Military.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 42, 13 January 1900, Page 7

Military.

BOY RECRUITS,

Were boys allowed to enlist, re-cruiting-sergeants wouldn’t have time to go to sleep, for the military spirit is stronger than ever it was, says a writer in Chums, At a day’s notice (he continues) an army of stouthearted youngsters could be raised to do battle against their country’s enemies, and, if good intentions count for anything, there would soon be no foes left to fight. The youngster who recently stopped a recruiting-sergeant in the streets of a northern seaport could not have been more than 12 years old, but he held his little form erect and saluted in true military fashion. . He wanted to be a soldier like his father, he said, and would be obliged if the sergeant would measure him for his clothes there and then. ‘ (to home to your mother, my little man,’ the sergeant said. ‘ She’ll be waiting to put you to bed.’ ‘ No, she won’t,’ answered the youngster, half defiantly and half wistfully. ‘ Mother’s dead, and I’m going out there,’ nodding his head towards the sea, ‘ to take her last message to father.’ The sergeant opened his mouth to speak, shut it again, and then walked quickly away. He was crying, and didn’t want the brave little lad to see him. Shortly after the fall of Omdurman a dozen of the liveliest boys in a Yorkshire boarding-school decided to enlist, and went one by one to the local recruiting-sergeant, never dreaming that he would refuse them. He sent 11 of them about their business very smartly, however, and tried to do the same with the twelfth, but the youngster wouldn’t accept bis dismissal, and argued until he was red in the face. ‘Why won’t you take me?’ he asked. ‘ls it because you think I can’t shoot straight ?’ ‘ Yes,’ answered the sergeant, desperately. ‘ Then I’ll soon put your mind to rest,’ cried the youngster, triumphantly producing a catapult. ‘ Just go to the other side of the street, and if I don’t hit you five times out of sis you needn’t take me !’ But the sergeant declined to submit himself to the test, and the bry went awav in sore eiiaapnointm<mf.