The Soldier's Wife — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. which hs read aloud to Lucy when she was|perceived that her husband was in much better working of an evening. He thought of devoting his leisure hours to a little school, if he could get one together: but there were several reasons wherefore, on maturer re- flection, this project had to be abandoned, In the first place there would be an objection on the part of parents to send their children to receive tuition at the hands of a private soldier. Secondly, even if this were not the case, there would be so many interruptions when it was his turn to be on guard, or when there was any extra duty to be performed ;—and thirdly, he could not find enough time each day to im- part the sufficient amount of instruction to school-boys. ‘The plan, therefore, having been well talked over by him and Lucy, was rejected, and thus he was enabled to do not hing towar ds assisting in the expenses at the little lodging. It often galled him sadly to think that he should in any way encroach upon his wife’s earnings, even for the evening meals which he shared with her: but 1f ever he alluded to the subject, it caused Lucy so much pain and threw such a damp upon her spirits, that he invari- ably regretted having expressed his feelings upon the topic: and thus he soon ceased from any ailusion thereto. In respect to his position in the regiment, we need only observe that he was most regular and careful in the perform- ance of his duties, being resolved to aiford his enemies no opportunity, by any dereliction on his part, for direct persecution. Thus did the time pass on; and Christmas came again. It was the rule in the regiment that those soldiers happening to have triends or relations in the town, who would invite them to dinner on that day, obtained leave of absence after morning service; and thus it was agreed, in compliance with Luey’ s entreaty, that Frederick should avail himself of the per- mission so generally accorded. With mingled feelings did she make her preparations. — It was in one sense a sort of pleasure that they should dine together on this day of universal festivity: but on the other hand she could not help thinking of the mournful apprehensions pnd presentient misgivings amongst which they had eaten their last Christinas dinner together, the extortion of Bates having taken place e, as the reader will remember, on the previous evening. This made her reflect that if it had not been for the inauspicious appearance of that man at Carlisle, they might still be dwell- ing in happiness there at the present time; and the fearful indignity which her husband had endured by the lacerations of the scourge, would not have taken place. Nevertheless, Lucy was more inclined on the present occa- sion to yield herself up to hopeful thoughts than to desponding ones; and when Frederick made his appearance at one o'clock on Christ- mas Day, he not only found a nicely spread table awaiting him, but also a beautiful wite welcoming him with the tenderest and fondest emiles. ‘Then, whatever was harbouring in his soul, was for the time forgotten ; he embraced Lucv—he fondled his wife—and they were /all Ps py together. After dinner they walked out; it was with an unfeiyned joy that Luey had at first spirits than he had been ever since the terrible punishment he had received. When they parted in the evening, Frederick : turned back from the threshold which he had already crossed; and again pressing Lucy in his arms, he said ina low tender ¥oiee “ My dearest wife, [ am afraid you have sometimes seen me ¢ abstracted and mournful: but it wes no easy task to surmount all of a sudden a goading sense of the bitter wrongs I had en- dured. ‘To-day I have experienced such true happiness that it seems as if it were the era of a more healthful change in my feelings. Good night, dearest.” Me departed with the warmth of Lucy's kisses upon his cheeks; and the fond adorng wife slept that night the sleep of happiness, CHAPTER XXII ANOTHER CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, Tree more months passed away; and durin this interval Frederick appeared fully to carry out the parting promise he had made to Luey on Christmas day. He seemed to have re- covered his former spirits—or at all events to wrestle so successfully against whatsoever sense of wrong and humiliation might still linger in his breast, that no reflection thereof appeared upon his features, Lucy was now indeed as happy as under all circumstances she could hope to be: for that the full measure of un- alloyed felicity wouid ever again be her’s in this world, was not to be hoped for. The mark of the lash was on her husband’s back, and was seared as indelibly on her own heart; the wound on the back and the wound on the heart were healed—but still they were tender, and the least touch made them smart. Lonffala had regained all the outward appearances of health: but there were times when he experi- enced a pain in the lungs, as if he had received some internal injury from the frightful chas- tisement. But never did he breathea word in Lucy’s ear relative to these sensations: he could not however avoid fancying at times that in the long run his hfe would be abridged by the effects of the diabolic torture. Three months, we say, had passed since the happy Christmas they had spent together,— when one morning the slopseller for whom Lucy worked, sent a messave to her lodging, re- questing that she would come to him at onee. She accordingly hastened thither, with her ht- tle Freddy, now upwards of eighteen months old; and found that her employer, having an order suddenly sent in for some work requiring great care, wished to place in her hands as much thereof as she could undertake to com- plete in a given time. Lucy accepted the task, and hastened back homeward. As she entered the street where she dwelt, she suddenly found herself fap to fuce with Gerald Redburn. “Ah, Lucey!” he exclaimed, stopping short 99 us literally to bur her way: “it’s a long’ time since you ard I met, How well you are comicbooks.com