The Star. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1890. The Easter Encampments.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6834, 23 April 1890, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1890. The Easter Encampments.

To all but the fire-eatera who having spent some years in wearing the uniform of a Queen's subaltern, and performing with zeal the onerous duties of playing billiards, and drinking brandy and soda, naturally regard Volunteers as toy aoidiers, the Easter encampments have given much satisfaction. To the stern military critic every little horseplay in which young men indulge, appears like the unpardonable Bin. From them no Volunteer force will get any praise except a force that is officered and organised by themselves, and sect generally to the dogs under their own .immediate supervision. The encampments have taught valuable lessons to our citizen-soldiers, in spite of a little smoking, unbuttoning of uniforms, trolling about after duty in the evenings, and other military crimes. By the way, of course the immaculate Tommy Atkins never gets drunk, never disobeys his superior officer when iv his cups, never fights a rival T. Atkins with hiß belt, never does anything in all his life except stand up in the barrack yard, starched, stiff, silent, supercilious, dull, when he is not engaged in obeying the word of command of the noble fellows whose privilege it is to think on all subjects for him. Really this hypercriticism of that old fraud, the old soldier, makes one sick and tired. The Duke of Orleans. We read in "Colbourne's United Service Magazine" that the French conscript neve*, has enough to eat when his family don't supplement the army rations. But as every family regards it as a sacred duty to send something to its representative "on service," it comes to pass that a voluntary tax gives the soldiers of the Republic the daily satisfaction of a full stomach. The Duke of Orleans having applied to be a conscript, finds himself in prison, where he begins the day with a simple breakfast of eight dishes and three wines. Had he been accepted, his service would have been slightly different from that of the ordinary recruit. Considering his habits, it is just aa well for him that they put the young man in prison. That service is the easier of the two for a young gentleman of epicurean tastes, and it will be over sooner. It was a theatrical stroke, and as such had some success.