Lightning Sketches, by a Night Nurse

Autumn 1915

The Australians

In they came, tall and loose-limbed,wondering greatly what it was all going to be like. They had practically travelled from one end of the world to the other, but what was distance to them? In spite of all their curiosity of England they were still haunted by a kind of nostalgia for those far-away vast places they had left behind. You could see them dreaming of huge expanses of sky and land here in the huts where there was a well-proportioned roof between them and the stars. A cheery lot, talking eagerly of Australia with warm boyish pride - speaking the name like a challenge and an inspiration in one; very susceptible to their Colonial independence, and independence which by looking at them one knew had been earned by sheer hard work - the sort of work that an all-wise God first assigned to man so that he might live closer to nature and learn to love her. Such kindly hearts, such helping hands - if I could re-christen Australia I should call it 'The Country of Lend-a-hand" - English enough to be modest about themselves, but Australian enough to be proud of their native land and eager in praising it.