You'll be sure to know my daddy, 'Cause he wears a coat of red. An' a rifle, an' a bay'net, An' a helmet on his head. An' he's very big an' handsome, An' his name is Sergeant Smith, An' he's gone to fight the Boers That our Queen is angry with. He's the good Queen's faithful soldier, So he's angry, too, of course-- I expects they _will_ be frightened When they know my daddy's cross! Daddy took me up and nursed me 'For he went on Friday week; "Sonny-boy," he said, "Here's sixpence, Bless you, lad!" and kissed my cheek, "Mind you write to me and tell me How you're doing at your books, How the baby's learning walking, How your little sister looks, How you're good and helping mother-- That's the news I want to find." Mine is only printing writing, But my daddy doesn't mind. I'm my daddy's little soldier, An I've often heard him say, Soldiers ought to do their duty Though their officer's away. Mamma says my duty's doing Just what daddy said I should; But it's hard to do my lessons; And its harder to be good! Teacher says, "Just keep on trying, They'll come easy by-an'-by;" Mamma says I do grow better, And she'll write an' say I try. Won't he smile! unless they've shot him! Mamma said perhaps they would; An' she cried and cried till I cried-- But I don't believe they could. No one couldn't hurt my daddy; If they did, when I grow tall, I shall take a sword and rifle, An' I'll go and kill them all. If I woke up big to-morrow, Off to battle I should go; Then I'd see who'd touch my daddy-- Please, dear God, do make me grow! _THE MILE._ BY DAVID M'KEE WRIGHT. (_By kind permission of the Author._) Sports day at the township; the station chaps mustered From Stewart's and "Flaxland" and Scott's of "Argyle;" Good sport and good weather, and take things together The event that they talked most about was the mile. Young Wilson from Flaxland could run like a greyhound, His times were a wonder with no stopwatch by; From Stewart's, Jack Barry could go like "Old Harry," And Scott's chaps had pinned all their faith on Mackay. The township had three in, and each looked like winning. The cunning boys smiled when you asked what they knew; I'd have sooner been resting than stripping and breasting The mark for the honour of old Waitahu. But the chaps that were with me would take no denial-- I used to run once and could do it to-day; It was no use complaining I wasn't in training, I was hard from the hills and could show them the way.