THE SOLDIER'S PHANTOM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 65

THE SOLDIER'S PHANTOM.

Home from the war they are coming JSTew Zealand's young valiant braves— And snatches o>f horne-soi.gs they're humming As the ship skips over the waves. 'Tis a yeev or more sin^e their mothers Kissed them in sad good-byes — Since the last close handclasp of brothers Met theirs 'neath Zealandia's skies. Ah, s»d were the scenes of battle Ihati daily became their lot, And grim the giuff roar and rattle Of cannon and shell and shot; Fierce was the deadly contest 'Twixt them and the stubborn foe, And Britain paid high for her conquest In the blood of her bons 1 rich flow. They've stood at the graveside, bare-headed, Of some who fought by their side, With wonder to wonder close wedded, That death to spaie them shou!d decide — That oft, 'mid the battle's close conflict, When wild shot and shell fell around, They'd not been laid low by Death's edict, And graves on the veldt also found. But they've passed safe Death's da-k, deMous by-ways, Disease, too, has loosened his gup, And, breasting the ocean's blue highways, They rest now aboard the good ship. 'Tl3 trut that Puration's de-ep traces, And marks of keen suffering too, Are seen on the pale, manly faces Of the "boys" to their nation so true. The good, ship speeds on, never fearing. Well rnaiuved and well captaired ii she, To Xew Zealand a good couise is steering, lii haste there at anchor to be. But a gaunt, gloomy figure is, speeding Acioss. the gieat waves on her track — A figuie that knows no receding, A foe that no man may beat back. It boprded the ve^el at twilight, And silenced the mnoccnt glee Of the glad-hsartcd tioops m their home-flight, As it «moi? right and left stealthily, And sick unto death left some lying Who'd braved his keen claits for so long, When, 'mid gioajis of the dtad and the dying, They fought with the foe, fieice and strong. Ah, Death, could you not «pave such sadnoso To paients and brothers and friends, When they hoped to receive with gieat gladness Their boys fiom the world's distant ends 9 'Twere kinder to teize then 1 out yonder, On Afrir's far wai-rin°ing v&ldt, Than to fol'ow them thus, and to plunder The hopes that so long they had felt. — E. G. Jioinmgton, July 15, 1901.