Southern shield., 1860-01-28
woMAN's coNsTANcY.

incident which cannot fail to reach the hearts of all, especially our male readers;
 In 1916 our regiment was ordered to join General Scott at Vera Cruz. Thee companies of it were embarked on board a single transport, mine being one of them. My first sergeant was splendid looking fellow--tall, handsome, and, what was better, as good, as large-hearted and noble a fellow as ever loved woman foolishly, or with headlong valor
 Planted
 Mid fire and smoke, upon an cneIay's wall IT" 1-IesS- - that cits.
 ii lis is wife, young and very handsome woman, came on board the transport to see him of. She carried her bahy-their first child-in her arms There was short time for leave taking; the anchor was already hove short, and everything ready for start. Word was passed, C All ashore" All the women obeyed but this one; and she, clutching her baby to her bosom with one arm, hung on to her husband with the other, and, with wild sobbing, refused to leave him. Rcmon- strances and entreaties, threats and orders were alike vain. She would listen to no- thing. Her husband was her life, her soul, part of herself. He was going to danger, perhaps death She would go with him-she would die with him no power on earth should separate them.- The order to clear the ship was, however, peremptory, and two or three of the men approached to take her away, and pass her over the side into one of the shore boats. She allowed them to take her baby from her but tho instant the arm which held 1t was free, she threw 1t around her husband ,and so, with both hands clasp ed twined herself around him in an agony of weeping and despair. Her shrieks and cries and broken pleadings to be let go with her husband were heart-rending. l pitied the poor fellow, her husband, from my soul. He was thorough soldier he knew his duty and did it. He would have done 1t, without flinching, if it had been to stand still and have every nerve drawn out of his body with hot pinchers. So, as as she clung to and sobbed upon his bo- som, he stood bolt upright, with his hands as straight down to his sides as if he were on parade, biting his lips almost through in the stern effort not to sob outright whilst the great hot tears rolled silently down his cheeks, and looking straight al me with that look of utter helplessness and misery which, once seen, upon a strong, brave mans face, lives in the memory forever. Women never look so Mrs. Hemans has true criticism in her Bernardo Del Carpio," when she ex- claims:
 "Talk not of grief till thon has seen The tears of warlike men,"
 could not bear to see poor IT, sui fer longer, and, motioning the men aside, I undertook to get his wife away I laid my hand on her very gently, but sho look. ed into my eyes and saw that wasdeter- mined to be obeyed. The certainty ol that seemed to change her in second from q Niobe to q fiend, and like a mad woman she whirled round on me, grasped me by the throat, and, when I put my hand to disengagc hers, bit at it, and fastened her teeth in it till they nearly met through ard through. The pain wa: fearful, and was compelled to do violence l had to clap my other hand behind hel head, and press the thumb under her cal to loosen her jaws and shake her off. 4, did so hereaction came, and she fell on the deck in dead faint.
 Much hurt as I was, I did not feel ever passing sentiment of anger; {; her devo tion to her husband had touched ever, heart, and mine not the least. All tn, officers had nearly gathered to the spot and after hurred consultation we agreed to stretch a point, and let her go witl her husband. Her great love made i seem to us that by refusing we should d. the most heartless and unmanly actions | She went
 We gave her up one of the state-rooms and treated her with the greatest defer ence. Every man on board honore, her. During the voyage, her conduc was modest and unassuming; her bab- and my sore hand divided her attention and she asked pardon for her yiolenc in such a timid, and fearful way, that l felt, all4rsff..st -1is1d sha uha31ui1<unnun