A girl does not know what she is doing when she marries soldier who cannot obtain permission to marry, or get his wife upon the strength. He will probably tell her before marriage that he expects to this or that employment, and that he will suen he promoted; but if she is wise she I see the Sergeant's, or at least the corporal's, stripes on his arm, and make sure that' these have not been falsely assumed, before she allows him to put a n on her finger. So much misery and even immorality often result from soldiers marrying off the strength, and without Teave, that it is only thoughtless people who speak of it axa "harmless amusement." or a venial indiscretion. It is to be hoped that marrying off the strength will not be encouraged by the generosity of the public to-the families of the men who went to the South African campaign, and that designing fair ones will not by the memory of it be induced to set their caps at soldiers on the approach of the next war. Wanted a soldier going to be killed A soldier has told us how on one occasion he was enabled to have a little play with his work, He was on sentry and something bobbed lightly against his nose. He grasped it and found that it was a small
Tooking up he saw the heads of some vigo packet dangling froma black thread, and gling girls at a top window. The packet was marked "smokeless powder for sentry," and contained a Seidlitz powder. On Ueing relieved from the post the sentry told the matter to his chums, and they contrived a model sentry box with a door into which they put a spider and these "There came a big spider And sat down beside her, And frightened the darling away." What now happened, the man tells us: "The west time I was on sentry at that post there was the same sort of bobbing on my helmet. I took off the little parcel and put in its place the model sentry box, which was immediately pulled up, The parcel this time contained some brandy is, and the question, What's the good of powder without shot???
A soldier expressed cistik and gave the following reason for it "You ave, the young ladies ere is very on-that aughty. I went up toa uc sergeants' dances, have a turn. 'Ho no,' she nasty-like, *Hi don't dawned none but sergeants.'" The same man found the mother of a young lady not ess repetient. "When B company" was jeaving thole dance T seen a young Indy er mother, wot I fancied for some time, SoI went up to the old party and arskeder to come and ave a drink and I give'er a very stiff whisky. Then I says tower, 'I don't dislike the looks of yer daughter—may I seeker' ome?' 'The old Vleoks at_me, and she says very sol-emu-like. ' Wot'is your liabilities?? An' L says, Well,' I says, 'I bear a very good character, and I might be a sergeant sume day.' Young man, she says, them things isn use; ow much' ave you got in the savings hank? 'Well,' Tsay, (I've a matter of thirty or forty bob.' Ho no,' she says, unless you can put down a quid, you don't ave nothing to say to me da ter and you don't see er "ome to-night, There are some places where there is a wish that soldiers should have much to say. More than one of the public dancing halls in London give notice that " the shilling charged for entrance does not apply soldiers in uniform, who will be admitted free on personal application to the proprietor." One of these proprietors being asked why the presence of Tommy Atkins was so much desired, answered "You see, if we can attract im a good proportion of the affable military men we secure a greater number of lady visitors. You know the attraction there is for the female heart in a scarlet coat. And pleni ty of pretty girls frequenting a dancing-hall is what brings in the class that pays."
When it was proposed a good many years to establish the third, or tea-meal, which now exists in the army, even the soldiers themselves opposed the innovation, because it was new. A Life Guardsman, mined on the subject by a Court was asked if he would like a "Tea-meal, Sir, yes. I should have no particular objection to a tea-meal." But when it was further plained that he would have to pay, he bristled with indignation. "Pay for it! No, sir! A Life Guardsman must be a precious ugly fellow if the servant. girls will not give him his tea for nothing."
We wonder if any of the love that was in a private of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers was of the cupboard kind. He thus concluded a letter from South Africa to the officer whose servant he had been—* Hoping you are enjoying the best of health, and everyone in the house, especially the cook: give my love to her, and tell her I am doing grand."
A PIPER FINDLATER STORY, Pity for the hardships endure, and admiration for the bravery they show on the battlefield are powerful factorsin_capturing for soldiers the female heart. Piper Findlater, of the Gordon Highlanders, who though shot in both legs in the battle of Dargai, and unable to advance in the charge made by his regiment, continued to play his pipes, received, on his return home, several offers of marriage, one being from 'a lady with a large income. Disappointed in lore a young fellow of good family enlisted, and fought with his regiment nst the Boers at Glencoe. He was wounded, and the young lady who was the cause of his leaving home was 50 filled with remorse on secing his name amongst the casualties that she telegraphed her regret for having rejected his
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.