The Soldier's Wife — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

“My own dear dear wife,” said Lonsdale, in a low, hurried, but earnest whisper “in the thine of God, support yourself to meet this trial!” “Yes, dearest Frederick—I am calm—I am nerved But you!” “Tf you bear up, I shall :’—and he bent upon her a look of the most adoring fondness, The next instant Sergeant Langley reached the house, attended by the town-constables, whom he had brought to assist In making the capture. “J am your prisoner—I surrender myself,” sald Lonsdale, knowing that resistance was Vain: mdeed he dreamt not of attempting any, The whole truth now flashed to the compre- bension of Mrs. Harrison, She saw that lre- /. kk -vas a deserter! But deeply, deeply sympatnizing with hun and his young wite, ghe at once said all she could to console them both. Ah! and consolation was indeed neces- sary, notwithstanding their mutual assurances of fortitude, when the serveant, with a look of diabolical maliynity, } nrodue ed a pair of hand- eufts, which he orde ay, the constables to fasten upon Frederick’s wrists. “For heaven’s sake spare me this indignity !” exclaimed our hero. “Lf will not attempt to escape—God is my witness that I will not!” Then Luey, with the babe in her arms, sank upon her knees to implore Sergeant Langley’ S forbearance in respect to those ignominious irons: and even the constables, moved by a scene hia was full of indescribable sa hil held back. In a stern voice Langley com- manded them to do their duty; and Lonsdale threw an imploring glance upou his wife, that she would summon Mi her fortitude to her ald. She rose from her knees, and for a moment placing her child in Mrs. Harrison’s arms, em- braced her husband fondly, at the same time whispering some words of solace in his ear, together with the assurance that if he would bear the calamity with courage, her’s would not fail. “Come—I have no time for this nonsense,” exclaimed Sergeant Langley, tapping his cane vislently upon the floor of the passage where the scene took place. “The coach is going— and we must be off.” “And I may be allowed to accompany my husband?” said Lucy in an imploring voice. “Ox! if you have got the money to pay your fare, I can’t prevent you going by the saine coach,” returned Langley, not daring for very shame sake to speak too brutally to the afflicted wife. But we will not linger over this scene of mingled pathos, anguish, and humiliation. Suffice it to say that the handcuffs were put upon Frederick's wrists, and that he was con- ducted as a prisoner along the street which he had so often threaded amongst the friendly and respectful salutations of, the neighbors. He kept lis head bent down, looking neither to the right nor to the left: of the whole world were u him. Lucey, On | having taken another farewell of Mrs, TLarri-' 30 devotedly, 80 ) adoringly—every hair of whose. __ son, followed her husband to the coach-office, head was more precious than the pcrter bringing up the rear with the lug- mation,—that he, this cherishe Se RC ek ia Ee Pe CL A ESL ee ee ag a a ee ee Le es eT a ec ee a aaa ‘against the sense of bitter, bitter affliction. THE SOLDIERS WIFE. — gage. All the places inside the coach were previously taken: but there were just three outside that remained vacant. The Sergeant at ounce paid for two—his own and Frederick’s, Lonsdale besought his wife to wait for another coach, that she night obtain an inside place: but she assured him that she could manage to wrap up the babe so warinly that there need be no fear for the beloved infant ;—while, aa for herself, no dread of eold nor any earthly suffering should induce her to separate from het husband, She accordingly took the third place, and was thus enabled to sit by Frede- rick’s side. The news of Lonsdale’s arrest as a deserter had spread like wildfire in the immediate neighborhood of Mrs. Harrison’s house; and reaching amongst others the ears of the worthy tradesman who had sent the turkey as a pre- sent, this individual wrapped up something im a paper, and speeding down to the coach-offiea, arrived just as the vehicle was about to start, Reaching up his hand to Mrs. Lonsdale, he sald, “Take this—take this: and may God bless you both!” Lucey mechanically took the little packet which he presented to her; and as she felt that it contained money, she was about to express her thanks—but the worthy tradesman was already speeding away from the spot where he had performed this benevolent act. The little parcel contained five sovereigns: and thus, when in. the course of a few hours the child began evidently to suffer from the effects of cold, notwithsti anding Lucy’s anxious care, she sutfered herself to be prevailed upon to take an luside place which became vacant by its oceu- pant reaching the end of his journey. CHAPTER XV Fre THE COURT-MARTIAL. A week had elapsed since the terrible mus- fortune which thus overtook the Lonsdales at Carlisle; and we now behold poor Lucy the occupant of an humble lodging at Portsmouth, It was one small ready-furnished room that she had thus hired at a low rent, and where she sat with her babe in her arms. But that child’sfather was not there! He was a prisoner at the barracks, about to be brought before the court-martial already summoned to take cog- nizance of his case. To say that Lucy was un- happy, were to say nothing: she was almost overwhelmed with grief. Yet for her child’s sake, as well as for the sake of that husband from whom she was separated, did she en- deavor to the utmost of her power to bear "P t was not so much that their home was broken up, and that she was separated from Frederick. that she experienced this poignant anguish, The blow was struck, and she could have re for he felt as if the eyes signed Lithing to it with a becoming fortitude: ht that he whom she loved ’ . 70 ape in her e Gomicbooks mm one, would be