Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-09-14


over twenty-five years of age
"Why, l thought the captains and
lieutenants were about that age"
Usually they are, but sometimes a
man gets to be a general earlier"
How does he do it?'
"Oh, he loses his head and does
something he wouldn't dare do in his
calmer moments. 1t is mistaken for
an act of bravery, and they promote
him. If he does it often enough and
doesn't get himself killed he may reach
the grade of general"
II don't think that's a very nice way
of putting it."
Its about true"
How do you, a civilian, know any
thing about such matters?" There was
a touch Of irony in this.
"Oh, 1 have friends who have been
there"
II suppose they wouldn't take you
In the army"
"Why notT
"In the first place, you're lame; be-
sides, you don't look very strong. And
all the soldiers I've seen are rather
large men,"
IL don't fancy said the little man.
that If l were to present myself for
enlistment as I am today I would be
accepted. l couldn't eve be a private
in the rear ranks. Funny, isn't it?"
Gladys did not see anything funny
about It, but she refrained from saying
so.
~ WONDER" she said instead, what
Is keeping General Herbert? Father
said he had a special appointment"
II wish for your sake" said the little
instead of your humble servant"
"I don't"
"Whyf"
How do you suppose a girl like me
could entertain himr
The little man laughed.
"What amuses your" asked Gladys.
'That you should suppose that a man
Is a great big noble creature covered
with glory simply because he is a gen.
eral. How many generals regulations
have lasted as long as that of Alexan-
der Pope, the poet, who had a miser-
able body and never a well day?"
Papa contends" said Gladys
thoughtfully, that persons admire
their opposites. That evidently isn't
true In your case"
II don't deny that 1 would prefer a
more imposing stature"
II don't mean that at all. What I do
mean is that you, a delicate, sickly
man, don't e to set any great store
by bravery"
cry. Moral bravery is always admira-
BILE. Physical bravery is as liable to be
found In a savage as In the most civil
HEED man. That it islakin TO the cour
age of a beast is evidenced by the fact
that most men when they GO into a
fight are frightened out of their senses.
When they get into it their brutal ma
fight like brutes."
"How do you know how men feel
when they go into battle?"
The little man showed a bit of con-
fusion at the question, but was equal
to the occasion. He said that he had
read a great deal about soldiers.
$50 have l." the girl retorted. when
/ read about a battle 1 always wish 1
were a man and were in it."
II once read a description of a bat
tie written by a man who had Just
come out of 1t. He was writing at the
field hospital where the surgeons were
at work. His battle pictures made me
glad that I wasn't In it."
ooh, 1 suppose If n is not
She got no further. Hearing the
gate close, she looked around and saw
her father h%urrying up the walk. On
reaching the veranda he said:
81 am sorry, general, to have kept
you waiting for me. But l see that my
little girl has taken good care of you"
"Your little girl has knocked me out
at tennis"
"Whati Tennis? With that wound
Of yours? Gladys. what in the world
did you permit General Herbert to
play tennis for? You have endangered
his life
Meanwhile Gladys stood mute with
establishment, to say nothing of con-
fusion. 1t is said that all the scenes of
a mans life are rushed before his eyes
when he is drowning. Certain it is that
everything Gladys had said to General
Herbert came up to mock her. He
came to her rescue.
ooh, Miss Gladys didn't know that /
was even a soldier. She has an exag-
gerated view of what a general should
be and what many of them are, / am
sorry to say-an old fool too old to
fight and too stupid to show others
how to fight. But we have been get
ting rid of those fellows on the other
side, and nearly all u generals are
now good men. AS for me, 1 have new
er yet had a general command, and
Il H. - -, - Hr,r-xy RI mot nna hrf-