Lunchtime read: The Best Short Stories

The voice in the story moves from Irish to Yorkshire and again a solider on duty trawls though his memories to produce a tale that is used to entertain his colleagues as well as make a wider point about society and life as a solider.

On Greenhow Hill
The troops are based in the Himalayas and as one of them looks out on the landscape he tells his colleagues that it reminds him of the hills in Yorkshire. He tells a story of how he fell for a woman who came under the spell of the church and in a bid to win her heart he was converted and attended the religious meetings. But he grew suspicious of the preacher, who he believed was also courting the girl, and had a showdown with hi m but the preacher tells him that she is not for either of them because she only has six months left to live. Following that he joins up and bids her farewell and heads off to forget her by joining the army.

More tomorrow…