The Soldier's Wife — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

a4 TH# SOLDIER'S WIFE. “No. He told me,” continued the Colonel,|martyr, and not as a culprit, he was about te “that he must wait for his father’s return from |undergo the sentence that had been pronounesd London under any circumstances What o'clock | upon him, is itnow ¢ Half-past nine,” added Wyndham, Immediately after the firing-party had been after consulting his watch. “ Well, there is a|movyed to the front of the line, Frederick Lone good hour—an hour and a quarter we may call quale was brought out, under a small escort, frork it, considering the preliminaries which will take | tj guard-house. He was dressed in his uniform, place after the troops are drawn up.” _ [but without his shako, his eross-belis, and side- “ An hour and a quarier,” repeated the Adju-}arms, His countenance was pale as death— tant,—“a precious close shavei Ishould not|that death which he was advaucing to meet : like it to be my sebf”” _ _|but he walked with head erect, with a firm step “No—nor I,” rejoined the Colonel, helping |and with a resolute expression of countenanes, himself to another cup of chocolate. Those who had seen him twice flogged and once Another hour elapsed: it was now half past | branded, felt assured that he would not fliach ten o’clock—and no intelligence had been re- |) ow: they were right. The moment he ape ceived. Captain Redburn came not: neither peared upon the parade-ground, his eyes swept Jetter nor message reached the Colonel in re-| over the scene that met them : it was awful aud gpect*to the senience pronounced on Frederick imposing to a degree, All that pomp of Lonsdale. He looked forth from his window : military parade—that force of eight hundved the regiment was drawn up in the spacious bar- men, marshalled for the purpose of beholding rack-yard; and his presence was now alone)oneg humble individual dove to death | He awaited in order that the awful ceremony | peheld compassionate sympathy and harrowing might be proceeded with. He accordingly de- suspense depicted upon almust every coubte- scended into the yard; and the Adjutant ac-|/yance. For a momet he felt touched by those costed him with the wonted salute, to receive |eyidences of sympathy on the part of his eom- his final orders. . rades: the next instant he nerved himself with “Thave heard nothing, Scott,” said Wynd-|ay jron fortitude,—for the other was e feeli_2 ham. “We must go on. Have you picked out/t,) which he dared not vive way. i the firing-party ¢” | . ‘6 Yes, sir,” replied the Adjutant : 6c fourteen With looks as firm as hus steps, did he ad- in all.” vance towards the centre of the yard; aud there “Some from each company, I suppose ?” said he stopped short. He knew that it was his Wyndham, inquiringty. privileye—the das¢t be could claim on earth— “Yessir, I left it to Langley’s discretion— | address a few words to the parade ; and he and he has chosen eight of the oldest hands and purposed to avail himself of it. This was a six youngsters. They have all received their moment of even a more profound suspense and snatructions”” amore awful anxiety tor the assembled sol- “To keep themselves steady and take good diery than they had before experienced: if aim?” reniarked the Colonel. “ But the sig- seemed to them as if they were about to listen nals—are they agreed upon ?” to the words of a dead man! Lhere Was a «The Drum-Major, sir, whose duty it is to silence as deep and as solemn as if some spell give them, has made all arrangements with the had suddenly alighted Bpen all who had ga- firing-party. Everything will be properly un- thered there,-—turning thein into statues, A pin derstood between them.” might have been heard to drop on the hard “Then let the Major proceed, Scott,” said the |1ozen ground where the troops were drawn up, Colonel: and the Adjutant hastened to convey The breath was suspended: the very pulses his instructions to the officer alluded to. themselves seemed to have ceased to beat. All The regiment, when taking its station on the| was sull and silent: out yet there was a ter- parade-ground, was drawn up in companies: the rible amount ol keenly active and acutely telt command was vow given by the Major for them] Vitality expressed on the countenances along to wheel into line; and the firing-party was whose pale array Lonsdale's eyes slowly tra- marched to the front. The aspect of the soldiery velled. At length that solemn pause—that was at that moment deeply and solemnly dread silence—was broken. interesting. Every countenance was pale, with au expression of mingled anxiety and awe upon it: every one who glanced at his comrade, be- held in his features the reflection of his own feelings. ‘The sentiment of commiseration for Fred. rick Lonsdale, and of horror at the punish- ment ubout to be iiflieted, was all but universal, —some of the offeers and non-commissioned officers constituting the only exceptions, Though} 1 am about to appear in the presence of a the full measure of the wrongs and persecutions hiyher tribunal than that whose sentence has which our hero bad endured, was not known,—' placed me here to die; and if 1 tremble atthe et a cufficiency had come to the knowledge of | thought of so soon standing before that sublime his fullow- soldiers to make them regard him as ‘judgment-seat, it Iz not on account of that deed the victim of a long series of cruel misfortunes tor which the earthly one of the other day has and hitter ty raunies, rather than as a wilful and condemned me, No: it is because | feel that wicked offender against the laws of military, whatever faults 1 may have committed, have discipline, They therefore felt that it was as a been offences against those who provoked “Friends and comrades,” said the dowmed man, speaking in a firm voice, and which with- out vociferating effort penetrated to the re- motest corner of the immense barrack-yaid, “you see belure you one whose eyes in a few swift brief minutes will be closed in death— Whose heart will have ceased to beat—whose form will be reduced to a mere lump of clay. ey ———EE—————————————————————————— GOMmMIIGgROOKS.CcO