The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

ARMISTICE TO DEMOBILIZATION 151Grande Place and walked through the pressing crowds tothe road leading to Brussels.On all of these occasions, the town was filled withsoldiers and civilians who lined the decorated roads,cheering their King and Generals. They were gay days;the cafes swarmed with patrons who continued to celebrate, the waiters gave change in the paper currency offour or more countries which vied in colour and varietywith the liquors of the estaminets. The theatres wereopened and the celebrated "Dumbells"played "H.M.S.Pinafore" to crowded houses. This company, with manyof the same personnel who played at Mons, is still inexistence.The men were kept fit by continuous physical andrecreational training. As soon as they began to think oftheir post-war vocations the Army was ready with a comprehensive scheme of education. It embraced the retraining of men in the skilled trades and the re-fitting ofmen for professional life. Throughout the winter acurriculum of educational training was pursued. Manyinteresting lectures on economical and historical subjectswere given by men specially chosen for this work.The military ball given by the officers of the ThirdCanadian Division on December 9th at the Palace Dec. 9,d Aremberg, in Brussels, was a brilliant function. It hadan historical significance in being the first to be given bythe British since the Duchess of Richmond s famous ballfrom which Wellington went to meet Napoleon at Waterloo. It reflected the strange turn of events in a hundredyears. As in June, 1815, all the prominent citizens ofBrussels were invited. The officials of the town addedcolour in their robes of office, fair and beautiful ladiesgave charm to the setting. Many officers of surroundingBritish forces were invited and in all a thousand peopledanced to the international music. There w r ere otherballs with less pomp and grandeur, but equally successful.The officers of the Battalion gave a dance in the Hotelde Ville, on December 5th. It was one of many similarentertainments which closed this gay period in Mons.After many rumours as to the probabilities of the