A SOLDIER'S LETTER.
ere THE EDITOR 07 THE " SPECTATOR."] Sra,—The following extracts from a letter written by Major 5— two days before he was killed while storming the enemy's trenches may be of interest to your readers. This very gallant English officer and gentleman was, a fighting civilian who joined a Canadian contingent and went through the campaign in South Africa when the Boer War broke out, and has lived since then in China—capable in his profession and very happily married. He was one of the first to return to England after the German war began, and, receiving a commixdon almost imme- diately, served with selfless distinotion in Gallipoli and Egypt. This year he was transferred to the French front, where he met a glorious death in battle on July let. R.I.P.—I am, Sir, ho., " . . . I was very much interested by your account of the natural beauties of your surroundings. Here in France, too, the country is lovely, just now. The woods are full of the sweetest songsters and the fields abound with a thousand varieties of wild flowers, growing, amidst the standing corn and in the clover. It is many years since I. spent a. spring anti summer in Europe and I find much pleasure in it; in spite of the wretchedness of war. Poppies grow wild all about, and, from a distance one aces a red vermilion stain along the edges of some bank. . . . We are all looking forward to the near future with eagerness and -hope. I pray God will give us the victory over all our enemies. You ask what sort of a padre we have—wall, he is a PreabY* terlan. . . . Curiously enough, this padre has a brother C. of E.— a good type and High. Church—which would please you ! Though I begin to think that-forms do not matter so much, yet one loves the Liturgy one is used to. I had to command the Presbyterian Parade last Sunday, and noticed that the padre in his long prayer used snatches from our Collects and Matins which he jumbled up pretty cleverly. Of course he uses our form for burying C. of E. men who get killed. As the Presbyterian Churoh parade only 'sated thirty-five minutes, including two hymns and an address, I had time to go on to his brother's parade and was then in good time for Holy Communion. We are bivouacking-
in a forest and there is a fine avenue running E. and W. Standing there at sunset and afterglow, the sun a ball of crimson glory at the far end of the avenue, I realized how the Gothic architects obtained their inspiration—for as I looked I found myself, as in a dream, standing in the nave of a huge Cathedral, pillars, groined roof, stained-glass windows, and the dint shadows of the aisles—perfect ! . . . I wish you were here.. . . I hope we shall meet by and by and have a long bukh about things." ,
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