The Soldier's Wife — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

2% hension of the not very keen-witted rustics, * Look at me! see what I am! is there not con- tentment expressed in every lineament of my countenance ? do I seem as if I was burdened with a single care? am I not sleek and fat, with u well fed appearance and comfortable look ‘(— Poor devils! [ pity you in your hard toils: but you may be as well off as I am if you choose !” Now, we must admit that all this was a great deal to be expressed merely by the looks Without the assistance of words; and yet every syllable of that silent eloquence was intelli- gibly spoken from the features of Sergeant Langley, as be put on his recruiting smile and came forth from the public-house. “ Good morning, my fine fellows,” he said, ad- vancing up to the rustics, amongst whom his keen eye on the instant sele cted a couple, one nfter the other, who would answer his purpose adintrably. “ Going to work—eh? Well, it’s a beautiful morning for the toils of the field: but they are toils, nevertheless—toils which, thank God, I am never likely to know; for being, you perceive, in his Majesty’s service, | “10 well fed—well lodged—wel eethed wen treated—and well paid too, Heaven be thanked, Jam what I am!” The rustics gazed in silent wonderment, mingled with admiration, upon the fine portly form of the sergeant; and ideas of the conti- nuous enjoy ment of roast beef, plum pudding, and eopious draughts of strong beer, arose in their mids as they thought to a eaeclves that such sleek and comfortable looks could not pos- eibly be maintained upon a less generous fare. “ Yes, my friends,” continued the sergeant, “the soldier's life is the only happy one. Talk of freedom—it 1s true freedom! Talk of lux- ury—it is real luxury! Talk of excitenient— it is continual excitement! Talk of enjoyment —why, it’s nothing but a very little drill and plenty of good food, bakker, and strong beer Here the rusties’ mouths watered ; and feel. ing athirst, they unwittingly but naturally piunged their looks into the tempting entrance of the Royal Oak. “My friends,” exclaimed Sergeant Langley, on whom not a gesture, not a glance, nor even 60 much as the movement of a muscle of the face on the part of those rusties, was lost: “ the soldier too is generous and hospitable, because he has the means of being so, The soldier never wants for money, because he serves his Sovereign, and his Sovereign is so grateful that he showers gold upon the soldiers’ heads. Come, miy friends, and you shall have an oppor tunity of drinking to the health of this most gracious hing of our’s. Come, follow me—don't be «fraid—I am not proud, although wearing the Sovereign’s uniform, | have reason to be. But J dearly love country-people, and am not ashamed to be seen in the company of honest. fellows such as you,” The rustics could not of course refuse an in- vitation 60 hezrtily given; they therefore fol lowed the sergeant into the Royal Oak; and not the least curious feature of the scene was the contrast which the slouching, rolling, un- gain’) gait of the poor laborers presented, in| he continued to fill their glasses, ur coarse siuock# and their great heavy ace- THE SOLDIER'S WIFE >» ‘ _ = “ye * | od ; ce a up boots, with the stately and majestic move mente of Mr. Langley. Conducting them into the parlor—a sanctum which the rusties had never dared enter before, their appropriate place of resort being the tap room——the sergeant rang the bell ina ¢om- manding manner; and when the landlord made his appearance, he said with a superb aig, “Mr, Bushell, a gallon of your best ale. And mind that it zs the very best! The old ale, you know: for I wish to entertain my friends here,” The landlord of course knew verv well what ‘as going on: but if was not his’ ousiness te S: ae a word, even if he felt inclined—whieh in- deed he was not, for he himself bad been amazed and confounded by all the marvellous stories which the sergeant had told on the pre vious evening in order to illustrate the delights of a soldier’s life. He accordingly lost no time in bringing in the ale, with glasses according to the number of guests to partake of the liquor, The sergeant helped them liberally, but Oxy cused himself from doing more than just s sipping at his own gil ISS, > “The fact is,’ he said, “I seldom drink be- fore dinner, unless it is a glass of Madeira with muy lunch: but after dinner I always take my bottle of wine—regimental allowance, my friends every man in my regiment wen his bottle of wine a-day, two quarts of ale, and a pint of gin; and so I wait till the evening to enjoy myself Then, as I lounge upon the sofa in my barrack room, over my dessert, I drink my wine, smoke my cigar, and make myself comfortable. But come, let me refill your vlasses.” This was done again and again; and the ser- geant’s tongue never ceased going, He painted the barracks in all the vivid colors of a palatial abode—talked of the furniture as if it were of lregal mngnificence—and as he filled the glasses for the fourth time, ventured so far as to hint at the beautiful gardens, with flowers and foun- tains, arbors and bowers, jn which the soldiers of his regiment whiled away the best portion of their time, At the sixth glass he did a litile more in the style of Mahomet’s paradise, and peopled his imaginary gardens with charming girls, in whose arms the soldiers reposed after the fatigues of an hour’s parade. Of the rugtice whom le iaatims assen:bled, those who would not suit him happened to be precisely the very ones who, though now half- tipsy, rose and declared that they must be off to their work. The two whom the sergeant did’ want, were those whom he succeeded in per- suading to remain. When he was alone with these two, be cunningly asked them a variety of questions, so as to assure bimself that thet | position and circumstances would not afford ALLY claim to exemption if he should’ sueceed in en- (rapping them; but these queries he put with so much tact, Ae elicited with so miueh skill the information he required, that they could not \ for a single instant suspect his ulterior purpose, : Besides, they were already more than half Agi ‘ntoxieated ; and they did not refuse to drink ag ine “My good fellows,” exclaimed Langley at the comicbooks