Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-02-18
TIE CHALLENGED OFFICER.
BY WAITER A. ROSE.

The following story was told to me
by an officer belonging to one OF ii.
B. Ms regiments, stationed In the
East, as we paced the deck of the
one fine night, while on
the passage from Calcutta to London.
| present to my readers In the words
OF the narrator, tall, well built man,
whose olive like complexion indica-
ted long residence In tropical climes
"When I first received my com
mission as ensign in the British army,
] was guZetted to the -th regiment,
than in India, and as the p. and o.
company did not exist in those days,
! took passage via the Cape Of Good
Hope.
In due course of time, ! arrived at
Madras and joined my regiment, in
which ] remained only three years,
however,-fUr at the expiration OF
that period, purchased my licuten-
ancy, and exchanged into the -rd,
which was stationed up country.
Until u man gets thoroughly used
to il, there is nothing so monotonous
rs an officers life in an isolated local
tiy in India. There is routine in
lounging, eating, smoking, sleeping,
reading ana bliiinros, or caro- pinying'
ana TINS Is ohly Naile'i ", oy lucky
chance, he happens to be in district
where pig sticking, elephant or tiger
hunting Is obtainalle. At times, too
especially if ladies nre with the regi-
mcnt-aniatur thcatricals are In favor,
and occasionally "hop" is imprO-
viScd but the climate Is so eherNa-
ting that neither olf,eers nor men OF
any rcgimcht-that iin" oeeh con-
siderable length oi 'iine ih me couh-
try-tit very oHeii "i>pose'' 10 exert
themselves ,o proN'ue amusement ior
thelr comrades:
1he -ru hau oeeh SIX years IN ih-
dia, ana, IN consequence, az tne mem
herS ot that corps We're "iIlictei WIN
lasSitlide mat had almost become
chrome. There was u great uearth W
female society-that SINE qua non
of pieasuraole existence -h'u me
hunting hau beeh prohouict'i ny
those o'd stagerS, VINO nhSiuereu
themselves shikarries, 10 oe i'ierila'-
" bad therefore, when u was an,
nouhced tl'at II new c"iiector ha'
been appointed To succeed me liver
less old curmulgeoii VINO. ior seven,
teen years, hnd heid Once III tnat
district, asserting that lie was tne
fortunate possessor of an extremely
henutitul wlie, every one was on tle
qui vive TO receive nm. Much 10
our ruisnplniiiihieit, however, ne ai-
rived alone, having lett MS spouse Ia
ENJOY the soclttS oi ner Iriehds IN
Calcutta for few weeks, after which
she was 10 lolloW llliu WIN their ohiy
child.
Mr.. Norman Fraser was man
about thirty-tive years of age, tall,
muscular, and pre-eminently hand
some; moreover, he was highly edu-
Gated, and possessed such powers oi
pleasing that he won his way to all
our hearts, and soon became uni
vers ! invOrite.
lie infused new life into our little
cotorie, and many were the lamen
tations whenever his genial counte-
nance did not beam across our mess
table. Our Colonels two hard-fea-
turcd ,laughters-rcgular "garrison
girls" who had flirted succeSsively
with every sub whom they had met
during the last ten years--were en-
chanted by him, and openly lament
ed that he was already II Benedick ;
for, though he was only civilian,
they would have been glad enough
/ to have had the ghost of chance Ia
pusunrp him In the silken mpshes Ol