Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-08
AND FROM SUCH A SOURCE.

A good many years ago the regiment t
which then belonged was quartcred a
Aldershott. After long absence from
England, spent on parching rock in the
middle Of the Red Sea, bleak and dreary
Aldershott seemed a very paradise. 1t wa;
delightfully."- near London, too; leave was
easily to be obtained and great part o.
my spare time, and more than all my spare
money, was spent by me in the metropolis
spent, am ashamed to confess, in riot
Gus living and much disorder. Still, had il
only been that, should, possibly, like
many of my brother officers, at the cost of
much subsequent pain, and WEAKNESS, and
pnching, have passed through my cycle Of
dissipation, and settled down at last but,
in addition to my youthful alterations, |
had fatal prediction for games Of skill
and chance. was the best whist player
in the regiment, and could hold my own
with the crack players of the clubs and
had stuck to whist, which, in my belief,
never ruined any man who had head up
on his shoulders, | could have made de-
cent income out of my skill but my mod
crate winnings at whist were swallowed up,
and much more lost besides, at unlimited
loo, blind hockey, hazard, and other kim
dred games. TO crown ALL | took to back
ing horses, and lost at that, | need hardly
say. A long run of evil luck beset me !;
| had lost all my available funds, had
mOrtgaged my commission to the utmost
penny could raise upon it, and found my
self, at the end Of the EPSON week, fcvered
and parched in body, in soul wrctched and
despairing. | had come to the end Of my
tether; ! was regularly done up; life had
nothing but evil in store for me- On the
following week should be posted as a de-
taultcr on the turf; | should leave the army
In disgrace, and such tidings would kill my
old widowed mother.
1t was Sunday night; had been in Lon
don, trying to raise money, but uselessly !;
the Jews closed their fists to me. only
wanted hundred pounds to pay my Der
by losses; this achieved, | could sell out,
and retire without open disgrace; but |
couldn't RAISE it.. One man offered me fifty
pounds for my bill of two hundred and fifty
pounds at three months, but wasn't quite
so mad as to take that; | might as well
smash for hundred as fifty.
My last sovereign was changed in paying
my hotel bill on that Sunday night. I
had return ticket to Adershott in my
pocket, and a few shllings besides nothing
else in the world in the way Of available
assets. L think if l had been possessed of
a five pound note should have gone down
to Liverpool and taken a Storage passage
to America. 1t was the limited extent of
my means which made me resolve TO 60
back to my quarters at Aldershott, and
appear Oh parade the next day.
The clock in the cotfce-room where
was sitting showed half-past eleven as the
hour ofnight; the waiter only was in the
room, arranging his spoons and napkins in
the buffet yawning surrcptitiously every
now and then, quite indifferent to the pro-
blems which were agltating me. Waterloo
Bridge or Aldsshott ! must make up
my mind quickly; another five minutes,
and it would be too late for the one; the
other was always open.
Waiter, hanson !" I shouted all of a
sudden in tone which made the man
jump.
At that time there was a train which lett
not Waterloo, but some station q little
distance down the line; it might have been
IauXhall, or possibly Nine EIms, scarce
ly remember which-leit the station at
midnight. 1t was popularity known among
us as the Cold-meat Train. Its passengers
were dead bodies for the Woking Cemete-
ry. The railroad company, ever SOLICITORS
to accommodate the public and turn an
honest penny, had, for the convenience of
the camp, affixed to this train one first
class carriage. After leaving the dead bo-
dies at Working, the carriage was run on to
Marlborough, whence you could walk to
camp, II you had not been prudent enough
to order fly to meet you.
The hotel servant who ushered me to the
cab got handsome gratuity for his pains.
1t was my leave taking of the world of
pleasure, and | was too insoIyent to be
careful about little matters. The cab sped
me quickly to the station; but the clock
at the hotel had been slow; as we passed
under the railway arch, premonitory
shrek from the engine overhead warned me
that the train was on the point of starting.
/ stopped the cab at the bridge, and ran
quickly up narrow fight of steps which
led directly on to the end of Che platform
known only to tue initiated the train was
moving on, but | had just time, despite
warning shouts of guard and porters, to
open the door of the last carriage and jump
in. The other compartments of the car,
rige noticed were lighted, but this one
was dark; that didn't affect me, | didn't
want to read. | took out a box of wax
matches and proceeded to light a cigar.
AS the glow OF the match lit up the inte-
rior of the carriage, saw in the corner
long dark object, quite black, and yet with
some little metallic CLEAN about it it was
a collin, reared upat the farther side OF the
carriage, board being placed behind it,
against which it leaned. As looked stead
lastly at the coffin, it appeared suddenly to
glow with faint radiance. Every nail
and every plate upon il began to CLEAN
with strange mysterious light. Bah 1t
was the moon. We had just left the clouds
of London behind us, and the great round
moon, rising out Of river-mists, cast her
glorious beams right athwars us. But |
tn; ed away from her in disgust. What
was The beauty OF the night to me--a ruined
spendthritt the scorn and laughing stock
of the world The black coffin on the
other side was more congenial companion
to me. / lit another match, and read the
inscription on theplate: CIVILIAN HEATH
COTE, died 25th May, 49,, aged twenty
five years."
The hair on my head rose in a mass;
my heart heart ceased to beat. My own
name, my own age, and the very cate Of
the day that was now just born
1t chimed in, too, did this inscription, 50
mysteriously with that impulse had felt
the whole day--a turning to self destruc-
linn ne a ,noane nf oecopa FROM, oil Mo 5ao