````Ensign Joy-- ````In his golden greeting no least `````alloy-- ````In his shining eyes no guile! |HE showed her the bullet that `````did the trick-- ````He showed her the trick, `````x-ray'd; ````He showed her a table timed to `````a tick, ````And a map that an airman `````made. ````He spoke of a shell that caused grievous loss-- ````But he never mentioned a certain `````cross ````For his part in the escapade! |SHE saw it herself in a list next `````day, ````And it brought her back to his `````bed, ````With a number of beautiful `````things to say, ````Which were mostly over his `````head. ````Turned pink as his own pyjamas' `````stripe, ````To her mind he ceased to em- `````body a type-- ````Sank into her heart instead. |I WONDER that all of you `````didn't retire!" ````"My blighters were not that `````kind." ````"But it says _you_ 'advanced un- `````der murderous fire, ````Machine-gun and shell com- `````bined--'" ````"Oh, that's the regular War ````Office wheeze!" ````"'Advanced'--with that leg!-- `````'on his hands and knees'!" ````"I couldn't leave it behind." |HE was soon trick-driving an `````invalid chair, `````and dancing about on a crutch; ````The _haute noblesse_ of Grosvenor ````Square ````Felt bound to oblige as such; ````They sent him for many a motor- `````whirl-- ````With the wistful, willowy wisp of `````a girl ````Who never again lost touch. |THEIR people were most of `````them dead and gone. ````They had only themselves to ````His pay was enough to marry `````upon, ````As every Ensign sees. ````They would muddle along (as `````in fact they did) ````With vast supplies of the _tertium `````quid_ ````You bracket with bread-and- `````cheese. `````please. |THEY gave him some leave `````after Grosvenor Square-- ````And bang went a month on `````banns; ````For Ermyntrude had a natural `````_flair_ ````For the least unusual plans. ````Her heaviest uncle came down `````well, ````And entertained, at a fair hotel, ````The dregs of the coupled clans. |A CERTAIN number of `````cheques accrued ````To keep the wolf from the `````door: ````The economical Ermyntrude ````Had charge of the dwindling `````store, ````When a Board reported her `````bridegroom fit ````As--some expression she didn't `````permit . . . ````And he left for the Front once `````more. |HIS crowd had been climbing `````the jaws of hell: ````He found them in death's dog- `````teeth, ````With little to show but a good `````deal to tell ````In their fissure of smoking `````heath. ````There were changes--of course `````--but the change in him ````Was the ribbon that showed on `````his tunic trim ````And the tumult hidden be- `````neath! |FOR all he had suffered and `````seen before ````Seemed nought to a husband's `````care; ````And the Chinese puzzle of mod- `````ern war ````For subtlety couldn't compare ````With the delicate springs of the