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ary return published in 1886 shows and set a self-sacrificing example, that the number of workmen then or think it incumbent upon them employed at these two places on to do anything at all in the matter. March 1, 1886, was 12,390. Α certain proportion of these artisans are employed in highly skilled labour, for which no one supposes that Reserve men would ever be fitted. The return, however, shows that there are 4225 men classed as "labourers" employed, in addition to bricklayers, masons, carpenters, painters, writers, timekeepers, as well as 2389 men in "other and

subsidiary trades."1 Now many of

these trades which I have named are abundantly represented in the army, and there would be no difficulty in finding plenty of good Reserve men for such employments as these; nor would there be any difficulty, in the event of these men being called out, in finding plenty of others, willing and fit for such ordinary employments, to take their places.2

Of course it will be answered that the employment of Reserve men, as here suggested, would very possibly be attended with inconvenience and risk, both now and hereafter. This is a point which no one doubts; but if the War Office is unwilling to disturb its ordinary routine, and to put up with and overcome such inconveniences as these, it is quite certain that neither the general public nor any one else will take the initiative

It is easy, of course, for any writer with a fair knowledge of the subject to declaim against all the mischief which is being done to the best interests of the army by the present general condition of the Army Reserve. The real difficulty, however, is to devise remedies for these evils which all must so deeply deplore.

What, then, it may be asked, are the measures which it is advisable for the War Office to take, as a first step towards ameliorating the condition of the men of the Army Reserve, so as to render that force a help instead of (as it undoubtedly is at present) a standing hindrance to the recruitment of the army?

The more obviously necessary of these measures may be summed up as follows:

(a) To confine and limit the rôle of the Reserve to its legitimate purpose-viz., to times of great national emergency.

(b) To form a special section of about one-tenth or so of the Reserve-i.e., of 4000 or 5000 men -with increased pay, who should be liable to be called out at any time when their services may be required for any of our small wars.3

(c) To announce officially that

1 At Woolwich arsenal, also, in addition to the skilled mechanics, there are, I am informed, over a thousand unskilled workmen constantly employed.

2 When the National Association for the Employment of Reserve and Discharged Soldiers was first formed, the secretary sent round a circular to the various civil Government departments, soliciting their support, and asking them to employ Reservists wherever it was possible to do so. It can scarcely be a matter for surprise that not one of the departments has in any way responded to the circular, inasmuch as they were well aware that, with the exception of a few men employed as clerks and writers, the War Office, which was naturally expected to lead the way, was making no effort to employ the Reservists.

3 The requirements of our small wars, as a rule, do not necessitate the despatch from England of more than 2000-4000 at the most-to the seat of war to reinforce the troops serving abroad which are ordered there. It should be a com

the remainder of the force should be absolutely exempt from liability to be called out, except in times of imminent national danger and for periodical trainings.

(d) To make every effort to employ as many Reservists as possible in the establishments under its control. (The War Office will then be in a position, which it certainly is not at present, to ask others, including the civil departments of Government, to do likewise.)

(e) To inaugurate a system whereby a portion of every Reservist's deferred pay should, on his passing into the Reserve, be retained, so that, in the event of his being employed by the State or by any private employer, this money should be used to keep a hold over the man, and as a guarantee of his honesty to a certain amount, without any risk to the public.

(f) To appoint some officer at army headquarters, whose special business it should be to look after the interests of Reserve men. As long as it is nobody's business to trouble himself as to whether Reservists get work or not, the condition of the great mass of these men will certainly remain as deplorable as it is at the present time. (g) To subsidise liberally the National Association for the Employment of Reserve and Discharged Soldiers-i.e., to grant it a liberal sum per head for every Reserve man whom the Association is able to provide satisfactorily for any length of time with employment or work.

There are many other causes, of course, which contribute to the

growing unpopularity of the service. Prominence has, however, in the present article, been given to this one because of its magnitude and importance, because it lies at the threshold of our difficulties, and is the first problem which must be dealt with, and for which a remedy must be found. Sooner or later, like it as little as they may, the War Office authorities, if we are to have any army at all, will have to deal with this problem, and to find a remedy for it; and the longer the question is evaded, the more money will have to be spent in making good the mischief that previous neglect has caused. Of one thing the country and the taxpayer may rest quite assured-viz., that until this is done, the War Minister may increase the soldier's pay, he may build palatial barracks for his accommodation and comfort, he may appoint the ablest committee on recruiting, he may expend thousands upon thousands of the public money to attract men into the army, but military service will not become one jot or one iota more popular or respectable in the eyes and estimation of the working classes than it is at the present time. If, however, the War Office authorities are wise in time, and are able to deal successfully with it, there are other useful reforms and measures which may be carried out with a fair and reasonable prospect of success. nature of these reforms and measures, and the manner in which they might best be carried out, are topics with which the writer hopes in a future article to deal. F. CHENEVIX TRENCH.

The

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paratively easy matter for the military authorities to ensure that these 4000 men were kept efficient (by periodical and regular training) in every respect.

1 This would be a first step towards repairing the mischief which has already been done, and by giving confidence to employers and the public generally, might render it far easier than at present for Reservists to obtain employment in the general labour market.

A NIGHT IN A HAYSTACK; OR, A TRIAL FOR THE DERBY.

BY JACK THE SHEPHERD.

THOSE who reckon time and years by the names of Derby winners, as "So-and-so happened in Galopin's year," or "I came of age in Ormonde's year," will puzzle their heads in vain to fix the date of the memorable trial of which the following story gives an account, as for obvious reasons the names of the horses and spectators are altered. Suffice it that it was longer ago than the writer cares to believe. Those of us who, in this turmoil of life, in this far too busy age, still find leisure for retrospection-so sweet yet so sad an indulgence !—may often murmur, half believing, half convinced, "accedente senectâ".

Is it so long ago,

This life of colour and light?
Will it not show some afterglow

Ere the day dips into the night?
Oh! years, have you dimmed my
sight?

Oh! youth, have you left me quite ?
Lo! the light is shade, and the colours

fade,

And the day dips into the night."

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Yet this Derby trial might have happened yesterday, so distinctly can I recall each actor in it, the look of the horses, the very tone of voice of the men,-so vividly can I scent the sweet fresh smell of the crisp turf of the downs; and oh, even now, naso adunco," I remember well the fustiness of that haystack (it must have been "got" after oceans of rain) where I lay ensconced in an ecstasy of mingled fear and expectation along with "Prettyman Bob," the famous tout.

And thus it came about.

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But youth overcomes obstacles; and with the ardour of a bad cricketer renowned only at Eton as an awful "swiper" in "aquatics —that dear old club now, I fear, defunct, but once so merry, where cricket was a jovial game, not a dry weary science-I had in the holidays started a cricket club composed of jockeys, farmers, and ploughboys, with a stray curate or two, and had even built a "pavilion on the Ridgeway. And a right good club we had, though Lord's would scoff at us, and “The Oval " might smile at our style: but didn't we just smash the Brazennose first eleven, and send them back in their four-in-hand to Oxford sadder if wiser men! and how those fat farmers used to block, how the ploughboys used to swipe at every ball, and how my dear little jockeys used to run!

But to the pavilion, for thereby hangs my tale. It was a modest weatherboard erection, but weren't we just proud of it! It overlooked a fair pitch, but a shocking bad ground, for if you caught a ball well off and sent it to the north, it would run down the hill for ever; if you "cut" well to the south, innumer

Not many years ago it was fond- able old cart-wheel tracks on the

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green road from Wantage stopped your ball untimely, and proved a delusion and a snare. But, such as it was, what fun we had on it! How I wish I was on it now! how gladly would I welcome the grave reproof of my father seated on the steady old cob (I often wondered which of the two took the most interest in the game, for old "Compton" seemed to watch the ball with eyes and ears), "No wonder you were out, John, hitting at a well-pitched ball like that; you should play more steadily, my boy."

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Ah, it is very well to talk of steadiness; perhaps some day I may be steady too," was the unfilial thought, "when I get stout, and ride on a fat cob."

Well, this pavilion was my pride, my first building. I loved the classics, except when I was flogged for translating at eleven o'clock school, "antennæ gemunt," "they groan in spirit"; and wet or dry, I walked to look at my building, and spouted, "Diruit, edificat, mutat quadrata rotundis," a tribute to a tribute to myself, I thought, though, as the building was square, not round, it seems to me now that the quotation was worthy of Mrs Malaprop. But on an awfully wet day in the early part of May I sought my much loved pavilion, and there having opened and locked the door, I lay down to think of my many virtues, oblivious to wet clothes, ignoring future rheumatism. And as I lay in a half dream, the happy dream of youth, building castles in the air, I heard voices.

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"It's a blarned wet un, it be, Bob. I'm blessed if I like the day or my job, and if I'm split on or nailed, it be just the jolly sack and a d-d good hiding to boot."

"Never mind, my lad; here's five quid if you tell me when the trial comes off," said a voice which I recognised as Prettyman Bob's. "The Arl he be coming to Didcot by special from Lunnon on Thursday night, and the trial wull be on the old gallop, I thinks, finishing near Lanfear's ruck by moonlight 'bout three o'clock in the morning. And now shell out and let me be off,-I's just fearsome I be seen talking with you."

A passing of quids,-he rang them on a flint, for there's not much honour in thieves, and Ben Bolt knew his man, and feared flash coin, then a silence; only a match struck, and an occasional spit and puff.

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"If the jock is flown," I said to myself, "I think I can lick Prettyman alone: he's not much bigger than Hankey Minor, and I thrashed him last half in 'Sixpenny.' Any way, I'll chance it, and I'll see the trial for the Derby." Silently I undid the lock, quietly I crept up to Prettyman Bob, shouted at the top of my voice, partly to frighten Bob, partly to encourage myself. His pipe dropped from his mouth as he leapt up with a start and a bound like a frightened deer.

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Ho, there! Now, Bob, I've heard all, but I won't split if you let me see the trial with you."

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Sixpenny" is a part of the Eton playing-fields, in the good old days sacred to cricket and " milling "-.e., fighting. "What's the mill in Sixpenny?" was a common question in days gone by. Even before my long Eton career of nine years ceased, "milling" was going out of fashion, and for good or for evil is almost

as

"Forgotten as the luscious peach

That blessed the schoolboy last September;
Forgotten like a maiden speech

Which all men praise, but none remember."

"T" young squire, by all that's holy ! You gave me a downright qualm. Oh, you never would go for to blab on a friend. I knows you better, and I'll tell you what, I won't bowl none of those darned twisters. I'll just let the balls come in softly to you, and you'll be reckoned the best bat on the downs."

"I don't care a hang for your twisters, Bob; it was a beastly sneak you got me out with last match. But come, you shan't bowl me out now: I mean to see this trial and go with you."

"Well, if ever I seed such a pertinacious young gent! and what would your governor say? But if you must, well you must, but you won't blab."

"Bob," said I, proudly, "you talk to an Eton fellow. If we pride ourselves on one thing, it's being gentlemen.

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"Well," said Bob, "just square me with a quid, and I'll let you know my little game. You knows that haystack of Farmer Lanfear's what is in the corner of the field as juts out on the downs a-close to the gallop? there bean't no hay in the top of 'im, but just four hurdles a-supporting of the straw. Shepherd, he be a pal of mine, and many a good gallop I'se see'd from that there ruck, and there I'll be, please the pigs, on Thursday night. You meet me at the bottom of Cow Lane at two o'clock in the morning, and I'll show you the trial. But how ever will thee get out of the house?"

"You mind your business, Bob, and I'll mind mine. You act square, and I'll give you a sov. into the bargain.'

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We parted, and till Thursday night I lived in that strange ecstasy natural to youth who have adventures in prospect.

Came the eventful night- a

lovely moonlight one it was: sleep there was none for me. The clock struck ten, eleven, twelve; how long the hours were! Then in stockinged feet I crept down, trembling as I passed my father's door, down into the dining-room, no shutters shut (we were honest folk in Berkshire in those days, bar those rascally touts). I opened the window, shut it carefully, and was out on the lawn. I can feel the "caller" night-air even now, and the chill to my feet of the wet grass, for I put no boots on till I was clear of the lawn. Then with many an uneasy look at the up-stairs windows, I bolted across the meadows, avoided the village, and emerged at the downs end of Cow Lane all too soon, for my eagerness had brought me out at least half an hour before the time. Oh, the weary waiting! But everything comes in time to him who waits—and at length came to me, not my love, but Prettyman Bob.

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"G'd night, Squire," said he in a husky whisper; "we'll make tracks." "The devil's whelp he be, sure enough," he added to himself in a deeper whisper; but I heard, well in those days, and the air was keen.

So in silence we struck across the downs a bit, then a long crooked way over the ploughs and the young corn, cold and wet it struck to the feet, up the ladder, a pushing away of the straw, the ladder drawn up, a creeping in between the hurdles, our opening covered up, and we are in darkness on the top of the haystack.

And then reflections. "If Bob's lair is known!-he says he's been here before. If I'm caught, no more Eton for me. If there's one thing my father hates, it's racing and trainers and jockeys and touts; and it's beastly cold. Oh! I wish I was back in bed again."

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