PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2394, 18 January 1900, Page 69

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

» ' — THE WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL. Lord Roberts has arrived, and with increased forces and a more perfected equipped transport service our armies should soon make a forward movement. Our telegrams are still too brief and one-sided to give an impartial and intelligent view of the situation. We know nothing of the strength of either side at any particular point. Nor, do we know the losses entailed. The British losses, I see by a Home paper, tot up over 5000, and not an inch of the enemy's territory invaded. Looking fairly at the position, we could wish it a little more favourable. Even the - most pessimistic of us hardly thought -it -would be necessary to have some 150,000 men of all ranks in the field, to which has to be added, I suppose, 50,000 or more belonging to the transport columns. The £10,000,000 voted will be but a fraction of the outlay necessary to bring the war to a successful issue. In the Illustrated London News, November 11, Swinburne writes a poem of two verses called "Reverse." The first one is this: — The wave that breaks against a forward stroke Beats not the swimmer back, but thrills him through With joyous trust to win his way anew Through stronger seas than first upon him broke, And triumphed. England's ii on-tempered oak Shrank not when Europe's might against her grew F\ill, and her sun drank up her foes like dew, And lion-like from sleep her strength awoke. And I think it aptly applies to the present crisis. The poem has, too, such a suitably illustrated setting. Above the poem is a picture of Waterloo ; under it is Trafalgar ; the one has an inset portrait of Wellington, the other of Nelson ; and it is flanked b.y a red coat on the one side and a bluejacket on the other. A fortnight or so ago I drew your attention to the sorrows of the wives and children of those gone to the front. Thomas Hardy, the novelist, has written a graphic poem called " Wives' Voices," and as it is short I'll give it. Perhaps "it will bring home still more closely the griefs of those of whom it is said : " They also serve who only stand and wait, 1 ' which is, by the bye, the title of a picture of infinite pathos in a late number of the Graphic. These are the words, and, as you will see, they describe the marching of the

wives by the side of their husbands as the latter proceeded on foot to the point of departure : — Rain came down drenchingly ; but we unblenchingly Trudged on beside them through mirk and through mire, They stepping steadily— only too readily!— Scarce as if stepping biought partmg-time nigher. Great guns were gleaming there — living things seeming there — Cloaked m their tar-cloths, upnosed to the night; Wheels wet and yellow, from axle to felloe, Throat -3 blank of sound, but prophetic to sight. Lamplight all drearily, blinking and blearily, Lit, out pale faces outstretched for one kiss, While stood prest to them, with a last quest to liiem — Not to court perils that honour could miss. Someone said, "Nevermore will they come! Evermore Are they now lost to us! O, it was wrong! Howsoe'er hard their ways, some Hand wi'l guard their ways — Bear them through safely — in -biief time or long. Vex, voices haunting us, daunting us, taunting us, Hint in the night-time, wiien life beats are low, Other and graver things . . . Hold we to braver things — Wait we— in trust — what Time's fullness shall know. To my. mind it is .a fit companion wordpicture to " The Absent-minded Beggar," though it will not catch the public ear so irresistibly. Nor will it raise any money. Do you know how much Kipling's poem has raised for those that Tommy has left behind him? I don't think anybody ever will. Kipling gave his £250 and copyright, and his manuscript fetched 500 guineas. Sir Arthur Riflivan gave his fee of £250 for setting it to music and conducting the orchestral accompaniment when the song was first sung, and takes no royalties. Caton Woodville, the soldier's artist, gave his fee of 20 guineas received for the sketch that accompanies Kipling's words in the Daily Mail fssue ; and the sketch was sold for I don't know how much in addition. The Daily Mail issue of the poem and authorised reproductions have sold by the hundred thousand ; and how much has been raised by the recitntion of the. poem and passing 'round the hat it is impossible to say. And now the song set to music is raking in the shekels, for my copy is one of an edition of 75.000 printed free of cost and sold for a shilling net ,the whole going to swell the funds for sufferers. Has anything like it ever been witnessed before? - » THE NAVY AND LADYSMITH. "JThe silent sea power" has without a doiibt done much to save the situation at Ladysmith. As-you "know, the Boers have a gun or two which were very troublesome imtil Captain ' Scott, of the • Terrible, came on the scene. He proposed a "field mounting for the naval long 12-pounder of 12cw.t, says the Illustrated London News, a gun winch has a much longer lange than any artillery gun in use. A pair of waggon wheels were picked up, a balk of timber used as a trail, and in 24 hours the piece was fit for service. Then the captain turned his attention to the naval 4.7 in guns, and succeeded equally well in mounting them for land service. Experts laughed at the captain's notions, but they answered, and still answer, the purpose admirably. The former carry 9000 yards, and the latter throws the terrible lyddite shell 12,000 yards. The Boers didn't bargain for the naval guns and lyddites, and say we are not playing the game. Each gun has a legend painted on the mountings, the work of the funny men connected with the rigging up. One runs, "Those who sup with me will require a devil of a long spoon " ; a second, " For what we are going to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful. — Oom Paul " ; and a third, " Lay me true and lay me tight ; the Boers will soon be out of sight." DONATIONS. I have received 3s 4d for three several copies of "The Absent-minded Beggar," which will be posted immediately. I am away from home just now ,and haven't the initials'. I'll publish them next week. I see the Daily Times has started a "More Horses " fund. It is greatly needed, seeing the Government isn't rising to the occasioii. To my mind the Hon. Mr Seddon is showing anything but good statesmanship and broad-minded patriotism when he cannot see his way to send transports and nurses with the Second Contingent, and say 250 extra horses. Such* things should not be left to individual generosity. They ought to be an official 'gift from the country. And what would be the cost? — £15,000 at the outside. That amount has been spent in far less deserving objects over and over again. Just imagine : Can't afford to send three or four nurses ! Why, one of them in a single night might alleviate suffering and save life beyond calculation in money value. Supposing a cable came through : " Your son died through neglect of wounds ; nurses could not possibly attend to the injured." What would we think of ourselves? As to horses, they are urgently needed. They are dying of the sickness peculiar to South Africa. Then there are the losses befoi'e landing. One transport lost over 100 in one storm ; another as you know, was wrecked, and nearly the whole of the horses drowned. The Queensland Contingent is sending for 40 more ; and we know that the losses in action are abnormally lai'ge on account of the marksmanship of the Boers and because our field guns have to come within the zone of rifle fire of the enemy through their comparatively short i % ange. Horses are urgently needed, therefore, but I cannot help expressing my indignation that the Government isn't doing more, considering so much can be done at such comparatively little cost. "Standard" Boue Manure is the most popular of Bone Manures on the market. It is rich in ammonia, also phosphate of lime. Is in fine condition and of easy distribution. — NXMIIO AND B&AIB.