human
Ay, said Tom to me,
gpt
What?
human
The way these greenhorns try to learn their drill.
gpt
How's that?
human
Why, yesterday a chap came up to me wi' tears in his eyes. I asked him what wur the matter, and he said, 'Ay, I have not got brains for it.' 'Brains for what?' I asked. 'Brains for this 'ere drill: a man needs to have a head like Shakespeare to get hold on it. That there formin' fours now: I have tried, and I have tried, and I have better tried, but I can't get a fair grip on it. Ay, I shall have to write a letter to the Colonel and tell him I shall have to give it up.'
gpt
Why, it's as easy as winking, sir, he said;
human
And do you find the Y.M.C.A. helpful down here, Tom?
gpt
Helpful, sir! I don't know what we should do without it. You see it's different here from what it is in big towns where the men are in billets. We're away, as you may say, from any town that's sizeable, and there's no place to go to of an evening, except the public-house; and if the Y.M.C.A. hadn't been here we should have nothing to do but fool around. But the work they're doing here is just champion. They have entertainments every night, and if you don't feel like going to them, there's a room where you can read the papers, and write your letters or play games; then they have all sorts of good books for us to read.
human
And how are you getting on with your French?
gpt
Would you like to see my report, sir?
human
Why, Tom, this is splendid!