News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-09-14
"REMINISCENCES OF A MARCH.

Several years ago it fell to my lot to
be on the march with a subaltern of my
regiment in Ireland. I was taking q
detachment to remote part of the
country, where, I believe, some dis
turbances were to be apprehended, and
we had been started off at pretty short
notice. I have even now a lively recoI-
lection of long railway journey, the
dingy stations we passed, the tedious
stoppages, occasional FLASHES of rain
against the carriage windows, and our
final exit from the train in a dark,
draughty shed with a sloppy platform.
From here we had good long march
to our hating place. We had Invested
ourselves of our wet uniform, entered
our little sitting-room with its welcome
peat-piled fire, when note was brought
in and handed to me, with message
that some one was waiting for an an
swer. 1t turned out to be very cour-
teous invitation from a Mr.. and Mrs.
NJ, of Innishderry Hall Eve will call
it,, who, having heard that some troops
were passing through Moynetown to-
day, hoped for the pleasure of the off,
GERS company at dinner that evening.
This was really timely as well as
hospitable offer, so A, my sub
altern, and 1 at once agreed to accept it.
As far as L can remember, we entered
the grounds of Innishderry Hall about
a mile and ahalf from the town. The
house, as we neared it. seemed large
and handsome one. 1t had a great many
windows, steep-pitcbed roof, and was
partly ivy-clad. Two long ranges of
outbuildings were attached to it, one at
either end, and from that nearest us as we
approached ran out an old wall matted
with ivy-stems, and forming an Enclosure
screened by row of thorn trees, behind
which one could make out the ruined
gable end of a small building. Our
driver, who had been most uncommuni-
cative all the way out as to our host and
hostess, condescended to tell us this was
a very ancient chapel, which some an
cestor of the family had pulled down
and dismantled, " bad luck to him T.
The fine entrance hall can recall it
now-warmed by an ample stove and
well lighted up, with few dressed
skins lying about, and huge ebon cabi-
net over against the door, made CHEEKY
contrast to the outside car and sur
roundings we had just left. Round the
walls were grouped a splendid pair of
stays horns, a fox's head and brush, a
stuffed seal and other trophies of 8
sporting life; and black buffalo's mas
sive frontlet surrounding a sheaf of
assegais, suggested at once what we
afterward learned to be the case, that
our host had been in South Africa.
81 wonder what sort of people they
are, Major ?" were As words to me,
soto UOce, as he gave his sleeves final
jerk and glanced down critically at his
boots, while we followed the butler to
the drawing room. A moment more
and we were face to face with our new
acquaintance.
do not recollect anything very note
worthy about our host. He was q tall
and rather handsome man, but of q
somewhat faded aspect-quiet and
genial in his manner. 81 am an old
soldier myself, was his greeting to us,
sand l never like any one in the service
to pass our place on duty without our
finding him out" But our hostess |
AS I shook hands with her she at once
engrossed my attention. / am at loss
now, as | was then, to define the nature
or cause of the peculiar interest she
seemed at once to excite in me. Ger
tainly she was a remarkably handsome
woman, but my observation of her at the
moment of introduction was quickly di-
verified by the strange demeanor of A.
of presenting him when he suddenly
started, stopped, and, without attempt
ing salutation or advance of any kind,
stared at her. For the instant the sit
uation was embarrassing. Was the
man going to faint, or was he off his
head, or what ? There he stood, stock
still, facing Mrs. M, till in severe
tone I said GA, this is our host
ess. Mrs. NJ, allow me to introduce
Mr.. A" This appeared to rouse
him little, for he made sort of back
ward movement which might do duty
for bow, though very poor apology
for it, and said: dill beg your
pardonR retiring Immediately into the
background. If this was bashfulness,
it was a curious form of it, thought,
and certainly new in my knowledge of
A. This little incident over, had
leisure to look round the room. There
appeared to be about dozen people in
all. Mr.. M introduced me to re-
lation of his, Baronet, whose name /
forget to parson, who assured Ie in
accents that troops had been
down here repeatedly" and to niece,
whom I was to take in to dinner. l
a momentary glimpse of A,
and saw TO my surprise that he was
TurtiveIy bnt intently watching the lady |
Of the house from an obscure corner. |
was quietly slipping up to him to ask
what it all meant when dinner was an