Litchfield enquirer., 1841-06-24
THE FIELD OF WATERLOO.
BY WASHINGTON IRVINt

h0- serves more serious consideration. Thew are the two great nations of modern times.
 most diametrlcally opposed, and most wor. my oi each others rivalry; essentially dis Iinct Ill thelr characters, excelling in oppo- sltion. Tn nothing is this contrast more stri- kingly evinced than in their military con duct. For ages have they been contendiug. and for ages have they crowded each oth- CTS history with acts of splendid heroism. Take the battle of Waterloo. for instance. 1 the last and most memorable trial of their rival prowess. Nothing could surpass the brilliant daring on the one side, and the steadtaSt enduring on the other. The French cavalry broke like waves on the compact squares of English infantry. They were seen galloping round those serried walls ot men seeking in vain for an en- trance, tossing their arms in air in the heat o1 thelr enthusiasm, and braving the whole front of battle. The British troops, on inc other hand, forbidden to move or fire. stood firm and enduring. Their columns were ripped up by cannonry, whole rows were swept down at shot, the survivors closed their ranks, and stood through the pelting of the iron tempest without firing shot. without any action to stir their blood or ex- cite their spirits. Death thinned their ranks but could not shake their souls.
 A beautiful instance of the quick and pen- erous impulses to which the French are prone, is given in the case of French cav aller, ln the hottest of the action charging iuriously upon British officer, but perceiv- ing Ill the moment of assault that his adyer sary had lost his sword arm, dropping the point of his sabre, and courteoasly riding on. Peace be with that generous warrior. whatever were his fate If he went down in the storm of battle, with the laundering fortunes of his chieftain, may the turf of waterloo grow green above his grave !- ana happier far would be the fate of such 8 spirit to sink amidst the tempest, uncon- | scious of defeat, than to survive and mourn over the blighted laurels of his country. In this way the two armies fought through long and bloody day-the French with ] enthusiastic valor, the English with cold, in flexible courage; until Fate, as if to leave 1 the question of superiority still undecided between two such adversaries, brought up the Prussians to decide the fortunes of tho l field.
 It was several years afterward that wis., lted the field of Waterloo. The plough share had been busy with its oblivous la Dors' and the frequent harvest had nearly o6llterated the vestiges of war. Still the blackened ruins of Hugumont stood, mon- umental pile, to mark the violence of this vehement struggle. Its broken walls, pierc- ed by bullets and shattered by explosions, showed the deadly strife that had taken place, within, when Gaul and Briton, hemmed in between narrow walls, hand to hand and foot to foot, fought from garden to court yard, from courtyard, to chamber, with in- tense and concentrated rivalship. Columns of smoke fumed from this vortex of battle as from volcano; "it was," said my guide, "like hell upon earth" Not far I ntf- nr hpAo q l.
 wholesome green, still marked the place where these rival warriors, after their fierce and fitful struggle. slept quietly together in me lap of their common mother Earth.- 1 Over all the rest of the field, peace had re- sumed its sway. The thoughtless whistle of the peasant foated in the air, instead of the trumpet's clangor; the team slowly la- bored up the hill side, once shaken by tho hoo1s of rushing squadrons; and wide fields of corn waved peacefully over the soldiers grave, as summer seas dimple over the place where many tall ship lies buried. | Various are the anecdotes on record of the humor of Irish post doys, but we question if any of them are more characteristic than the following incident. While in Ireland last summer, two gentlemen hired a car from
 Belfast to go by the hill road. A little after they had reached the rising ground, and while absorbed in admiration Of the ex:en- slve and picturesque scenery, they scarcely perceived that the driver had pulled up the horse, till he came round and opened the car door, and immediately shut it with u loud bang. On being asked, in rather surly tone, the meaning of his conduct, he held up his hands as if to command silence, and re-
 beating in half whisper, "Hold your tongues, yer honors Pm making Paddy be- lieve you're out, walking up the hill, for
 the devil foot he'd go farther this blessed
 day, did he know that yer honors were sit. ting at yer aise, an himself pullin' the legs off of him up this tarnation hill."
 The New Orleans Picayune tells pretty
 good story of the catching of a newspaper thief. After describing hook devised for drawing papers from under doors, the edi.o. Says:-
 This thing brings to our mind laughable adventure that one of our subscribers told us of some time since. He happened to be up taking snuff of the morning air, through
 :he blinds. very early, when he detected one of these juvenile thieves graphing very ear-
 nestly for the newspaper under the door. A
 large catfish line and hook happened to be
 handy, and in an instant t was noselessly dropped out of the window over the boy, who was on his knees immediately beneath.
 Here was a novel sort of fishing and grap- . bling going on. The boy had just hooked the paper and was cautiously drawing out the corners from under the door, when up went , his heels and down his head upon the door
 step, as the big catfish hook caught in his
 pantaloons, which were fortunately strong enough to hold him up without tearing. The