Polynesian., 1844-12-14
NEW SERIES, Vol. Mo-. 30.

was dripping. lie did not think anything
about the effect his recital might have pro-
duced on me; he had made himself out
neither better nor worse than he was; he
had not deigned to draw himself; he did not
think of himself; and at the end of a quarter
of an hour, he began on the same key
a much longer story of a campaign of Mar
shall Massena, in which he had formed his
battalion in a square against some cavalry
or other. | did not listen to him, although
he grew quite warm, in endeavoring to prove
to me the superiority of infantry over cav
airy.
Night came on; we did not get along fast;
the mud became thicker and deeper. Mo-
thing on the road, and nothing at the end
OF it. We stopped at the foot of a dead
tree, the only tree on the road; he bestowed
his first cares on his mule, as / did On my
horse; he then looked into the wagon, as a
mother would have lone into the cradle
of her child. l heard him say:
"Come, my dear, put this overcoat on
your feet, and try to sleep. Come, that is
right she has not been touched by a drop
Of rain. All, the D.! she has broken my
watch, which l had left round her neck
Oh, my poor silver watch ! Come, come,
it's no matter, my child, try to sleep. The
fine weather will soon come back again.
It's queer, she always has q fever-that's
the way with crazy people. See, here is
some chocolate for you, my child"
lie rested the wagon against the tree, and
we sat down on the wheels under cover from
the everlasting rain, each with a little loaf
a poor supper.
81 am sorry we have nothing but this"
said he, "but it is better than horsefesh
baked under ashes, with powder for salt,
such as we had in Russia. The poor little
soul, l must always give her the best l have;
you see, l put it on one side for her; she
cannot bear to suffer the vicinity of a man,
since the affair of the letter. l am old, and
she seems to fancy me to be her father; yet
she would strangle me, if attempted to kiss
her, even upon her forehead. Their early
education must always leave some impress
sion on them, for l have never seen her
once forget to veil herself like a nun. It's
queer, eh!" 5000"
Whilst he was thus talking to me, we
heard her sigh and say:-Take aacay this
lead! Take avay this lead :" l rose in
spite of myself; he made me sit down again.
"Stay, stay" said he; cit is no matter.
She says that, all her life, because she al
| ways fancies she feels a ball in her head
That does not hinder her doing all that she
is told to, and that with the greatest sweet
ness"
l listened mournfully to him, but without
any reply. l calculated that, from 1897 to
1915, eighteen years had thus passed with
this man. remained a long while in silence
by his side, trying to explain to myself such
a character, and such a fate. | then alb
ruptly gave him an enthusiastic shake Of the
hand; he did not know what to make Of it.
"You are a worthy man." said |.
"What for?" he answered. Because
Of this poor woman! You see perfectly well,
my boy, that was a duty" And he began
to talk again about Massena.
The next morning, by daylight, we arrived
at Btthune, an ugly little fortified town, the
ramparts of which, in narrowing their circle,
seemed to have squeezed the houses together
upon each other. All was in confusion; it
was the moment of an alerie. The inhabi-
tants were taking the white flags from the
windows, and sewing the tri-colors to their
houses; the arms were beating the generate,
and the trumpets sounded 10 horse i! by order
of the Due de Berry. The long Picard
wagons carrying the Hundred-Swiss and
their baggage, the CannOns of the Body
Guard hurrying to their ramparts. the car
riages Of the princes, the mastering the
squadrons Of the red companies, blocked up
the town. The sight Of the Gens-d'armes
of the king, and the Mosquetaires, made me
forget my old travelling companion. re-
Joined my company, and lost sight of the
little wagon, and its poor occupant, in the
crowd. To my great regret, it was forever
that ] lost them.
1t was the first time in my life, that ! had
read the depths Of the true heart Of a soldier.
This adventure revealed to me an aspect