The Soldier's Wife — page 104: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TIE SOLDIER'S WIFE. rous portion of their residence at Carlisle. Prey now adorted the fictitious name of Rob- inson, under which Frederick opened a little school, while Lucy again took in needlework. They endured ne embarrassments in a pecuniary sense, and experienced but asmall amount of up-hill work in establishing their new position. The frank-hearted unassuming manners of Frederick won him the confidence of the pa- rents of his pupils; while the modesty and amia- bility, together with the great beauty of his wile, engaged the interest of those ladies who, in Finsbury Square and its neighborhood, en- trusted her with work. At first they did not stir out more than was absolutely necessary for the purpose of exercise, and to call on their atrons and patronesses; for Frederick had not failed to read*in the newspapers the offer of a reward for his apprehension as a deserter, to- gether with a minute description of his per- sonal appearance. But inasmuch as when he had quitted the regiment his hair was cropped short and he wore whiskers, he had iminediate- ly on his arrival in London, shaven off the whispers—and as in a few weeks his hair grew Jong, these little changes helped to destroy his identity with the too truthful description given in the advertisement. Such advertisements seldom meet the eyes of those who are not more or less concerned in looking tor them; and thus, in the neighborhood where the Lonsdales had taken up their quarters, there was not a soul who entertained the slightest suspicion at all prejudicial to our hero’s interests. ‘Lime wore on—weeks swelled into months, months swelled into years, aud thus did three oi those growing years pass away from the date af Frederick’s second desertion. Jie was now twenty-eight: Lucy was twenty-six, and she appeared to bein all the bloom of ripe woman- nood’s glorious beauty. He charms had ex- panded into a certain degree of embonpoint, which, without at all marring the admirable symmetry of her proportions, rendered her not merely a handsome but also a very fine woman. Little Frederick, now nearly five years old, was a thriving and beautiful boy, combining in his countenance, so far as a child of that age could, the manly features of his father with the more delicate traits aud softly ingenuous looks of his mother. A finer couple, with a finer pledge of their affection, was not to be found throughout the whole neighbor- hood where they lived. In a pecuniary sense they were prosperous. They now occupied a small house for which they obtained a lease: they had purchased their own furniture—the school consisted of numerous day-pupils—and Lucy was not com- pelled to toil with her needle more than she chose. Indeed, Frederick would not permit her to devote to her work as much time as if left to her own inclination she would have «done: but he often said as he embraced her affectionately, “1 never shall forget, dearest Lucy, that when we were at Portsmouth, all the toil fell to your share, and I could do no- “thing to assis’ in contributing to our little resources then. But now it is different—and “you must permis ny labors to be the chief ae 67 source of our maintenance. I love those beau tiful eyes too much to pers at you to stand the chance of dimming their hstre by too sedulous an attention to your needle, and therefore you must not do more than will contribute to your amusement.” The marriage-life has never beheld so bright and beautiful an example of tender, earnest, and devoted love as that which subsisted be- tween Frederick and Lucy. Six years had they now been united in matrimonial bonds: but these bonds were silken ones which they were Joyful and proud to wear; or they might even more properly be called links of the choicest and sweetest flowers festooning around their hearts. harsh word, far less an angry one—not a dark look, far less ‘a- wrathful one—had ever passed between them. love, but also the strange and eventful cireum- stances of their married life, did they feel them- selves so bound up the one with the other, that all their tastes, their thoughts, and their expe- riences constituted a Frederick’s home being so completely happy, and the felicity that his beautiful wife shed around her being so unalloyed, he never wished to seek for amusement or recreation elsewhere: he never thought of pursuing a pleasure in which she could not share. too, were of a domestic character. walked out together invariably accompanied by their beloved and only child; and of an evening Frederick woold sit reading aloud to his wite while she was engaged w:th her needle. Or else she would help little Frederick to pre- pare his lessons for the morrow, while her hus- During these six years not a Not only in the fulness of their remarkable identity. Their recreations, They band taught himself French and Latin, in both of which languages he was acquiring a rapid proficiency. whom they were on visiting footing; for these had been selected with care and aiscrimination : They had but few triends with but occasionally did they receive those friends at their house to form a little evening party ; and occasionally too did the Lonsdales visit them in a similar manner. on; and were it not that they both alike knew Thus did time pass that in the chapter of accidents there was al- ways the risk of the one dread discovery being made, they would have experienced a happiness as complete as mortals could possibly know. It must not however be thought that the fel- city they did enjoy was very seriously troubled by that apprehension; for it is a characteristic of human nature to become confiding and trustful in that position which by the lapse of time appears to have settled its basis om security. Lonsdale had not failed to keep an eye upon those newspapers which specially recorded tha movements of the army. ‘The regiment te which he properly belonged had recently bee removed froz1 Portsmouth to Manchester place that was still farther remote from Lon- don. Colonel Wyndham still remained in com- mand; and Gerald Redburn had risen to the rank of Captain—as a matter of course by pur- chase; while poor old Lieutenant Heathcote remained a leutenant still. Mr. Scott con- tinued tc officiate as Adjutant; but Captam CONNIE OOOKS.€O)