Mohave County miner., 1916-10-14
DESPITE WAR, LONDON LIFE NUT
 WITHOUT ITS LIGHTER SHADE

LONDON, Sept. 1O.-Notwithstand- ing the well nigh total darkness of the nights and the number of wounded seen upon the streets, London life is not without it's lighter shades even in these crucial days of the great war. One reason for this is that the wound | ed soldiers are about the most cheer ful lot London has ever known. Most of those encountered along the Strand, in Picadilly and other promenades of the West End, are from Canada, Aus trala or New Zealand. The wounded English "Tommie" is more often found in the suburbs, in the neighbor- hood of his old home.
 It would seem decidedly out of place to sympathize with these often-time permanently crippled men in hospital togs, for that is apparently the last thing they desire. As a matter 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 firmly refused.
 Nor will the men ordinarily talk of where they "got it."
 "Oh, somewheres out in No-man's land," they'll say. One chatterbox of Tommie went so far as to add:
 'T was 'opping along from the dug out to another when I ups and stum- bles over something 'ard. I guess it must a been bomb. Anyway it blew me bloomin' foot off,"
 A popular young Canadian officer, in multi 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.
 Have something, Livvy?" asked one of his fellows in khaki.
 Sorry, but I can't tonight, old man," replied 'Livvy," "you see I have got a crippled friend to look after"
 In came the friend, an even younger officer with right leg gone at the knee.
 "We tossed a coin," explained "Liv- Wy" ''to see which one of us would look after the other, and I lost"
 In this same hotel, which is a sort of headquarters for the officers from across the seas, a report was circulat- ed one night of the death of young flying corps captain. He had often been in the "club" and only a few days before had "swanked" quite bit about the easy life he was living. All he had to do was to take new ma chimes 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 lover there" who were longing for the sights of town. But now "Gil" was gone and a company of his friends drank a silent toast to his memory.
 Three days later "Gil" created con sternation at the club by appearing very much alive and as hale and hearty as ever.
 "Why, you old cheater," shouted one of his friends, "go back where you be- long or pay us for that very expensive round we had the other night. What right have you got to be living any way?"
 "Gil" admitted the obligation en- tailed by his return from the grave, palu lC handsomely, and IS still flying new machines cross channel for the "wingers" at the front.
 Another young Canadian of the fly ing corps told of a "joke" he had played on the folks at home. He had not written for nearly a month when along came cablegram:
 "No letters for weeks. Is anything wrong with the boy?"
 Promptly he had cabled back "col- -lect."
 Very serious matter. Boy abso- lutely broke. Send much money"
 That" explained Boy" ought to stop them worrying for a while"
 Instances of the liPhtneSS of beart