stuart D. . Leslie; now staffsergeant with the A.A.P.C. :—-

The little grey house had a lonely look, There' wasn't a sound around, But we saw as we crossed the shallow . .brook ■That the slip Tails lay on the ground. We rode in up to the kitchen, door, For the stock might take ithe track; But a woman said 1 with a weary smile, "Mv 'boys are absent many a mile, : And we'll leave the panels dowri awh<'lo To wait till the lads come back)."

And over our southern, sunny land The same great thought holds, true, Fromi the timbered hills to the parching sand, And' the wide green stretches /too. All of the boys who've done then- bit, Though many a pal we'll lack, Whether they come 'from' bush or town. Will know they'll find the panel down To the hearts''they left—and love will crown Tie day that the' lads get-hack.