Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-01-26

voice, thhtvery passage in it, ms have heard
him tell. lie heard the words Young man
say unto thee, arise y
lie had to pass the window and the bright
dark eyes of his debased time seemed to look
at him Her heart told who he was she
came to the door, quickly, and fell upon hi.
neck.
=" lie saved me. from ruin, made me human
creature, won me from infamy and shame
o God, for ever bless him As He will, He
will :"
" He will - the lady answered. "l know
he is in heaven ~ Then che piteously cried
But, o, my darling boy, my darling boy 80
Never, from the hour when Private Rich
ard Doubledick enlisted at Chatham, had the
Private, Corporal, Sergeant-Maior, Ensign or
Lieutenant, breathed his right name, or the
nama Of Mary Marshal, or word of the story
Of his life, into any eur. except his reclaimer's
That previous scene in his existence was
closed. lie had firmly resolved that his ex-
piation should be, to live unknown to disturb
no more the peace that had long grown over
his old offences to let it he revealed when
he was dead, that he had striyen and suffered
and had never forgotten and then. if they
could forgive him and believe him--well, it
would he time enough--time enough
But, that night, remembering the words he
had cherished for two years, Tell her how
we became friends 1t will conf fort her as it
comforts me- he relatod evorytbing II grad
ually seemed to him. as if in his maturity he
had recovered a mother it gradually seemed
to her, as if in her bereavement, she had
found son. During his stay in England,
the quiet garden into which he had slowly
and painfully crept, stranger, became the
boundary of his home when he was able to
rejoin his regiment in the spring, he left the
~ -. e..
time he had ever turned his face towards the
old cOlors with wOman's blessing
lie followed them-so ragged, SO SCARED
and pierced now, that they would scarcely
hold together-to Quatre Bras, and Lgny.-
He stood beside them, in an awful stiffness
of many men, shadowy through the mist and
drizzle of Il wet June forenoon, on the field Of
Waterloo. And down to that hour, the pic.
ture in his mind of the French officer had
never been compared with the reality.
The famous regiment was in action early
in the battle, and received its first check in
many an eventful year, when he was seen to
fall But, it swept on to avenge him, and
left behind it no such creature in the world
of consciousness as Lieutenant Richard
Douhledick.
Through pits Of mire and pools Of rain
along decr bitches, once roads, that were
pounded to pieces by artillery, heavy wagons,
tramp Of men and horses, and the struggle
of every wheeled thing that could carry
wounded soldiers; jolted among the dying
and the dead, so disfgured by blood and mud
as to be hardly recognizable for humanity
undisturbed by the moaning Of men and the
shrieking of horses, which, newly taken from
the peaceful pursuits Of life, could not endure
the sights of the strugglers lying by the way
side, never to resume their toilsome journey
dead, as to any sentient life that was in 1T
and yet alive the form that had been Lieut.
enant Richard Doubledick, with whose
praises England rang, was conveyed tC
Brussels. There 1t was tenderly laid dowr
in hospital aud there it lay, week fter week
through the long bright summer days unit
the harvest, spared by war, had ripened anC
was gathered in.
Over and over again, the sun rose and set
upon the crowded city; over and over again til,
moonlight niGh.e wore quiet on tho plains a
Waterloo and all that time was blank tC
wha, had been Lieutenant Richard Double
dick. Rejoicing troops marched into Brussels
and marched out brothers and fathers
sisters, mothers and wives, come throngin;
t,hither, drew their lots of Joy or agony, an(
departed, so many times day the bell
rang so many times the shadows of the grea
buildings changed so many lights sprans W
AT dusk SO many feet passed here and thor,
upon the pavements 50 many hour. OF sleeI
and cooler air of night succeeded Indifferent
to all. u marble face lay on bed, like the
face of rccumbent statue on the tomb o
Lieutenant Richard Doubledick.
Slowly laboring, at last. through long
heavy dream OF confused time and place
presenting faint glimpses Of army surgeon
whom he knew and Of faces that had beer
familiar to his yOuth-dearest and kindes
among them Mary Mirshall's, with Il solici
tude upon it more like reality than anything
he could Observation-Disclosures Richard Doub
lelick came back to bife. To the beautitu
life ola fresh quiet room with a large window
standing open balcony, beyond, in which
were moving leaves and sweet-smelling
flowers beyond again the clear sky, with tht
sun fall in his sight pouring it. colder
radience on his bed.
1t was SO tranquil and so lovely. that h,
thought he had passed into another world. -
And he said in faint voice, Taunton, are
you near Inc =
\ face bent over him. Not his: hi.
mothers.
Il came to nurse you. We have nurseG
you many weeks. You were moved here long
ago. Do you remember nothingp
Nothing.
The lady kissed his cheek. and held hi
nand, soothing MN.
Where is the regiment What has hap
Pened Let me call you mother. What has
happened, mother :
and the regiment..was the bravest in the field
His eyes kindled, his lips trembled, h,
sobbed, and tears ran down his face. ii,
was very weak too weak 10 move his hand
Was 1t dark just now" he asked pre-
sently
No
1T was only dark to me Something pass
ed away, like black shadow. But as i
went, and the SUMO the blessed sun, how
beautiful it is touched my face, thouhg
| saw a light white cloud pass out a the door
Was there nothing that went out !"
She shook her head, and, in u little while
he fell asleep she still holding his hand
and soothing him.
From that time he recovered. Slowly, fol
he had been desperately wounded in the head
and had been shot in the body but, maxim,
some little advance every day. When h,
had gained sufficient strength to converse a
he lay in bed he soon began to remarl
that Mrs, Taunton always brought him bacl
to his own history. Then, he recalled hi
prcseryer's dying words, and thought, "it
comforts her ="
One day, he awoke out of sleep, refresh
cd and asked her to read to him. But tn
curtain Of the bed, softening the light which
she always drew back when ho awoke, tha
she might see him from her table at the bed
side where she sat at.work, was held undrawn
and a woman's voice spoke which was no
hers.
Can you bear to soc strangers" it sale
softly " Will you like to see a strangerl' =
Stranger ! he repeated. The voice awok,
all IaTn kA nt prtr
Richard Doubledick
A stranger now, but not a stranger once,
/ 1t said, in tones that thrilled him. 'Richard
dear Richard, lost through so many years
! my name----'
/ He cried out her name, Mary - and sh
held him in her arms, and his head lay o.
| her bosom
Il am not breaking a rash vow, Richard
| These ere not Mary Marshal's lips tina
| speak. have another name
She was married.
] I Io D,,hard