THE LIGHTER SIDE OF WAR.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Possibly the following extract from my son's letter, just received from "somewhere in Flanders'," may interest your readers as showing the .lighter side of warfare, and incidentally the cheerful spirits of our young officers at the front:- "We are back for our six days' rest now after our twelve days' duty, of which nine were in trenches and three in close support. We have got a capital billet for ourselves this time—a combined house and shop in front: the house part of which is all marble floors—very palatial—palms in the glass-covered loggia at the back and a bit of garden behind that, with a pond with goldfish and water-lilies, and two aviaries. So here we lie on the grass under the trees thinking less about war than anything else 1 and probably feeling a good deal more peaceful than you do at home with Zeppelin bombs dropping about. The pond in the gardei4 here is filled by a pump which wo have amused ourselves by working this afternoon, so that the goldfishes may have a little more water and less mud to disport themselves in. There is also a Bignonia radisatis in flower on the wall which reminds one of Italy, and a bed of pink hydrangeas, and a few roses, with one very poor Kuiphofia which you could beat at 0. This last week we have had perfect weather after a few very wet days : now it is cold and clear at nights and unmistakably autumnal. I amused myself with making a weathercock out of a piece of tin in these last trenches—of course it is important to know whether the wind is favourable for gas—it was made with a screw in front to turn round, and I put the following inscription on it: AMSTER entice 'Pave: FROMM ESTO LETIVER Erma,' which will just scan anyway, though I wanted the west rather than the south-west wind to blow, only I couldn't get him in!. Good-bye."
—I am, Sir, &o., W. W.
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