Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Nelson Evening Mail, 3 August 1916, Page 4

Extract from the letter of a member of the 4th. Batt. N.Z. Rifle Brigade, now fighting in, France: —"In and about the trenches I continue my work, little heeding the shells because of the growing fatalism -which, impels a mail to the belief that his chances are settled long before he reaches the field of action. The 'unvarying star' of my fate gleam.'; as brightly as over, and I have 110 forboding. It's good to be able to move a'bout'in the trenches, confident that the Hun-is only the instrument, of fate, and that all his 'strafing' cannot hurt unless it is decreed that the blow shall fall. Knowing this, I have time for a- whole lot of fun, and am able to appreciate the comic aspect of everything, to the full. In. this connection I had the laugh of my life the other day. We had just received news of the big pu?;i in Ga-licia, and I went down the line 10 see 'some of the boys. As I a corner I saw some fellows standing round a chap who was huddled against a nile of sandbags. He -was whining and snuffling as though a whole German arsenal had passed through him, and I thought for a moment that a- splinter of shell' must have hit him. But one does not become excited over these little incidents, because excitement hinders the proper'handling of the victim, so I asked, casually, what was the matter, 'Oh,' whined the supposed victim, c oh, 011, t.Me .Russians have bolted, clean flaming well bolted-, and they'll be through here in about eight da vs. They won t recognise us as the "Dinkums," * and they'll bolt -right through.' The 'Dinkums' is a name bestowed' upon- us "by the Australians after the in'cident 011 ti.-s desert which I described in one of my earlier lei tors. —Post. The "Wellington. Patriotic Society a Band seems to be making decided , progress. It is now equipned "with, a splendid set of Ha-wke's Excelsior sonorous, triply, silver-plated, class A instruments. These were purchased from The Bristol Piano Co.. "Ltd., sole agents in New Zealand for Haw Ices and Son, cf London' and Aldershot, the noted manu.fuctureis of British band instruments.* Attention is drawnjip our Auction column -to tho .postooneaiient of Mrs E. Guildford's Sale -"until Tuesday Next, Btli August.