For they was odd-most awful odd

But all the same now they are o'er,' There must be 'eaps o' plenty such, An' if I wait I'll see some more.

Oh, I 'ave come upon the books,

An' frequent broke a barrick-rule,
An' stood beside an' watched myself
Be'avin' like a bloomin' fool.
I paid my price for findin' out,

Nor never grutched the price I paid,
But sat in Clink without my boots,

Admirin' 'ow the world was made.

Be'old a cloud upon the beam,

An' 'umped above the sea appears
Old Aden, like a barrick-stove

That no one's lit for years an' years!
I passed by that when I began,
An' I go 'ome the road I came,
A time-expired soldier-man

With six years' service to 'is name.

My girl she said, "Oh, stay with me!"
My mother 'eld me to 'er breast.
They've never written none, an' so

They must 'ave gone with all the restWith all the rest which I 'ave seen

An' found an' known an' met along. I cannot say the things I feel,

And so I sing my evenin' song:

"THE SERVICE MAN”
(Boer War, 1899)

"TOMMY" you was when it began,

But now that it is o'er

You shall be called The Service Man
'Enceforward, evermore.

Batt'ry, brigade, flank, centre, van,
Defaulter, Army-corps-
From first to last, The Service Man
'Enceforward, evermore.

From 'Alifax to 'Industan,
From York to Singapore-
'Orse, foot, an' guns, The Service Man
'Enceforward, evermore!

THE ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR

WHEN you've shouted "Rule Britannia,” when you've sung "God save the Queen,"

When you've finished killing Kruger with your mouth, Will you kindly drop a shilling in my little tambourine

For a gentleman in kharki ordered South?

He's an absent-minded beggar, and his weaknesses are greatBut we and Paul must take him as we find him—

He is out on active service, wiping something off a slate-
And he's left a lot of little things behind him!
Duke's son-cook's son-son of a hundred kings-
(Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay!)
Each of 'em doing his country's work

(and who's to look after their things?) Pass the hat for your credit's sake,

and pay-pay-pay!

There are girls he married secret, asking no permission to,

For he knew he wouldn't get it if he did.

There is gas and coals and vittles, and the house-rent falling due,

And it's more than rather likely there's a kid.

There are girls he walked with casual. They'll be sorry now he's gone,

For an absent-minded beggar they will find him, But it ain't the time for sermons with the winter coming on. We must help the girl that Tommy's left behind him! Cook's son-duke's son-son of a belted earl—

Son of a Lambeth publican-it's all the same to-day! Each of 'em doing his country's work

(and who's to look after the girl?) Pass the hat for your credit's sake, and pay-pay-pay!

There are families by thousands, far too proud to beg or speak,
And they'll put their sticks and bedding up the spout,
And they'll live on half o' nothing, paid 'em punctual once a

week

'Cause the man that earns the wage is ordered out. He's an absent-minded beggar, but he heard his country call, And his reg'ment didn't need to send to find him! He chucked his job and joined it-so the job before us all Is to help the home that Tommy's left behind him! Duke's job-cook's job-gardener, baronet, groom

Mews or palace or paper-shop, there's someone gone away! Each of 'em doing his country's work

(and who's to look after the room

Pass the hat for your credit's sake,

and pay-pay-pay!

Let us manage so as, later, we can look him in the face,
And tell him what he'd very much prefer-

That, while he saved the Empire, his employer saved his place And his mates (that's you and me) looked out for her.

He's an absent-minded beggar and he may forget it all,
But we do not want his kiddies to remind him
That we sent 'em to the workhouse while their daddy ham-

mered Paul,

So we'll help the homes that Tommy left behind him! Cook's home-Duke's home-home of a millionaire,

(Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay!) Each of 'em doing his country's work

(and what have you got to spare?) Pass the hat for your credit's sake, and pay-pay-pay!

CHANT-PAGAN

(English Irregular discharged)

ME THAT 'ave been what I've been—
Me that 'ave gone where I've gone-

Me that 'ave seen what I've seen

'Ow can I ever take on

With awful old England again,
An' 'ouses both sides of the street,
And 'edges two sides of the lane,
And the parson an' gentry between,
An' touchin' my 'at when we meet-

Me that 'ave been what I've been?

Me that 'ave watched 'arf a world
'Eave up all shiny with dew,
Kopje on kop to the sun,

An' as soon as the mist let 'em through
Our 'elios winkin' like fun-

Three sides of a ninety-mile square,
Over valleys as big as a shire-
Are ye there? Are ye there? Are ye there?
An' then the blind drum of our fire
An' I'm rollin' 'is lawns for the Squire,

Me that 'ave rode through the dark
Forty mile, often, on end,
Along the Ma'ollisberg Range,
With only the stars for my mark
An' only the night for my friend,
An' things runnin' off as you pass,
An' things jumpin' up in the grass,
An' the silence, the shine an' the size
Of the 'igh, unexpressible skies-
I am takin' some letters almost

Me!

As much as a mile to the post,

An' "mind you come back with the change"!

Me!

Me that saw Barberton took

When we dropped through the clouds on their 'ead,
An' they 'ove the guns over and fled—
Me that was through Di'mond 'Ill,
An' Pieters an' Springs an' Belfast-
From Dundee to Vereeniging all—
Me that stuck out to the last
(An' five bloomin' bars on my chest)—
I am doin' my Sunday-school best,
By the 'elp of the Squire an' 'is wife
(Not to mention the 'ousemaid an' cook),