Beneath his gauntlet lest it cause remark
And curious comment—so behind his hand
Sir GERARD's cheek, that had his tongue inside,
Swelled like a pumpkin....
O. S.
THE STOCKING OF PRIVATE PARKS.
As I came out on to the convalescents' verandah my brother James looked up from his paper.
"Did I ever tell you about a certain Private Parks?" he asked. "He was with me in Flanders in the early days. He came out with a draft and lasted about two months. Rather a curious type. Very superstitious. If a shell narrowly missed him he must have a small piece to put in his pocket. If while standing on a duck-board he happened to be immune while his pals were being knocked out he would carry it about with him all day if possible. On one occasion he was very nearly shot for insubordination, because he would go out into No-man's-land after a flower which he thought would help him.
"Not that his superstition was purely selfish. Once, when he had had two particularly close shaves during the day, he insisted upon sleeping outside the barn where we were billeted. 'I'm absolutely certain to have a third close shave,' he said, 'and if I'm in the billet someone will get it.'