The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-11-08

"What, what's the matter, little
mother?" he said to me, playfully, one
day. "Wrinkles in your forehead and
wet eyes. Has baby got tooth coming,
and are you afraid it won't come
through"
ooh, Jack, dear" I said, as I flung
myself sobbing into his arms, don't
lsugh-dont treat such things lightly.
I have been thinking"
"Thinking! What about?"
"Suppose there we're to be war and
you were called QUIZ
"Oh, nonsense, dear" he said. "Why,
that would only be when the country
was being drained. and every man would
have to do his duty and fight for it."
Country? Drained, Jack?" said,
vacantly.
"Of course; when there was some ire.
mendously big war-only then. That's
what the reserve Is for. just to be-
therein reserve, you know, in case it
should be wanted"
"But will they be wanted soon. JHck?"
Wanted? No, my dear. Not likely.
Why, who are we to go to war with? Not
with the French, nor yet with Russia or
America, nor yet with Germany. Why,
the queens daughter will some day be
empress there"
"Then you don't think there is any
danger, Jack?"
danger! No, my pet; and beside,
what soldier ever thinks about danger?"
mot about danger, Jack, dear, but
about leaving his wife and child"
"Hush! Don't, woman" he cried, al
most fercely. II can't bear it,"
never saw him look so strange before
as he did then, and it was days before he
appeared to get over it really. Then it
seemed to be forgotten; but know now
that it always hung over us both like q
cloud, though we hid it one from the
other. The years went on, and we had
another and another little one, and
though we were no better off in money
matters, we we're very happy, for bet
ter husband, or one prouder of his chill
dren, never lived. Neglect 'em, old
woman?" he used to say. "No, I hope
not. We've got 'em to take care of, and
so We will, as long as We can. When
we cant, they must buckle to and take
care of u.s."
Nothing was ever too hai for him to
do; there was nothing in the way of work
that he would not undertake, and, from
being q well.drilled soldier, he did it in
such an orderly way that the townspeo.
pie liked to get him to do odd jobs, and
this was very nice, but the drawback
was that they kept him from dong any
thing better.
As have said, the dread of his being
called out was always hanging over us
like o cloud, and when the Afghan war
came, he used to get his paper and read
out to me how the lads were getting on,
and quite flush up like, as he seemed 10
grow excited over what was taking place,
nay heart used to sink, and I've laid in
bed at night trembling an in agony lest
he should be wanted again; but the good
news came at last Of there being peace
once more, and it was then that found
out how he had been thinking and read
ing about it himself.
"Hooray, old girl" he cried, "it's all
settled. They won't call out the re-
serves this time. I'm not afraid to go,
nor should I shrink from my duty as al
old soldier, but somehow it would come
hard, just now"
Then the time passed on once more,
and l breathed more freely till the news
came Of the trouble in Egypt, and once
more 1 seemed to be in agony, always
looking forward to the day, and yet
fondly hoping that what Jack said was
right, and thst it would only be in the
case of some great war, or in an emer-
gency. that the reserves would be called
out.
Nonsense, my girl" he cried, merri.
~. "Not for Egypt. They would not
call us out for that. They'll only want
a few thousand for that job" Don't You
make yourself uneasy about that"
1t was the very next week that l saw
him reading his paper on Sunday morn
ing, as usual, just as he always did over
his pipe when the weeks work was done,
while he read little bits to me of what he
thought would be interesting, and, that
day, war and fighting were az far from
my mind as ever they could be, till all at
once it struck me that Jacks voice was o
little altered, and IS an idea flashed into
my brain, I looked up sharply and found
that he had shifted himself little so
that he had got the newspaper between
US, and that seemed to make my fancy
something certain.
Jack" said, in quick, sharp way,
"you haven't read anything about the
war in Egypt"
"DidnT n" he said. "Oh, they're
getting OF right enough. I think the
ships'n 10 ell the work. Oh, they'll pol
isb of the Egyptians and bring the pyra-
mids back for loot"
got up and pressed the Paper down
with my two hands to see that he VIA
looking Mt me in n curious. frightened