The Soldier's Wife — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIERS WIFE, 21 first, and in a careless manner, as if it were a | farmers, and what 10t—of rising to honor, and subject of mere conversational indifference, and| fame, and rank, ani fortwne—of dyidg perhapa sot one in which he haa the slightest personal |a Colonel, or a General, at a good old age— interest. He began by observing that. by the} That’s what I mean "and the excited barber bye, they had got a recruiting-sergeant n the flourished his razor in one hand and his Jather- village — that he had passed the previous even-| brush in the other. | | ing in his company—and that he seemed avery| Lonsdale made no reply; but still lingering nice, agreeable, good-humored kind of man. }for a few moments, seemed to reflect profound- Then be spoke of the Army generally ; and|ly : then suddenly starting from his reverie, he having, after a few observalions succeeded in {hurried up the little ladder-like staircase to bis rivetting the attention of his hearers, the wily own chamber. barber glided glibly into the. most eulogistic de-}| When he was gone, Mr. Bates continued to tails in respect to the happiness, glory, comfort,{hold forth with all the powers of his oratory and lucrativeness of a soldier’s life. upon the glory and happiness of a soldier's life ; Lonsdale, when shaven, resumed his seat injand the gaping rustics drank in with their ears the corner of the shop, and took up the book he jall his rose-colored representations with as plea- had been reading : but it speedily dropped upon |surable an avidity as ever their throats swal- his knees, and his eyes ceased to dwell on its}lowed down strong ale at haymaking or at har contents. It was not that his interest became|vest-home. It was evident that Mr. Bates’s elo- absorbed in the extravagant dissertation of Mr.|quence had made a deep impression upon some Bates; for not a single word to which the bar-|of them; and two or three got whispering to- ber was giving utterance, reached his ear: all}gether im a corner,—comparing notes of their his senses and faculties were wrapped up injopinion upon the subject. Wages were low— mournful contemplation of his own condition.| work was precarious—and even though the He had no work, and very little money—indeed | haymaking season was approaching, yet they only a few shillings, the remnant of his previous | foresaw such an immigration of tramping Imsh Saturday’s wages: for the reader will remenm-|laborers, that they beheld very cheerless pros- ber that he had not touched the silver Davis|)ects before them. They however came to no had tossed to him upon the bank of the stream.| positive conclusion then, but resolved to have a He had no work, we say—and-his spirit would|look at the sergeant and hear what he had to not permit him to go up to the Manor and cringe | say. in grovelling apologies either to Gerald Red- At the very moment that some four or five of burn or Sir Archibald. He knew that it would /the rustics, on issuing from. Mr, Bates’s shop in be worse than useless—a mere waste of time/order to proceed to their labor, were passing ly indeed—to apply for employment to any of the|the Royal Oak, Sergeant Langley himself mace tenant farmers on Sir Archibald’s estate; while | his appearance in the full-blown-glory of hig in the village there was nothing be could turn |military rank. It was now seven o clock: the his hand to, that would give him a livelihood |uewly risen sun was shining brightly—and Mr. Such was his position, What was he to do?) Langley’s scarlet coat, scrupulously brushed, The only chance for him appeared to be to seek} was dazzling to the eye. His belt was pipe- for work on some of the farms of other land-|clayed into snowy whiteness—the brass of his lords beyond the limits of the Redburn estate. |acecoutrements was perfectly resplendent—his But then, as we have hinted wu. a formes chap-! buckskin gloves had not a spot upon them— ter, the labor-market was already overstocked— | his gray trousers, with the thin red stripes down the times were bad—and there were more}the legs, were aimost new—and his boots were hands wanting work than there was work forja walking testimony to the excellence of the them to do. Nevertheless, Lonsdale resolved! blacking used at the Royal Oak. His sword to set out and try his fortune; for neither his|hung by his side: his sash encircled his waist.— circumstances nor bis inclinations would allow | The only thing that was deficient in his costume, him to remain idle. wis the tall red and white feather that ought to He had only continued sitting in the shop/have decorated his cap: but instead thereof, he until a little coffee-pot which he had set upon| wore the various-colored ribbons which served the barber's fire, had boiled: and then he was|as a sign held out to indicate that he sought re- about to ascend to his own chamber to take his|cruits for his Majesty’s service. He walked frugal breakfast, when one of his comrades asked | with a cane, the brass nob of which was sv him if it were true that he had been turned off ¢| brilliantly polished that 1 looked like gold; and He replied that it was, and tarried a few mo-|as he thus issued forth from the Royal Oak, he ments to give a brief explanation. held himself so erect, trod with such an air of ‘Isn’t it unfortunate, my friends?” exclaimed | self importance, and tapped his stick so firmly Bates. “1 was quite concerned when I heard} upon the ground, that the rustics shrank back of it. But I say, Lonsdale!” he ejaculated, as|in reverend awe of so high and mighty a per- if struck by a sudden idea, “ What a chance! sonage. there is now for you, my lad !” Sergeant Langley luoked, in fact as if he had “What do you mean ?¢” inquired Frederick. | just come out of a band-box,—so scrupulously “What do 1 mean ?” exclaimed the barber,| neat, so clean, so well-shaven, and so carefully stepping back from behind a burly rustic off | accoutred, that his very appearance bespoke whose chin he was scraping a three days’ bristly | prosperity aud comfort. And then too he had beard: “whatdo I mean! Why, the opportu-| put on his “ recruiting smile,’—a certain bland, nity of making yourself a gentleman—of be-|half-patronizing, half-complacent air, which said ——$——— $$$ eee eee coming independent of Redburn, and bailiffs, and|as eloquently as possible, even to the co <a eo ind oman omicbooks: me (E(©)