ica) then turned to me"
(the letter goes on) "and made a few appropriate remarks about his
own devotion to The Army, and on behalf of every Officer, present
and absent, assured me that they loved The Army as it was, and did
not want any alterations in _Orders_ or _Regulations_, and were
prepared to live and die in the War. I don't remember anything more
tender and affecting on the conclusion of a Council.

"I shook hands all round and we parted. God bless them. I made a
hasty call at the Rescue Home, and was very pleased with it--a
really nice little place.

"The platform at the station was crowded. A passage was made for
me; but I readily reached the compartment, and having five minutes
or so made a little speech, which was received with volley after
volley, and cheer after cheer. There was a good deal of
handshaking, any number of 'God bless you's,' and the train bore me
away from a people with whom I have certainly had a really hearty
and happy fellowship.

"I should have said that, by request of my host, I went through a
kind of board school, in a very commodious and suitable building. I
saw room after room so far as I could judge of the happiest,
healthiest, and I might say, most beautiful lot of children it was
ever my privilege to see. They ought to make a splendid body of men
and women for the future.

"Friday.--I did not get on very well last night with the 'plank
bed' or shelf which was dignified with the name of a sleeping
berth. There was very little spring and no cushion. Moreover, I had
heartburn. It was a cold night, and altogether I was glad when
daylight came. The sun came out, and it was just as hot by noon as
it had been cold at night.

"We stopped at Cradock a little time, where a gentleman interviewed
me with regard to 80,000 acres of land possessed by some syndicate
of the town at Prieska, up beyond Kimberley. This kind of thing
happens almost every day.

"At a station a little further on quite a crowd of Salvationists
and others had gathered. I could not see any sign of a town beyond
two or three shanties. I used to think some of the places that had
been dignified by the name of 'cities' in Canada were rather
grotesque; but here it is carried to a greater extreme. However,
they must have some method of d