A BABY'S MISSION

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12244, 16 February 1918, Page 2

A BABY'S MISSION

(By E.K.W.) [AD Rights Reserved.]

Tlie sun poured its rays down on the long white road, making the heat almost unbearable. A few weary, baked-up-looking pedestrians, who bad found it necessary to do some shopping in the httio township, lingered when they came to the river as though loth to leave its cool, inviting banks. Lucky indeed were the girl and boy who gently floated down with the stream in a little nutshell of a boat. For at a glance one could see youth stamped on the handsome, smiling face of the boy, and on the pensive fage of the girl. Jane Cartwright was decidedly unhappy. She hated the very life she led, and every night when she lay 'in her snow-white_ bed in her little box of a room, she built castles in the air and dreamt of romances. Every morning she arose at -exactly the same time, ate exactly the same breakfast every morning, and loft for the school where she taught at exactly half-past eight, hoping and longing that something would happen. Yes, she really and truly hated it all—and who wouldn’t? Even as a school girl she had been ambitions, quick-tempered, and always looking for something to do that wasn’t ordinary. Uneventful days had slipped by until Dick Jarvis, tho son of the leading storekeeper, came home from college. Then June’s something did happen, for she immediately fell in love with Dick, and ho with her. On this very hot Saturday afternoon Dick had suggested a river picnic, and Juno joyously acquiesced, for it was the only tirao during the week she could spare for her own -enjoyment. For along time there was silence in the boat, save when Dick gave the oars an occasional pull. Then Dick burst cut, “ Oh, June, dear, when are you going to marry me? I hate the thought of you having to teach stupid children in that miserable little school every day.”

Dick never worried over money matters, so it didn’t enter his head that getting married meant having a house to live in, and having food to eat; but it entered June’s head, so she replied, “ My dear, foolish Dick, what will we live on if we do decide to get married ? Why don’t you do some work? I could just shako you when you stroll leisurely up to me, with your horrid old pipe in your mouthj after I have been nearly driven frantic by the children, and you say, ‘What is the matter, June, dear? You take too much trouble over your work.’ Do you always expect to go to your father for every penny you need? I know that I am not going to eat food and wear clothes in your house if you yourself haven’t worked for them, so there!”' The latter ejaculation was accompanied by a violent slap on the water, which gave them both a cooling shower bath.

There was silence again for a long time, but through Dick Jarvis’s brain rioted pictures of their home, happiness, and June as his own dear little wife. He resolved it was better to do anything, even work, than lose his beloved June. Presently he said, “I’ll work, dear, work my head off foT you, so long as I don’t lose you. Wo are both young, I know, hut why shouldn’t we spend our youth together as well as our old age?” “Oh, well, you persistent, headstrong hoy, I’ll think it over. But let’s land here and see if there's any fish in the river to-day; then, if you behave yourself, I may give you something nice to eat out of my mysterious basket.” “You little witch, you know exactly how to get the best of rtie.” In the cool of the evening, with their baskets brim full of silvery fish, they rowed home, and on the way June Cartwright promised her life into young Richard Jarvis’s keeping. Dick’s father knew his son too well to refuse his consent to the engagement, hut he promised _ to take Dick into partnership on condition that they waited a year at least. In his own mind he hoped that perhaps his son would he of a different opinion regarding the woman lie would make his wile by that time. However, the year slipped by quickly, and Dick found that at the r.nd of it he loved his little June more than ever, so on his birthday, July 30, 1014. the whole neighbourhood was en fete on tho occasion of their wedding, “Our lives follow one path now, my littlo wife, and I thank God wo can never bo parted again,” Dick had said after tho ceremony, but little did he dream of tho tumult that was nearly ready to break out over Europe and how soon that tumult was going to part them. The honeymoon was to he spent touring our beautiful island, in the neat little car Mr Jarvis had given them for a wedding present. Four days had gone all too quickly, and then tho inevitable happened. They had travelled unceasingly all the morning and were both famished, so a stop by the roadside was made, and they boiled their billy in good old camp style. “Do you know, darling, that I haven’t seen a newspaper since we left? I must get one as soon as we reach the next town.” Fate decreed he should see one there and then, for from a house near-by a gust of wind blew that day’s paper, August 4\ at his feet. Ho opened it while June laid a dainty meal on the grass. “My God!” was all he could gasp. “Dick, what is it?” asked June in a shocked voice. “War is declared, June.” “ Weu, foreign wars don’t worry us, so let’s eat and be merry,” laughed June.

“But it’s war, June, war against Germany; England will need every man she can get from New Zealand, and I’m going.” “What? Y'ou going, Dick; are you mad? Why, we are only just married; let men who are siugle and have no tics go first. ■’ “Darling, would yon rather see me a shirker hiding under the skirts of a wife of only five days! 1 couldn’t do it, June. Don’t think I love you less, dear; our parting will bo as hard for mo as for you, but we have Britain’s honour and glory to uphold, and I for ono mean to do my little bit.” “Oh, Dick, don’t you see what it wall mean if you leave me? People will think our love has waned before our honeymoon is over if you go.” “Little wife, don’t make it harder for me. I will he only one' man in thousands, but if each one looked for reasons why he shouldn’t go I’m afraid we wouldn’t have any more of the freedom we have had as true Britons.” “"Very well, Dick Jarvis, go to the war, and it will not be vour wife who cares whether yon come Tiack !” “June, surely you don’t mean that?”

“ 1 don’t generally say things I do not mean, so let us ho going.” Eick passed for active service and three months later, without even a. written good-bye from his wife, and with a breaking heart under bis khaki coat, he was on a troopship, sailing for a destination unknown.

Disappointment was not the word to express the feelings of the men when ther were landed at Egypt. They had volunteered for war, and war they wanted.

Then when their time came, by the fame of her soldier sons, New Zealand won in a day a position which a fcentury of peace could not have brought her.

With his legs in the water and tho blood streaming from his head And arm. Dick Jarvis lay on the shore in Anzac Cove. Ho remembered groaning as,.some ambulance men picked him up, hut his mind was a blank until ho returned to consciousness in a hospital book again in Egypt. For a 'long timei he lingered between life : and death, but at last the nurses and doctor began to see good results coming after the hard work they had had with him.

Dick could scarcely believe it that a year had passed since he had picked up I -

that paper and road the news, that had caused such a change in his Efe, and now hero he was, with one empty sleeve, tramping the same old white road. ITq Would go down and sit for a while by the bank, ho mused, and tliink over what ho would say to June. She Would not want him now without an arm. and had she not told him she wouldn’t care if he didn’t coma back ? Ho did not notice that he was walking straight to where a girl was sitting, singing softly to a little bundlb in her arms. She looked up.- ‘‘ Dick!” “Juno I Why are you sitting in the very spot we loved so much, singing to a baby ? Surely you are not a nursegirl. Whose is it?” “Dick, don’t you know—don’t you understand whose it is?” “Not yours, June—yours and mine? Oh, God, aud I didn’t know I And now I have come back to yon thinking perhaps you would want to be rid of an armless husband. _ Oh, my little wife, what are we going to do, and I love you so!” Dick’s voice broke with a sob“Do, my husband? Why, come, we are going straight to our home now, this very minute, and start to teach our sou iio do fbr his daddy the things lip cannot do for himself with only one arm.” Verily, the presence of a baby works wonders in this world.