The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-16 00:00:00

A FEMALE SOLDIER.

There died lately in Stratlinairn, an old woman named
Nargaret Macdonald, who for several years of her life " did
the State some service "in the capacity of a soldier. Mar-
4ret, when a young and blythesome damsel, fell desperately
In love with a youth of the district ; the passion was mu-
tual, but we all well know that the course of true love
never did ran smooth. Hugh Fraser was shortly after-
,'"rde pressed into the service of his country, for it was
the time of the American War, and the wish of the patriotic
Lord Chatham, that the spirit of the Highlanders should
"' Celled forth in defence of the nation, was in the course
being realized. Hugh was therefore reluctantly coin-
Ptlied to quit his native braes, and the pay of a pri-
vate soldier being, as he thought, insufficient to main-
t,a.in a wife even in the homely way to which both
alargaret and he had been accustomed, the prudent
and faithful pair agreed to continue single, till Hugh
Should return from the wars. On second thoughts,
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," says a good
°ld proverb, and it was not unlikely that if Hugh were
transported to far, foreign parts, abounding, as she thought,
With gold, silver, and precious stones, " the change of face
and change of place might gar his fancy gee." To obviate
rtuch a result, which she verily believed would be the death
of her, Margaret conceived the hold idea of following her
tuveetheart into the camp and tented field. Shortly after
his departure to the regiment, she dressed herself in rims-
enline attire (not in the kilt, gentle reader), and as the
army was then by no means strict about recruits, she con-
trived to
get herself listed, tested, and sworn into the regi-
'tient to which Hugh belonged. By dint of constant pru-
dence and good management, Margaret eluded detection,
and had the inexpressible satisfaction of frequently con-
lil!riting with her lover, unknown to him, and of hearing
n'n, repeat his vows of constancy to Margaret of Strath-
I
truth,
This was all very pleasing and very poetical ; but
Nth, like murder, will out. The regimental tailor hay-
- ;nR occasion one day to measure the unsuspected female
"dier, made certain discoveries about shape and sym-
' Illttp2Y, which he lost no time in communicating to the
Z'unel. Poor Margaret, when questioned on the subject,
T 131,1 only }Audi and hang down her head, and a full dis-
°"nre of the disguise and the circumstances that prompted
6 Boon followed. The faithful Hugh was overjoyed at
°4lng his-long-lost partner of the glen once more by his
,i,l t.,41 , strange as was the manner of her appearance, and the
„I°llel having given consent to their marriage (which
C 4 Mr. Malthus himself ceuld not have the heart to re-
-4.'40 the pair
4 were speedily united.
, Nearly all the officers of the regiment were present at the
I,rtiOony, which took place in Washington, and blyther
~,r4141 had not been seen for many a (lay. As Hugh rraser
Si brave in the field as he had been true in love, he
ik44.4 hi the following summer promoted to the rank of a
lota. On- the expiration of his term of servitude, Hugh
ead
naigaret returned to their native glen, and lived long
the
last rewar
urvd
ivor, of the
butir wherell-hearttried aseemed ever to ffection. Marg
k be
e-
Cras the s
w,Won the days of yore, awl to anticipate the period
f she would sleep by the side of the faithful husband
41'
*IIOM she had displayed such devotedness and heroism.
.
C •
, verness eerier.

It is currently reported amongst fashionable
t,.Pity that the undoubted father of the bantling of a cele-
b...4ted.vocalist, which was produced in Paris, is a great,
—l9page ydio ticriTes a priucely rcyqw9 !OR England.