72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

WATCHFUL WAITING.ly. There had been a time, some weeks before, when Canadian post offices, especially that of Vancouver, had beencrowded by a loving and remembering throng who hadcommitted precious parcels to His Majesty s mails. Withwhat loving care these packages of affection had beenmade up was now exemplified in the happy countenancesof the men who opened them. The roughness and discomfort of the trenches was for a time forgotten. On themorning of December 29th, however, the enemy opened upwith all calibres of trench mortar and completely obliterated a portion of the front line. As the relief was due thatnight, it became necessary to put the line in shape again.Accordingly the tour was concluded with more pick andshovel work. The 50th Battalion took over, and the 72ndentrained at the Red Line, going out by light railway toVancouver Camp, Chateau de la Haie. On New Year s Evea dinner was served to the men of the Battalion, afterwhich the whole unit marched to the Irving Theatre in thegrounds of the Chateau. This was in every respect a military theatre, takingits name not from the celebratedofficer who was killed at Pass-actor, but from a gallantchendaele. The lie of the land had been taken advantageof in building this place of entertainment, so that the largestage looked away down as one entered, and the tiers ofbenches rose from the front of the orchestra to the back.The musicians of the string band were soldiers, and sowere the actors. They formed the concert party, all ofthem picked from men of the 4th Division, and it is sayingbut little to state that they justified the choice that hadbeen made. Pantomimes have been played at Drury Laneand the Lyceum, but it is doubtful if any of them wereplayed better than "A-lad-in-France," which was givenon New Year s Eve at Chateau de la Haie; and certainlynone of them was ever more enthusiastically received.Written by Staff Sergeant Evans, and fairly coruscatingwith gems of humor and rattling songs, it afforded a me-87