The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-11-21


gin. Shingle, indeed, is the prevail
ling characteristic of Cobblestol
There are no cliffs or rocks; to rigE
| to left, in front there is nothing bu
shingle, wearing out the boot
when, after a terrible long tram
! every step Of which threatens disk
cotton Of the ankles, you at last g
to the sad sea waves, you find ther
repeating nothing but "Sh-sh-shir
gle"
This barren desolation makes th
place admirably adapted for riff
practice, which is, perhaps, the res
son why depot battalion is station
ed in isolated barracks in the neigh
borhood. The recruits are kept on
eff mischief, and they are taught t
shoot. You may see squads Of then
plunging about in the shifty soil a
"judgin distance drill; and if th
Horse Guards or the war Office, o
whoeVer's business it is, does no
provide them with plenty of boots
free Of charge, all 1 can say is, it's
crying shame. But surely the visi
tors can walk inland and so reael
the towns? He can; the farmer
have fashion of using fish manurr
in these parts, but if he likes tina
sort of odor, the custom will not an
lnoy him. Personally, 1 very mucl
prefer asssfetida. The visitor, then
with delicate nose, corns, and /:
constitution requiring exercise
would be wise in keeping the road
Ifhe turned to the left, and walked
straight on, he would come, at the
end Of couple of miles, to a mar
tello tower; and then, two miles again
further on, to Portadale, where is 8
small harbor with occasional yatchts
in it, a good hotel, billiard room
in a word civilization. If he turned
to the right, ten minutes walk would
bring him to the barracks.
1t was on the second day ofmy ar.
rival that made this discovery, and
ss l stood gazing with awe upon the
brrrack entrance, thinking how very
much it resembled prison, and won
dering what the sentry, who stood
inside, looking priekly, would do to
rae if attempted to enter, the sol
dier thus contemplated became sud-
denly rigid, his murderous looking
weapon flew up to his shoulder, and
he made sort Of military point.
Then, in a sudden snatchy galvaniz-
ed way, he gave his gun a slap, and
held it in front of him; and this, a
tall, elderly man in spurs, striped
trousers, and frock- coat festooned
with broad shoestrings, seemed to
take as 6 personal compliment, for
he touched his foragecap, absurd lit
tie ornament, which did not quite
cover the bald patch on the top.
A young lady accompanied the sl-
derly officer, and q young lady. The
youth must have been very fond, for
be was got up as if for Ascot; and
his shining hat, delicate boots, Law
ender gloves, and button-hole flower,
looked very incongruous in that lone
y spot. But the peacock spreads It's
lazzling tail just as readily in the
lepths of the lonely forest as on the
ordly tarrace; and he is right. lido
lot suppose that an Adonis wants
o fascinate more than one at a time
With his apparel and if that one is
what does the absence ofthe
wenty thousand others matter?
When the trio emerged from the
square the young lady stop
Oed short, looked hard at me, bowed
nd spoke eagerly to the old gen
leman in uniform, who at once ad-
anced toward me and held out his
and.
"My daughter tells me that you
re Mr.. Tweedie, who so kindly |
ame 10 her assistance when she was
)st in London" said he, and was
cry civil. So was Miss Duckling.
he young fellow to whom I was in
tried to follow suit, but
liled. 1t was easy to see that he
ated me. He was but an ingenious
nsign, and had not yet learned how
conceal his feelings. The cause
{ his enmity, l need hardly say, was
lie cordiality of the young lady's
lsnner toward myself.
$50 you have left Ireland" I un.
observed.
eyes; papa got his step, and was
ut in command of this depot"
SPY the by, colonel" saidI, "what
a depot2 Stores, shades and de-
DTS have been mysteries to me from
y youth" The solidity of my ig-
orance excited a smile upon
lie face Of the ensign, but the old
,ldier sought to enlighten me.
"A depot? Well, you know-sev-
al regiments have their depots at
81 see," I falsely asserted.
We had q pleasant walk to some
w butts which were being set up;
id on our return the colonel and +,
8 daughter both declared that 1
ust come and see Mrs. Duckling.
I passed through the barrack
ties with the rest, feeling taller
hen the sentry presented arms. !
be colonel took the ensign's arm,
ID spoke to him aside; the poor
'uth nodded, and presently after
ard asked me to dine at the mess
at evening. l am sure, from the 9
rec character Of his smile, that he
It feeding me to be furnishing
lristianity too far. $
Then he had to bow himself of, s
aving me to enter the house of the |
autiful Emma. Neither the beau
'ul Emma nor her mama could have '
en- good housewives, for the quar-
RS of the chief were in q terrible
ess, and his little ones, who came '
'arming over us, were a sad con- /
aat to the clean, tidy offsprings of v
e non-commissioned officers that l
had noticed playing about. AS
r the youngest Duckling, a tot t
at pottered about, dragging fresh
rring tied to a bit of string after s
SIS toy, he was so sticky that / I
Il convinced a fly alighting on him
)uld have been fined.
The furniture was scanty and com
Oh, and no attempt had been made z
set things off. We found Mrs. 9
1ckling lying on a sofa reading a
.voI She had baon q baudsOnoa