LORD ROBERTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11282, 9 January 1915, Page 8

LORD ROBERTS.

CHARACTERISTIC STORIES, Of Lord Roberts many good stories are told. The distinguished soldier was known to have a perfect' horror of cats. His feelings about pussy were instinctive, and could neither be reasoned with nor overcome; indeed, it was actually suggested early in the South African campaign that tho Dutch should always make a point of setting cats loose wherever the veteran commander was likely to he. "CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?" Typical of the man was an incident which was pictorially represented as having occurred during the stress of the war in South Africa. The great Field-Marshal had his quarters in a Boer dwelling, and a curly headed child had strayed into his presence. Roberts, laying aside the paper in which he Lad been engrossed, took tho littlo one on liis knee, and was fondly caressing her when an officer of his staff entered -with some question or other. "Can't you see I'm busy?" said tho Commander-in-Chief, and the officer left him and the child. The incident has been perpetuated by what Ifas become a well-known picture. It may, nevertheless, be something of a myth. Lord Roberts loved children, and especially hoys—perhaps, like Gordon, he looked for a future soldier in them. Just as he left for South Africa ho received a note from three little boys, who told him they would pray ?"or him every night when they went to Led. On arrival at the front, when ■■ 11 was bustle and preparation, Lord Btbeits found time to reply to the letter, ai;d ended by saying: "I hope, my dear children, you will pray for vne always." WEAKNESS FOR HOBSESHOES.

Unlike many soldiers,_ Lord Roberts was singularly'unsuperst'itious. He was always willing to sit down thirteen to table; he preferred travelling on a Friday ; he 'married in May, and once, when setting out on a campaign, lie deliberately broke a hand mirror in two in order that it might take up less room in his kit.

On the other hand, he had a decided weakness for horseshoes, and ■•vhen a friend at Portrush sent him on St Patrick's Day a horseshoe, together with a piece of shamrock, he wrote back: "The horseshoe will be kept by mo as a souvenir, together with one I picked up the day I entered the Orange Free State and another I found at Pnardebnrg the evening before General Oronje and his force surrendered.'' HOW HE MASTERED HINDUSTANI. Lord Roberts considered that genius is only the capacity for taking pains. In 1856 he was offered an important post in Kashmir, hut when it he-came known that he knew next to nothing of Hindustani the offer was withdrawn.

Seeking out his chief, he inquired whether if he passed the next examination in this most difficult language the first post vacant of the same kind would be offered him. He Mas told that this would of course be so, but warned him that no Englishman ccuJd master Hindustani under at least. a year. Young Roberts said nothing, but, Erocuring the best teacher in his power, e set to work with a. will, and in two months passed the examination. He afterwards became a real Hindustani scholar, and was familiar w.'th many of the native dialects. A CUTE BARBER, When Lord Roberts was at Quebec for the Quebec Tercentenary celebration in 190S, he went to the hotel barber to have his hair cut, .In a lit of absentmindedness he did-not note that the man cropped him as closely as a billiard ball, so that his helmet fell over his eyes almost. But lie told with amusement afterwards how lie discovered that the man had sold all the snippets of hair for souvenirs. "THOUGHT I MIGHT BE WANTED." An interesting anecdote was told 6f the veteran soldier about the time of the South African AVar, which it is believed has not yet been published in Great Britain. "The Field-Marshal, sorely stricken by the death of bis onfy son, had been asked by the Government to take up the chief command. At an interview between Lord Roberts and Mr Balfour, tho latter, with great delicacy, broached the question of the veteran soldier's physical fitness to undergo the trying ordeal that lay heforo him. The Field-Marshal promptly reassured the Prime Minister on this point. "You see," ho explained qui to pimply. "I thought that possibly I might be wanted, so I havt been keeping myself in condition." That was "Sobs" all over. Always fit, because he always took care to keep himself fit, not assuredly for his own advancement or aggrandisement, but on the chance that his country might need his services.