Produced by Geoff Palmer
[ILLUSTRATION: frontispiece Harry Lauder and his son, Captain John
Lauder. (see Lauder01.jpg)]
First 8th, Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders
Killed in France, December 28, 1916
Oh, there's sometimes I am lonely
And I'm weary a' the day
To see the face and clasp the hand
Of him who is away.
The only one God gave me,
My one and only joy,
My life and love were centered on
My one and only boy.
I saw him in his infant days
Grow up from year to year,
That he would some day be a man
I never had a fear.
His mother watched his every step,
'Twas our united joy
To think that he might be one day
My one and only boy.
When war broke out he buckled on
His sword, and said, "Good-bye.
For I must do my duty, Dad;
Tell Mother not to cry,
Tell her that I'll come back again."
What happiness and joy!
But no, he died for Liberty,
My one and only boy.
The days are long, the nights are drear,
The anguish breaks my heart,
But oh! I'm proud my one and only
Laddie played his part.
For God knows best, His will be done,
His grace does me employ.
I do believe I'll meet again
My one and only boy.
by Harry Lauder
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Harry Lauder and His Son, Captain John Lauder
"I did not stop at sending out my recruiting band. I went out myself"
"'Carry On!' were the last words of my boy, Captain John Lauder, tohis men, but he would mean them for me, too"
"Bang! Went Sixpence"
"Harry Lauder preserves the bonnet of his son, brought to him fromwhere the lad fell, 'The memory of his boy, it is almost hisreligion.'—A tatter of plaid of the Black Watch. on a wire of aGerman entanglement barely suggests the hell the Scotch troops havegone through"
"Captain John Lauder and Comrades Before the Trenches in France"
"Make us laugh again, Harry!' Though I remember my son and want tojoin the ranks, I have obeyed"
"Harry Lauder, 'Laird of Dunoon.'"
—Medal struck off by Germany when Lusitania was sunk"
Yon days! Yon palmy, peaceful days! I go back to them, and they areas a dream. I go back to them again and again, and live them over.Yon days of another age, the age of peace, when no man dared even todream of such times as have come upon us.
It was in November of 1913, and I was setting forth upon a greatjourney, that was to take me to the other side of the world before Icame back again to my wee hoose amang the heather at Dunoon. My wifewas going with me, and my brother-in-law, Tom Valiance, for they goeverywhere with me. But my son John was coming with us only toGlasgow, and then, when we set out for Liverpool and the steamer thatwas to bring us to America he was to go back to Cambridge. He wasnear done there, the bonnie laddie. He had taken his degree asBachelor of Arts, and was to set out soon upon a trip around theworld.
Was that no a fine plan I had made for my son? That great voyage hewas to have, to see the world and all its peoples! It was proud I wasthat I co