Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-24
Some Bits of Humor that Brighten
British Soldier Life on Dull DAYS

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
London, Aug. 30-Nothwithstand
Ing the well-nigh total darkness o
the nights. and the number o
wounded seen upon the streets, Lon
don life is not without its lighter
shades even in these crucial days O
the great war. One reason for thi:
is. that the wounded soldiers are abou
ssehe most cheerful lot London has
ever known. Most of those en-.
countered along the Strand, in Pi.
cadilly and other promenades of the
west end. are from Canada, Australia
or New Zealand. The wounded Eng
! lish "Tommie" is more often found
In the suburbs, in the neighborhood
of his old home
1t would seem decidedly out OF
place to sympathize with these often
time permanently crippled men in
hospital toys, for that is apparently
the last thing they desire.> As mat
ter OF fact they deeply resent it as a
rule. In crowded tram or tube cars
women often arise and offer seats to
wounded soldiers only to have them
politely but very firmly refused.
Nor will the men ordinarily talk OF
where they got it"
"Oh, somewhere out in no-man's
land" they'll say. One chatterbox OF
Tommie went so far as to add:
II was 'opping along from one dug
out to another when | ups and STUN
bles over something ard. | guess it
must "a been bomb. Anyway it
blew me bloomin' foot off"
A popular young Canadian officer,
in mutt and on crutches, recently
swung his way with no little difficulty
into the lounge room of a hotel in the
Strand. His left leg was shattered
from the knee down and hung stiff
!. and helpless in steel braces.
A "Have something, Livvy" asked
Ole of his fellows in khaki.
"Sorry, but l can't tonight, old
man." replied "Livvy;" you see !
have got a crippled friend to look
after"
In came the friend, an even younger
officer with right leg gone at the
knee.
1--WE tossed a. coin," explained
"Livvy." ito see which one of us
would look after the other, and |
lost"
In this same hotel, which is a sort
Of headquarters for the officers from
across the seas, report was Cir
culated one night of the death of
young flying corps captain. He had
often been in the Club and only
few days before had "swanked" quite
q bit about the easy life he was living
All he had to do was to take new
machines across the channel and turn
them over to the aviators at the front.
In this way he spent about every
other day in London, much to the
envy of the fellows "over there" who
were longing for the sights Of town.
But now Clip was gone and COM
pany of his friends drank a silent
toast to his memory.
Three days later Cir created con-
sternation at the club by appearing
very much alive and as hale and
hearty as ever.
you old cheater," shouted
one of his friends, go back where
you belong or pay us for that very ex-
pensive round we had the other
night. What right have you got to
be living anyway"
"Gil" admitted the obligation en-
tailed by his return from the grave,
paid it handsomely, and is still fly
ing new machines cross channel for
the "wingers" at the front.
Another young Canadian OF the fly
Ing corps told of Joke" he had
played on the folks at home. He had
not written for nearly a month when
along came cablegram:
mo letters for weeks. Is anything
wrong with the boy?"
Promptly he had cabled back "col-
lect;"
"Very serious matter. Boy abso-
!utely broke Send much money"
THAT" explained Boy" ought to
stop them worrying for a while"
Instances OF the lightness of heart
with which the soldiers go into the
war are many. In embarking for
active service the Canadians are
given pay books, in which their al
lowances are entered from time to
time. The book also serves for iden-
LITIGATION purposes and the last page
js.set ,ide for the making OLA will. |
Time of those that have turned up
ately have proved grimly humorous.
One said:
} 81 give everything l have to the
Home for Stray Cats, London, pro-