THE LOVE OF HIS COUNTRY MEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 70

THE LOVE OF HIS COUNTRY MEN.

Private ,of the — th Xew Zealand Begiment, -who died at (he temporary hospital on, Friday, was buried yesterday. The Garrison Band attended, and the coffin was borne to the grave on a gun carriage of the Permanent Artillery. There were no civilian followers. — Daily paper.

They were bringing back the soldier to his native land to bury him. There was no joy in the land.

When he left the wind blew from the north a warm breeze, and the love of his countrymen was also warm. In the angry days between then and now that love Lad whispered in the gale of adversity and beckoned in the mirage of hope. He cherished it, and it had peopled the campfire of loneliness, and pressed the trembling hand of fear. He had died for ifc.

And now they were bringing his body over the ocean to buiy him at its shrine. Surely it would go forth to meet him and lay garlands on his grave.

But the wind had changed to the soufcb, and the icy little waves raced to meet him, and to smite him with their cold hands. Each as it approached curled a scornful lip, leaped over the boat, and dissipated itself in disdain over his coffin, to crystal--lisp there in token of a lasting ingratitude. -

The boat reached the shore at a spot where his countrymen, full of love; had-" cheered him as he left.

His countrymen were' there to meet him" — two files of them, but without hearts. \ They were paid and commanded, and by ~ them the soldier's body was lifted to the gun carriage. , When he left for the war the wind blew from the north. It blew from the south now, a death wind, bitterly cold. But ifc was not more cold, nor the cutting spray more scornful than the -hearts of his countrymen. He had died in the belief of their love, that love that had peopled the camp-fire of loneliness and pressed the trembling hand of fear. Was it also dead? Was the only love in his country now that of hirelings, paid and commanded to be deferent to the body of the soldier? All the scorn of the southern ocean was not more cruel than the scorn of his countrymen. There was no love in the land.

The notes of the "Last post" faltered down the valley on thte cold fitful breeze. That at least was always the same.

And its echo came faltering back to the graye — more uncertain, but more sure — just as the echo of every glory in the past has com* back to the harp of sorrow that struck it. "Nothing is to be expected from tn» gratitude of a nation." — Bismarck. G. H. SCHOLEFIELD.

— It is the opinion of a German ocnlisfe that the use of ordinary slates by school children tends to produce short-sightedness. ' As a substitute, lie recommends pen and ink, or an artificial white slate with blaclo' pencil. The latter have 'been introduced in some of the German schools.