The times., 1899-10-02
TOMMY ATKINS PARENTS.
Comments of the Peasants Upon the
Service of Their Soldier Sons.
Rrom the Suectator1

comments OF the Peasants Upon the
Service of Their Soldier Sons.
From the Speetator.)
The soldier sons are continual source
of pride and comfort, I'VE niver has to lay
awake nights thinkin' o. they. cepting
when they're fightin'. Now, theirs Fred
him that works at home, l dwun't river
knaw what time o night ell come home
Els ter bic fond o drink, an when a mans
like that, e med be up to any mishtiff. |
dwun't ha' no rest till I years 'un open
the door an come up to bed; wi they in
the army tbs different. / knaws they has
food to yet, clo'es TO wear, an a bed TO
sleep in; they're boun' to be in barracks by
sich time, an as 1 dwun't knaw what
they're doin', | can't fret about units
a sad pity as Fred didn't take arter his
brothers" OF war itself the parents have
the most haZy and confused notions. Here
is the account of a skirmish in the late
frontier campaign based on letter from
one who took part in the action: They
Went out to fight, did our folks, one
marnin', an the enemies was all in front
of 'um. Then they gets a-shootin'. the one
side at t'other side, an the major colonel
or whativer e calls hisself, wur 'ounded-
our major colonel I names, fur they black
'uns dwun't ha' sich things, l reckon; an
the men had to earn away, so arter that
a-coorse they had to give out fightin', an
take un home. Ny son. e had a bullet
through his elma an another betwixt the
spine o. his back an the pack as e ears
ont. but a wurn't hurted nothink.
Equally ignorant are they, as a rule, of
the cause OF the war. Some O. they mig
gers killed some O. our folks, so I've
some o. they to punish um.'' Or: The
girt peoples, kings an sich. gets
a-quar lin, an cause they can't agree,
they sets the poor sojers to fight it out.
What | sez is-them as meks the quart
did ought to be'r the blunt ont, not put it
on them as had to nought to doin wiz
If these year high folk had to march all
day, wi p'raps only bit O. bread to yet,
to goo a'shootin' an a-killin'. wi meb5e
bullet or a baggonette inside 'um a-foor
'twur done. they'd think twice about gwine
to war, I'll warn't.''
The peasants are ready enough to take
up arms for what they consider an ade-
quate cause. They kindled to white hest
of Indignation over the Emperor vii ian's
historic telegram TO Mr.. Kruger. So high
did feeling run that German songs were
vigorously tabooed at all the village enter
tainments, and-triumph OF principle ever
mere pleasure,-a German band was COM
PEELED to beat an Improbable and inhar-
monious retreat. We've nothen agin
their moosic, that be good anuff, but we
wun't ha nothen to doin' wi they Ger
mans''-print, alasl cannot reproduce the
accent OF scorn-"so bein' as they are,
they'd best take themselves som 'ers else"
His Teutonic Majesty was universally
reprobated, more particularly by the
mothers of the community. ITO think o.
him darein to dc sich thing l WINNERS
as e wurn't frowtened o. what his gram
mother 'ud say TO 'un; ARA one ud
although as ed a-showed her moor rec
spect, she an old lady and the Queen,
But at this point the speakers voice
waxed confident: She gin i'm summat
you may depend upon't; she let him know
her mindt; she's not one to stan no nom
sense from a young chap like him. Did ZEE
see the letter as she wrote 'un; 'twar in
the paper?" The epistle here alluded to
may possibly be that which appeared in
Punch" and was copied into the local
journal "Ah. she just about let 'un have
it; e didn't fancy hisself quite as much
arter readin that, I'll warnt," One and
all in the village were eager to fight; one
and all were absolutely secure of victory,
expending much compassion on "to'ther
side as didn't ought to ha' acted sa 81. ly."
One patriot, in the excess of his zeal, was
for smashing the Beers with the Flying
Squadron, by which arrangement more
force could be brought to bear upon the
Germans and their destruction made more
complete. On its being pointed out to him
that, unhappily fer the success of this
otherwise admirably conceived plan, the
Transvaal possessed no seaboard, his eoun-
tenance fell and he pondered for some min
utes. Then Frightening: But I've a
yeard as them girt guns in our ships can
fIII NUa aft
they'd kill some O. UNI Beers fellers arter
ALL an if so be as UNI didn't, why, isn't
ther' a bit O. Germany anywheres about as
they could get at?'
The Soudan campaign was followed with
interest, and some OF the more intelligent
among the villagers could tell you that the
"commiseret' arrangements were not all
they should have been, and that the "hig-
milton o. the powder was orful bad" But
it is exceedingly doubtful whether they
knew of what they were talking; fault find
ing is an occupation peculiarly restful 10
the British mind-bucolic or otherwise
and long words exercise much fascination
over those who do not quite understand
their meaning. The Fashoda affair created
no excitement except among such ardent
spirits as, in Difference to maternal entreat-
les. had elected to enter the volunteer
force instead of the line. These were over
joyed at the prospect of a conflict with
France and hoped that now at last they
would have a chance of striking blow
and showing what they could do "in the
"so'jerin' business" The rest of the peo-
pie were apathetic; what was Fashoda to
them? The murder of handful OF British,
or even of one, an insult to the Queen, were
worthier causes of strife in their eyes than
the acquisition of "a bit of land over ther',
som'ers in furrin' parts, as 'udn't be mos
sci o. good to We"
Besides the love and loyalty which move
the people gladly to give their sons TO up
hold their sovereign's honor, they feel that
she has a right to demand service of her
soldiers. Does she not pay them all out
of her own purse? 'Taint to be wunner'd
at as she meks we pay fur our dogs when
she has to kip all they; dear, dear. what
sight o. money it must cost her. 20 be
sure. to feed sieh a number, an dress 'um
in them fine clo'esi" i've on'y one son, -
said a village mother to the writer, "an'
at one time e thought about goin' in the
army; e niver went. an / am glad ont.
seein' as 'e's my ony one, but l 'udn' |
stopped him by sa much as 4 word, fur