THE WOMAN-HATER.

Arawa Guerilla, Issue 19, 1 October 1943, Page 6

THE WOMAN-HATER.

- I suppose it was only to be expected that the Waacs would, upset things when they joined us. After all, we were an old-established permanent camp, with our own pleasant ways of doing things, ways which we realised would be altered. We resigned ourselves to the fact, that swimming without costumes was one pastime that would cease, that our abuse of the sergeant (when the sergeant wasn’t there) would lose much of its effect if the best of the language was left' out; but we took it all as the fortunes of war.

That is, all except one man. Johnny was an Irishman, with all the temperament that implies. He believed that a woman’s place was in the home, and no d—■ — Waac was going to alter him. He told them so; but with a woman’s intuition he was left severely alone by all the Waacs. He would not play games with them, objected mutteringly' when he had to march in the same squad with them, managed to be excused church parade because the Waacs attended; and as the days passed retired ever deeper into a shell of scorn whenever he found himself near them.

-• Then SHE came. With the exception of Johnny the camp vied with one another, in telling her how nice she was. Johnny avoided her as he did all the other Waacs. Except, of course, at mealtimes, for that was one place where Johnny had to be in the same place as the Waacs. But he used to eat his meals quickly and in silence, and leave the table as soon as he could. Then the blow fell. At dinner one night SHE looked along the table at the silent Johnny and smiled sweetly. “Come and sit by me, Johnny,” she said softly. Johnny went white and then red. He stammered, tried to speak, and broke out in a cold sweat. He reached for the salt and poured it in his tea, sprinkled sugar on his vegetables, tried to spear a potato with his .knife, then forgot where his mouth was and tried to put it in his ear. He undid the buttons on his tunic, and did them up again three times before he lost the dazed look in his eye. Then he got up, walked down the room and sat beside her. Johnny thinks the Waacs are a decided asset to the place. L.W.R.