With times of ease came time for love. In due course "Skilly" presented an absentee and unidentifiable spouse with five bouncing baby kittens. Throughout their extreme infancy the family throve; but the time came when the devoted mother was no longer able to supply sufficient nutriment for five lusty youngsters. Clearly something must be done, and the canteen sergeant was the man to do it. He sent in a proper formal application to the regimental powers, requesting that increased feline rations be ordered as "subsistence for Canteen Skilly and family of five."
Time passed, and--let this be read and remembered by all carping critics who accuse our army of want of method and business sense--in due course the application was returned, properly entered, checked, signed and counter-signed. The verdict run thus: "Application on behalf of Canteen Skilly refused, as apparently she married off the strength of the regiment."
"No youth should be regarded educationally as a finished article at 1 years of age." _Yorkshire Post._
I jogged along the footpath way And leant against the stile; "A merry heart goes all the day," Stoutly I sang the old refrain; My own heart mocked me back again, "Yet tire you in a mile!"
Well may I tire, that stand alone And turn a wistful glance On each remembered tree and stone, Familiar landmarks of a road Where once so light of heart I strode With one who sleeps in France.
Heavily on the stile I lean, Not as we leant of yore, To drink the beauty of the scene, Glory of green and blue and gold, Shadow and gleam on wood and wold That he will see no more.
Then came from somewhere far afield A song of thrush unseen, And suddenly there stood revealed (Oh heart so merry, song so true!) A day when we shall walk, we two, Where other worlds are green.
_(A specimen article for the use of those editors who have come to the realisation that the contents of our heavier periodicals never change. All that is needed is the insertion of the right month and the survey can be used as a serial.)_
In _The Umteenth Century and Forever_, which is, as usual, alert and interesting, the place of honour is given to an article by Sir Vincent Stodge, M.P., on "Proportional Representation in New Patagonia." Sir Vincent's argument may or may not convince, but it is succinctly stated. Sir ERNEST CASSEL writes usefully on "Economy for Cottagers," and Lord Sopwith, in a paper on "Air Raids and Glowworms," shows how important it is that on dark nights there should be some compulsory extinction of the light of these dangerous and, he fears, pro-German, insects. Mr. HARRY DE WINDT describes "Galicia as I Knew It," and there are suggestive papers on "The Probable Course of History for the next Three Centuries," by the Dean of LINCOLN; "Potatoes as Food," by Sir WALTER RALEIGH; and "Hair in Relation to Eminence," by Dr. SALEEBY, in which all the strong men in history famous for their locks, from SAMSON to Mr. LLOYD GEORGE, are passed in review. An excellent number, full of mental nutriment, is brought to a close by a symposium of Bishops on the petrol restrictions.