Midge

Midge Macpherson

A Rose for the Anzac Boys

(The paragraphs on this page have been slightly editied to fit.)

Loyal

Adventurous

Stubborn

BRAVE

Loving

''Hey Harry she's english'' Midge turned as two large bodies fulled the shop door, ''No Im not'' ''Stone the crows, then shes a flaming Aussie.'' ''Watch your language Fred,'' Ordered the man called Harry. ''I am not Australian either!'' Corrected Midge. ''I'm from New Zealand.''

''Margery Macherson.- But my friends call me Midge.'' ''Midge?'' ''Like the small biting insect, it was Doughies idea, and the name sort of stuck.'' ''Brothers. . . No the name doesn't suit at all.''

''It is my painful duty to inform you that a report has been recived from the war office to the effect that Privite Timothy Macpherson was posted missing on 22 May.'' It was like the breath had been sucked out of her body. Her Twin brother dead" NO!

She knew what he was going to say before he spoke. She shook her head. But he spoke anyway. ''I . . . I'm sorry, miss.'' Her world begain to spin. he put out her hand, to find something to steady herself. ''What happened"'' ''All leave was cancled he couldn't send you a telegram even. ''How . . .'' She found her voice didin't work. ''It was very sudden miss I reackon it was the big vain in his leg. He wouldn't have felt a thing.''

Dearest Ethel, So the war is over. It is hard to believe it here, at the back of beyond as you call it. But it is hard to believe in the world out side at all sometimes. Even our time in France seems like a dream.