THE CHARMS OF "SOMEWHERE."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 7

THE CHARMS OF "SOMEWHERE."

A MIDDLEMARCH SOLDIER'S RACY LETTER.

lho Rev. Mr Standring, Middlemarch, has received somo very interesting letters from Rifleman Len Harris, who has for somo timo been fighting with the forces in France. Iu tho course of liis first letter, dated January 5, Rifleman Harris writes:—"At present my mate and I are attending a school of instruction for tho Lewis machino gun, which is very fortunate for us. I say fortunato becauso tho rest of tho company have gone back into tho trenches, and this means that wo shall bo hero until they .come out again. Wo not only do machinegun work here, but all kinds of drill, so wo will bo pretty fit when tho timo comes to assist in tho great advanco, which wo expect will be in tlio very early spring. We went to a village a few miles away to-day for a bath, and it was just splendid, as we got not only a hot bath but a complete change of clothes as well. Tho billets wo are in at present aro very well ventilated by two large shbll holes in the roof, so one can guess how wo faro when it rains. The furniture consists of an empty ammunition box, an old plough, and an empty whisky bottlo. We havo not hryJ many rats yet, but tho water on the flooi? would just about serve for a swimming bath for therii. We sleep on somo wet straw placed in it (tho water). A soldier's lifo is not always the best, but wo put up with i„ and say nothing. We were practising this morning with dummy bullets, and somehow a live -ono g:ot mixed with tho blanks in tho magazine, and ono of tho boys was shot through the elbow. He will most likely lose his left arm, which is decidedly hard lucjt. Wo have the most modern' elcctric light plant. It is half a candlo stuck in tho nock of an empty beer bottle. In another letter, dated January 28, from tho same mysterious "somewhere," Rifleman Harris writes:—"l was pleased to see that tho work of the Y.M.C.A. interested you all. A man cannot praise them enough for tho good they do. They always havo a hut in all tho different towns we arc billeted in, and also in tho subsidiary lines of the western front. They follow us as near the front lino as possible. They supply us with a cup of nico hot tea and some biscuits. What can wo expect better than that? I want to tell you of another case, which I know to bo absolutely true in every particular. It is about a young fellow who, while in camp, and until ho got into tho firing line, used to run down tho Church, tho Bible, and religion. He was a drinker too, and a well-known gambler, but a great change occurred during his sccond day in the firing line. We were under a very severe barrage by tho enemy's heavy artillery, and on passing his "bivvy" I looked in and saw him reading a small Bible. I saw him several times reading his Bible afterwards. When we came out of tho trenches for a few days I noticed ho attended church service regularly, and that he had given up drinking and" gambling. Now he is a loader among his fellows. Many_ like instances occur here daily. The majority of tho chaplains are very obliging and very much liked by tho men. They often visit us while wo arc doing our turn in tho front line, and thoy always go to see our _ mates in tho different hospitals'. All soldiers that return .will always have a good word for the chaplains. "Wo are having very cold and frosty weather, and tho ground is coated with snow a. few inches deep. I often get my towel and soap, walk down to the river, look at the ice—a.nd walk back again. Rifleman Harris, who is a native of Dunedin, has for the past three years been engaged in tho Middlemarch district, where ho took a keen interest in tho work of tho Presbyterian Church.