The Soldier's Wife — page 175: what you’re looking at

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154 hecome convulsed with gasping sobs. Then the little boy would approach, and look up so wistfully into his mother’s face; and when he saw that she wept he also would weep, and flinging his little arms around her neck, would beg and entreat her not to cry. When the mind of a parent is happy, there is something ineffa- oly delicious in the endearments of a child: but when that mind is oppressed with cruel woe, thone endearments enhance its bitterness—for the child itself becomes an object of gloomy ap- }rehengion for the future. And into this train of reflection did Lucy often fall. If anything g)iould happen to her husband, she would still toil on to maintain herself and the child in as much respectability and comfort as might be possible: but if anything should happen to her, what would become of that darling boy? Oh, when she gazed upon the sweet child’s counte- nance—passed her tingers through his curly locks that were soft as silk—looked into his beautiful bright eyes—and listened to the music of his voice, an excruciating pang would shoot through her heart: her brain would reel—and she would almost wish that he had never been born. Then she would retrospect to those times when he was asource of joy, and comfort. and pride, alike to herself and. her busband: but now the father was gradually neglecting him more and more—and she, the poor mother, felt that upon her alone depended little Frede- rick’s welfare ! Amidst the various excuses which Lonsdale had made to his wife for the habits he had con- tracted, there was one which was not altogether false, though it was used for a false purpose. We allude tc the pains which he declared that he experienced as the result of the two cruel scourgings he had received with the Satanic cat- o’-nine tails. Yes: this was indeed true. For there were times when he felt pangs shooting through the loins as if they were those of an acute rheumatism; and his lungs showed evi- dent symptoms of being affected. One day, when he found himself spitting blood,—and it happened to be on an occasion that he had taken no strong drink—one of those intervals of remorseful feeling which now, alas! were so few and so far between,—he sped in dismay to the regimental surgeon to ask his advice. The medical man examined him; and then coolly said that it was all the result of the floggings he had raceived. He gave Lonsdale some me- dicine; and forthwith went off to a billiard-table, taking it quite as a matter of course that the in- fliction of military torture should thus threaten to abridge the life of a fellow-creature. Lons- dale mentioned not to Lucy the ineident which we have just related: but it served on the other hand to revive the keenest sense of the wrongs be hed endured and drove him again to strong drink wherein to drown his cares. Fifteen months had elapsed since our hero had been brought back to his regiment; and it was now the beginning of Spring, 1836. The regiment, at this period, suddenly received orders to remove to the town of Middleton, which was but a few miles distant from the vil- lage of Oakleigh. Disturbancas amongst the working classos were apprehend 1 in that dis- THE SOLDIER’S WIFE. trict; and hence the determination of the Gov- ernment to send so considerable a number of troops to Middleton. When Lonsdale heard the intelligence, he treated it with the utmost indif- ference: for his soul was becoming quite callous to those circumstances which a few months back would have been fraught with very differ- ent feelings on his part. But when he repaired to the lodging to conimunicate the tidings to Lucy, the thought of returning into the neigh- bourhood of her own native village suddenly overpowered her with varied and conflicting emotions. At a glance of her mental vision, she embraced all those scenes that were asso- ciated with such tender memories for her,—the village of Oakleigh with its picturesque church —the stream in the grove, where she and Fred- erick were wont to snatch their stolen inter- views, and where their. mutual love was first avowed—the cottage upon the green slopa where she was born, and where she had passed so many years of her life,—all, all were vividly reproduced in her mind. She burst into tears: it was an agony of emotions which at that in- stant she endured. Her husband said a few words to solace her. and just caressed her cheek with his hand: but his arms were not now thrown lovingly round her neck—he snatched her not to his breast—he lavished not upon her those endearments which but a few months back, under such circumstances, he would have bestowed. Yet he was not actually unkind: he did not speak impatiently—he did not ciude her for her tears; but this falling off from the tenderness of other times was in itself a callous- ness and an indifference in the estimation of poor Lucy. ‘Well, my dear,” he said, after she had conquered her feelings and was forcing herself - to smile again, “in three days the regiment is to set out. You and little Fred had better take your departure by the coach to morrow or next day—so that you will have a comfortable lodg- ing by the time I get there.” ‘“Yes—with pleasure—as you wish it, Fre- derick,” she answered; though at the same time the thonght struck her that this was not the course he would have adopted a while back; he would have told her to follow only after he himself should have reached the place of desti- nation, so that he might have a lodging ready for the reception of his wife and child. “And now,” he continued, not perceiving that the plan he recommended had produced a sorrowful effect upon Lucy, “let us see how the funds stand. Come, my dear, be quick and open your desk: for I must hasten back to quarters and make some little arrangements.” Lucy did make haste to open the desk, be cause she feared thather husband was at the least thing inclined to be angry—and yet she knew not at what; but her hands trembled. for she was well aware that the stock of money she was about to display was at a very low ebb. ‘“Tlow much have we?” demanded Frederick, who, instead of haying any arrangements to make at the barracks, had a party of his com- rades waiting for him at the canteen. | “We have one pound in gold here—five pounds, the deposit left at the warehouse—and Gomicbooks. co » Hf