Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-01-10

eagerly took the parcel and looked
for the post mark. 1t was from Lon
don. Another pang Of disappointment
passed through me- / knew no one
in London.
Then it all flashed over me in an in
slant. About two weeks before I had
noticed a collection being taken up in
the section and at the time thought it
very strange that / was not asked to
donate. The boys had all Clipped in
to make sure that would not be for
gotten on Christmas. They eagerly
crowded around me as opened the
parcel. 1t contained nearly everything
under the sun, including some Ameri-
can cigarettes.
Tears Of gratitude came to my eyes,
but some way or other managed not
to betray myself. Those Tommies GER
tainly were tickled at my EXPLANATIONS
of delight as / removed each article.
Out Of the corner of my eye l could
see them nudging each other.
A man named Smith in our section
had been detailed as runner" to our
captain and was not present at the
distribution of the mail. Three par
cells and five letters were placed on his
pack so he would receive them on his
return to the dugOut.
In about ten minutes man came
from the trench loaded down with
small oblong boxes. Each Tommy, in
Guiding myself received one. They
were presents from the queen of Eng
land, and each box contained a small
plum pudding, cigarettes, couple Of
cigars, matches and chocolates. Every
soldier in the British army received
one of these boxes on Christmas day.
At last Sailor Bill announced that
Christmas dinner was ready and we
lost no time in getting to our respec-
...ve packs sitting around in circle.
Smith was the only absentee, and his
parcels and letters, still unopened,
were on his pack. He was now half
hour overdue.
Sailor Bill, noting our eagerness to
oegin, held up his hand and said:
'Now boys, we're all shipmates to-
get4lcr. Don't you think it would he
better to wait few minutes more for
Smith?n
We all assented, but in our hearts
we were cursing him for his delay.
Ten minutes passed-fifteen-th
twenty. All eyes were turned in Sailor
Bills direction. He answered our looks
with:
"Go to it, boys, we can't wait FOR
Smith. / don't know what's keeping
him, but you know his name is in or
ders for leave and perhaps he is so
tickled that he's going to see his wife
and three little nippers in Blighty, that
he's lost his bearings and has run
aground"
We started in and waxed merry for
few minutes. Then there would be
an uncomfortable pause and all eyes
would be turned in the direction of
the vacant place.
Uneasiness seemed to prevail.
Suddenly the entrance to the dug
out was darkened and a form came
stumbling down. With one accord we
all shouted:
s'Come on, Smith, you're missing one
of the best Christmas dinners Of your
life"
Our sergeant entered the dugout.
One look at his face was enough, We
knew he was the bearsr Of Ill tidings.
With tears In his eyes and a catch in
his voice, he asked:
(Which is Smiths pack?" We all
solemnly nodded our heads in the di-
rectiOn of the vacant place.. Without a
word the sergeant picked up the let
tiers, parcels and pack and started to
leave the dugout,
Sailor Bill could stand ii no longer,
and just as the sergeant was about to
leave he asked:
"Out with it, sergeant, what's hap
penedw
The sergeant turned around, and in
choking voice, said:
"Boys. Smiths gone west, Some
bloody German sniper got him through
the napper as he was passing that
bashed-in part in Yiddish street"
Sailor Bill CALCULATED:
"Poor old Smith Gone west!" Then
he paused and sobbed out: "My God,
think of his wife and three little nip
pers waiting in Blighty for him to
come home for the Christmas holt
days"
believe that right at that moment a
solemn vow of vengeance registered
itself in every heart around that fes-
tive circle.
The next day we buried Smith in a
little cemetery behind the lines. While
standing around his grave our artillery
suddenly opened up with an intense
bombardment on the German lines,
and as every shell passed, screaming
overhead, we sent a prayer of ven
geance with it.
AS the grave was filled in | imagined