Is fresh and sweet from the summer showers. They never need work, nor want, nor weep;No troubles can come their hearts to estrange; Some summer night, I shall fall asleep,And wake in the country over the range."
Drawn by Elsie J. Mckissock
Granny"s "yon wee place."
"Child, you are wise in your simple trust,
For the wisest man knows no more than you. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust;Our views by a range are bounded, too; But we know that God hath this gift in store,That, when we come to the final change,
We shall meet with our loved ones gone before To the beautiful country over the range."-A. B. Paterson
About the Author.-AndreW Barton Paterson, one of the most popular of Australian poets, was born at Narrambla, in New South Wales, in 1864. He was educated at the Sydney Grammar School. He became a lawyer, but was more interested in writing. He was a war correspondent in the Boer War, and later was editor of The Evening News (Sydney), and The Town and Country Journal. Poems contributed from time to time to The Bulletin, over the name of "The Banjo," made him famous. His bright, breezy verses have appeared in book form under the titles The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, Rio Grande"s Last Race and Other Verses, and Selected Poems. He edited also Old Bush Ballads, and wrote a novel, An Outback Marriage. The publishers are Angus and Robertson, Sydney.
About the Poem.-In what season is the creek-bed dry? What does the Range stand for? What unusual word does the little girl use? What tribes picture Heaven as a happy hunting-ground? "Their hearts to estrange" means "to make them unfriendly towards one another".
Lesson 43
SImpSON AND HIS DONKEy
During the Great War many noble deeds of bravery were done. Here is an account of how a British soldier and his donkey saved many lives. Private Simpson went to the war with the first Australian soldiers and was among the first of our brave fellows to land at Anzac. He belonged to the Ambulance Corps whose duty it is to render first aid to the injured and bring them as quickly as possible out of danger.
Wherever the bullets rained the thickest, there Simpson was to be found bandaging the wounded or holding a refreshing flask of water to the parched lips of some dying soldier. For several weeks Simpson and his donkey "Murphy" were known to every Australian on the Peninsula.
It was on the second day after landing that the two met. About one hundred donkeys had been brought ashore to carry tins of water to the soldiers, and "Murphy" was among them. The animals did their work very well.
From the moment of their first meeting, Simpson and Murphy became fast friends, and were after wards always to be seen together. Every day they set out with a tin of water, and on their way back searched for some poor wounded comrade who might be lying on the ground, perhaps bleeding to death.
Sometimes they would succeed in bringing back fifteen soldiers in a day. On reaching the top, Simpson used to leave Murphy just under the brow of the hill,Drawn by Tom V. Carter
An Errand of Mercy
while he himself dashed forward, under heavy fire, to save the wounded. After giving first aid, Simpson, with the help of the donkey, took them to a place of safety.
Day after day the two did their noble work. The animal seemed to know that he must tread carefully to avoid the bumps and jolts over a long and tiresome road. Had he not done so the journey would very likely have meant death to a badly injured soldier.Often a man would be lying wounded, perhaps with a broken leg, and no one else would know of it until Simpson found him or the donkey scented him out.
For some time this life-saving work went on, but one day the animal was struck by a bullet, and had to be left behind. Then Simpson and some of his comrades halfDrawn by Tom V. Carter
"He was seen sniffing at a form lying quite still on the ground."dragged and half carried the poor beast back to the lines. A few days later, Murphy, although slightly lame, was again at his work and as keen as ever.
One day, however, he came down the gully carrying a wounded man on his back, but his master was not there. As soon as he had delivered his burden, he trotted back again up the gully. Not long afterwards he was seen sniffing at a form lying quite still on the ground. It was Simpson, who had been shot through the heart while returning slowly with a wounded comrade.
Thus died one of England"s noblest sons, and deeply did the Anzacs mourn for him. Though his voice is now silent, he has left us an example that will never die, and the story of Simpson and his donkey will long be remembered among the bravest deeds of Anzac.
About the Author.-The name of the author is not known.
About the Story.-Find the Gallipoli Peninsula on the map of Europe. The Australian soldiers landed there on the 25th of April, 1915. "Ambulance Corps" (pronounced kor), section of the army whose work is to look after the wounded on the battle- field and to get them to hospital.
Lesson 44
WHAT CAN A LITTLE CHAp DO?
What can a little chap do For his country and for you? What can a little chap do?
He can fight like a knight
For the truth and the right; That"s one good thing he can do.
He can shun all that"s mean, He can keep himself clean Both within and without;That"s another good thing he can do.
His soul he can brace Against everything base, And the trace will be seen All his life in his face;That"s a very fine thing he can do.
He can look to the light,
He can keep his thought white,
He can fight the great fight, He can do with his might What is good in God"s sight;These are excellent things he can do.
Though his years be but few, He can march in the queue Of the good and the great Who battled with fateAnd won through;
That"s a wonderful thing he can do.
And, in each little thing, He can follow the King; Yes, in each smallest thing, He can follow the King-He can follow the Christ, the King.
-John Oxenham
