"THOMASINA ATKINS-"•
VERY entertaining are these letters by " Thomasina Atkins," private in the W.A.A.C. on active service. " Thomasina " joined up in October,. 1917, and was sent to France in the December and given work as a clerk. " Thomasina " en mane presents quite as much variety as " Tommy "—" North-country mill ghls, munition workers, farm hands, clerks ; every possible grade of society, all out to be heard in every dialect in the Kingdom. And oh ! such odd faces—just like a Phil May panorama." " Thomasine. Atkins," we are proud to know, carries on the tradition of her comrade " Tommy." She makes a joke of hardship and dismisses risk with a shrug. Trying to get water from a frozen pump at 6 a.m., or the sight of a procession of flying Huns; familiarly known as " Birdies," passing overhead; whO ".haven't paused to leave their cards," but may do so at any moment, are - faced with equal light-heartedness; and she expresses her patriotism and pride in nothing more ennobling than the following " particular lyric " of the W.A.A.C. :— " We are the Women's Army—
The W.A.A.C. ' -
We cannot shoot, we cannot fight—
What earthly use are we ? But when we march to Potsdam, The Kaiser he will say : ' Hoch ! Hoch ! Mein Gott, what a jolly fine lot Are the W.A.A.C.' " But that the dangers are in truth' very real has been shown by the casualty.lists of late, and the " Letters " before us prove that
• Tie Letters of Thornasina Atkins. Loudon : nodder and Stoughton [Cs. net.)
the hardships and discomforts are also real, and they prove further that the spirit which animates the W.A.A.C. and makes it so successful is that which inspired the writer of the " Letters " to say : " I hope I shall be able to make good in my work, and I intend to try hard. If my King and Country want me, they shall certainly have the best of me." " Thomasina " and her &stare were roused to passionate indignation by the calumnies that were being spread some time ago in regard to the behaviour of the W.A.A.C. It seems incredible that there should be people inclined to believe the rumours, but any one who has any lingering suspicion should read " Thomasina's " description of the discipline that prevails in the Corps and the care exercised by those in command. She goes on :—
" There are in England more spirited, patriotic women than there are cowards, and if there were a chance of the W.A.A.C. reputation being seriously in jeopardy, I am sure our home girls would rise to the occasion and realise that it was their job to join our corps at once, and so put a stop to all this evil report."
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