The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-05-19
"A AhENINISCENCE OF TIE RcrRP.T
FROM MOS(ON

'"'A'r was extremely severe, the fro
zen snow lay thick in the streets. the a~ni,alt
ol thc bouevards was slippery as GLASS.
s'e"Ses secured tbe Champs Evsecs and Bois
''e bouiogne. An icy wind whi,tled round
'he tram as we quittc1 the shelter of tbe
s'atIoh and regretted. as buttonod mvs,lf
TO the chin. and shranh into my corner. that
the carriage was not full, instead OF bay;nr
but one occupant beside myself.
Opposite to me sat hale ran of about
s'Sts-f'Ve' with a4uick, bright eve, an intel
Ii"cnt. .ooi.humorel couutrnapce soma
what weather beaen-and the red ro,e,r, Of
the Le"'on OF Honor in his bu,,on-bo,. -
Durins the first half hour he pored over a
letter. whose contents, Judging from the ami
mated expression Of his face. interested
him strongly lie seemed scarcely av,r,
Oh my presence vt last he put up the let
Yer. and then ioI the first time looked MO :,
the face. | had been but few davs out &c
asicN-hcd' and was sensitive to th. cold. an !
u'uof'css my appearance was chilly and wo-
h"@onc enough. for detected a 81 i,b. an
!Toach 10 sinl!e at He corners oi the iran
gers NOUN. 30 one or two common Mae.
remarks he replied courteou>v but Iacori
cary HE man w!h' Is neither urSoriabl,
"oF avcr:e to conversation. but who prefers
his own thoughts to that bald talk with which
travellers sometimes weary each other rather
than SIT silent So our dialogue soon dron.
ped. The cold increased. INV feet wcrc h, :
nunbed. and stamped them ON the floor of
the carriage to revive the circulation. Nv
companion observed my proceedings with a
COM al look. as if he thought me very ten
der :'.rclcr.
"'':. "arriaGe must ir lal'v c.o,r,l." Ire
ma "c'.. III is bticr cold to my feet
"for that discomfort have little pity.
reEiicd the Friedman. a ride ON the
railway is soon over, and good fire or 4
hi'>H walk is quick and ca>v remedy. Mine
IS different case For forty years have
never known warm feet"
"foT forty years :" repeated. thinkin- !
had misunderstood him
~ rs, ,lr. forty wears since the winter o
lSi:-t'e winter Of tie Russian ,ou,u.i..,.
You were in tha; terrible c,r,,,,i,, ="
inquired in Il toi." OF interest and curio>i,v
My companion, previously tari,rrn. 81. ,,jcuiv
b"'''n" communicating
"Ail through IT. >'r, he replied: IRON
the Niemcn 10 the krcm.in. and E, !, aean
II was my ''fst campaign. and canc l,t,r be-
ing my last. was III others aticrwari: in
''erihany III 1913, when the combined Ger
mans and i'">>lan| drove It's before them, for
want OF the .ravH hrn We had Ir.t in Mus
co'v SHOWS IN France IN lHll, when the
Emperor made his gallant struggle against
overwhelming forces and n the closing
scene ID land"r>: but no. all those 'hrcc
campaigns put together. nor, as believe, all
that thu ccntdr! has Witnessed can match
the horrors OF that dreadful winter in Rus
sa
lie paused, and, leaning ga k in hs corner,
seemed to revolyc in his mind event, o, in
tcrest long gone by. waited awhile. IN
hopes be would resume the subject. As he
did not do so. asked him to what army he
belonged when III Russia
Il was assistant surgeon IN regiment Of
hussarS, he answered, land in my medical
capacity had abundant opportunity to maze
acquaintance with the horrors Of war. On
the 7th of September for instance. a, the
Moskwa-IIeavens what shambics that
was .\h it was fine to see suyh valor on
both sides-or the Russians fought we'll
gallanty, sir, or where. where wond have
been the glory OF bcalins tlem But Ne, :,
Ncy oh, he was splendid that dv lis
whole countenance cleaned as lie again anI
again led the bloody ,i.at,..c, exposing hi.n-
self as freely as any corporal in the ranks
And Eugene, the Nlceroy, with what ,isor
he nurIed his MASSES against that terrible re-
"o"of. '" he" at last It was his, what si.ht
was there The ground was not >rewn with
dead ii was hcapcd piled with them. They
hat oeen shot down bv whole ranks. and
there they lay. rfostrate IN the l,r" as they
stool
! he Surgeon paused. thought Of Byron ;
|
beautiful lines, beginning
"tve'' a. they lei. IN piles they ay;'
ou' l S"'d ho'hins' lor saw that my conpan-