ABSTRACT
Soldiers and their Wives.—The following is an extract from a letter which appears in a morning contemporary:—“The 40th Regiment, under orders for Australia, is expected to embark about the middle of July. By the rules of the service, only a certain number of soldiers’ wives are granted free passage, when regiments embark for foreign stations. In the present case, a very distinguished and exemplary regiment is not embarrassed with any large amount of followers, still there remains about twenty respectable women, soldiers’ wives, who cannot accompany their husbands abroad with this regiment; and in order to obviate the evil of leaving these poor women and their children as paupers in this country, and to enable them to join their husbands in Australia, a subscription is commenced by parties to whom the regiment is known, but as the sum requisite will exceed 200l., it is hoped that they may be assisted by those whose hearts are in the right place, and whose means enable them to enjoy the pleasure of doing good. If those to whom this is addressed could be present to witness the embarkation of a regiment for the colonies, and see the misery endured, and affection shown by the poor women and children thus left behind and thrown upon the world, their hearts would be touched and their purses open, to prevent such cruel separation, which in the present instance is doubly injurious, by keeping poor women and children in this country, where they are a burthen, instead of allowing them to proceed where they would be happy, and comfortably provided for, and of real utility in Australia.”
