The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-08-22

was in store for him. When the war with the
/ allies became imminent, he was ordered with
| his family to Sevastopol, for he was perfect
French. and German scholar; and when the
campaign commenced, he was compelled to
risk his life nightly, by going out to spy the
progress the enemy made. Death stared him
in the face either way; if he refused, the sen
tence passed upon, him at Warsaw still remain
ed in force, which, if be 'obeyed, he was in
hourly risk of detection. Why not desert
you will ask, but the Russian police were Ma
chiavels. His daughter Eudoxia, a lovely girl
of. three and twenty, was taken into the Gov
! ernor's house, ostensihly to protect her from
| the siege; but Constantine was given fully to
understand that her life depended on his fdel-s
| ity. The poor; father was soFely distracted;
! his hatred Of the Russians was eapnterbalanced
/ by his love for his daughter, the only treasure
he possessed in the world, for his wife had
succumbed under the priyations and exposure
of a winters journey across the steppe. Need
say that the father triumphed over the man?
| Constantine was nightly visitor to our lines,
and by the cleverness with which he played
| the character of a French or English linesman,
| long escaped detection,
At length dreadful ordeal was offered him;
he was told that If he could only induce an
English soldier to desert, from whom some
valuable information might be obtained. his
| sentence WOulu E6 T6VeTSOQ, 0uQ H0 WOulu O6
| free to go where he pleased with his daughter.
Maddened by the very thought of freedom,
| Constantine attired himself in feminine garb,
hoping thus to attract some sentinel from his
pot. He would then wound him. In fact,
| it grew a monomania with Constantine that he
must catch Briton alive; bpt unfortunately,
| in Sergeant Leary, he caught tartar.
| Such was the story he told, and which
aroused considerable Interest among the hear
ers. 1t reached the ears of Lord Raglan him.
self, who visited the prisoner, and bade him
be of good cheer, no harm should befal him.
But Constantine shook his head sadly; of what
| value was life to him now, when he was sepa-
rated from his Eqdoxia? I need not say that
the doctors We'd with each in their attention
| to him But there was little chance of saw
] ing him; the yretched copical ball was appar-
ently imbedded in bis backbone, and there
was no prospect of moving it.
Pardon reader, such csmmop place story,
but the end is not yet.
| Two days later, Sergeant Leary, who had
bound bis flesh wound up, and laughed at it,
| was at work in the front parallel. He was
sitting in the trench, smoking a very dirty
short pipe, and growing inwardly, when his
wound gave him twitch. It was lovely
night, and double cartion had to be exercised,
| for tho Russians were all alive, and seemed
shouting for wager at the men in the trench
es Pat pbilosophically took off his shake,
and placed it On the top of the earthwork. In
1 five minutes he took it down again, and 10
there were three Mimic balls clean through it.
/ ssWhirrahp' said Pat, as he conically sur
ssyssa ses.s the damage "h'Fs' patent vsn'il'-
sLucky for you Sergeant Leary," young
! ensign remarked "that your head wasn't in
it."
"Arrah, your honor, and do you suppose
| that those dirty bullets would go through my
head? It's all very easy with regulation
4 shake, for we know what that is made of; but
an Irishman's head is formed of stronger ma
terials."
A suppressed laugh ran along the trenches
but Pat was not all put out.
"Boys," he remarked, with solemn pathos
"since the unlucky day that I landed in this
filthy country, not night has passed that
havn't put at least pint Of bad spirits into
this carcass of mine, and there is not n man
among you can say he has seen me the worse
for it. It wants purity daisapt head to stand
the raks we get up here, for it would take the
roof off house, so 1 think my head is safe
against bali sent by Russian powder. Hill
lob what's their game now, 1 wonder :"
The men jumped up involuntarily, for the
firing from the Russians guns had grown tire
mendous. Forgetting all caution, they sprane
upon the breastwork, naturally supposing thai
the enemy meditated sortie. They were in
! perfect safety, however; all the bullets were
direeted at p single figure, which was crossing
the open at frantic speed. Our men cheered
heartily as the stranger pressed on, utterly
reckless of the shower of lead, and some two
or three fellows, Leary at their head, rushed
out to rescue him. Great was the Sergeant's
surprise though, when he recognized in the
astrapger, the woman in gray. But there was
no time for inquiry. The Russians had open
ed all their batteries, as if disguised at no
, bringing down their victim, and for an houl
the very earth shook with vibration. Sudden
ly the fire died away, as we did not condescent
to reply to it; the moon retired behind a'cloud
! in disgust, and there was silence for the res
of the night.
In the mena while, Sergeant Leary had con
yinced himself, that this Mr.. Jones was MOI
that Mr.. Jones. The stranger instead oi
welding yataghap, employed far more dan
: gerous weapon in pair Of the most lovelj
eyes ever seen. Then in a most seductive
voice (Leary swore afterward that he under
stood every word, but don't believe him) she
asked after her fathers welfare. She spoke
in French, and at any rate the officer of the
watch comprehended her, and sent party
with her at once to head quarters. Lord
Raglan no sooner heard of the heroism she
had displayed in order to join her father, thar
he gave directions that she should be treated
with all possible kindness, and have free ac
cess to the prisoner. Her presence was bettel
than all the doctors stuff to Constantine, hs
, rapidly recovered, but Eudo4ia's duties isers
, not over then. By some stupid mistake LearJ
. managed to run his renowned head against
MIME ball which sadly injured his persona
, | t1y1pa arat and for or opof fhor
E1doxia insisted on nursing him. 1t may BE-
that, HIS, tepeated visits to her father had
touched Her heart, but what do I know All
cad Say is that missed Sergeant Leary'.
. 8ouHgsst girl the. other day, when went in
, for ah Ounce of tobaeeo; at shep, not d hun
dfsd miles from Leicester Square, and was fs
questsd to wait aeAc Las father Constantine
WHO has 4 yet5 es,ss tSttaB ,ehgagemept as in
tsrPPffetot # Sng e 8af % sIS; s0prts Will