THE SENSATIONS OF BATTLE.
Major Arthur Griffiths, who served in the Crimean War, contributes an x excep tionally interesting paper to the Chrißtmas number of Pearson's magazine, describing how it feels to be under fire. . Touching on hia own experiences, he writes : — " We were a set of silly reckless youngaters in the Crimea, and chafed much at the enforced inaction that was so often the rule for long hours together in the trenches before Sehaatopol. A favorite game with the more dare-devil amongst us was to brave the dangers of drawing down fire simply for a little variety. One method was to show above the trench by standing on top ; another was to go out into the open in the rear, and the fun was to wait until the place became too hot to stay in. It was not a game that could be quite commended, and the players when caught at it were severely rebuked by their superiors.
"Demeanour under fire is very much a question of nerve and temperament, but it depends also upon ignorance, and not a little too upon teaching and example. It ia generally understood that new troops who have not experienced t he effects of fire, ■who know it only theoretically, think far less of it than the veterans who have borne it on many hard-fought fields. It will be a point of honor with the latter not to duck their heads when the death dealing missileß sweep over them. But they will not like it. No one does .who has tried it — that may be safely asserted— and the old hand who stands his ground like a hero will not hesitate to tell you he was in a ' blue funk ' all the time.
