Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-03-17
DISCIPLINE.
Lord Lawrence Refused Admission to his
Country Seat.
A COLONEL WHO DID NOT KNOW
THE "COUNTERSIGN."

n IeW Gays since, Wnen redulnS
tale entitled Let Nobody Pass the
incident there related brought fore
IDLY to my mind three different anec-
dotes of real life illustrating the same
motto, and which, though they are
not of a thrilling" nature, may still
be interesting to some readers from
the mere fact of their being true.
One of these occurred in 1864 Il
think when Lord Lawrence was
Governor general Of India. His Ex-
cellency had just returned from
England to assume his onerous
duties, and was spending a short time
at what might be called his country
seat, the Government House at Bar
rackpore.
Any one who knew Lord Lawrence
will remember his utter disregard of
personal appearance. Excepting on
public occasions he paid so little
attention to his dress as to appear
almost shabby, which seems strange
in man who so we'll understood the
character of the natives, and who
could not have lived SO many years
in India without knowing how much
importance they attach to pomp and
show; and who, moreover, as repre-
sentative of Queen Victoria, and
Governor of such a vast territory,
was expected to appear with suitable
ceremony.
The day after his arrival at Barrack-
pore he took a walk, with some of his
staff, in the beautiful park; and on
their return to Government House
they were refused admittance by the
sentry, a Punjabi soldier, who had
not seen them go out. In vain the
staff officers explained, reasoned and
insisted. The sentry would not listen
to them. His orders were peremp-
tory. No one must pass but those
who had particular business with his
Excellency, and could give a salts
factory account of themselves. And
he wound up with what appeared to
him an unanswerable argument:
The Lord Sahib would not wear
such shabby clothes, SO it's no use
trying to deceive me-"
1t was not until some official known
to the sentry came out of the Govern
ment House and assured him of his
mistake, that the poor man, who had
only wished to do his duty, realized
what he had done He was SO terri
fed at having refused admittance to
the Lord Sahib" himself, that he
fell down in fit, and was carried
away to the hospital. l believe he
recovered, and, no doubt, his con
valescence was fastened by Lord
Lawrences pardon, and the assurance
of his Excellency's satisfaction at his
having so faithfully carried out his
orders.
The second incident is of totally
different nature, though it, too, was
consequent on the advent of new
Governor-general.
think it was on the occasion of
Lord Dalhousie's arrival that the
troops in Calcutta were assembled to
do him honor, lining the whole length
of road from the landing-place to
Government House. One part of
this road leads directly to the Cathe-
dral, the graceful spire of which is a
conspicuous object for some distance
around. The orders had been issued
that the road was to be kept perfectly
clear, no conveyance of any kind but
the cortege Of his Excellency being
allowed to pass. All were in readi-
ness, and full of expectation, for the
guns from the fort had fired their
salute, announcing that the Governor
general had set foot on Indian soil,
when suddenly a closed carriage
appeared on the piece of road men
toned above, the driver having very
cleverly contrived to slip in from a
by way.
The young officer in charge of that
particular spot Immediately gave
chase, but the coachman was driving
fast, and he had to ride some distance
before he overlook him. Shouting
to him to stop. he repeated the order,
and told him to turn his horses head
at once.
The man, native, chatted and
gesticulated as only a native can, but
the officer was inexorable. The road
must be kept clear, and already
clouds of dust in the distance showed
that his Excellency's cavalcade was
fast approaching. At this critical
moment lady's tremulous voice was
heard from within the conveyance,
the blinds of which had hitherto been
closely drawn, SO that the occupants
could not be seen.
"Oh! pray let us pass on. l am
going to the Cathedral to be married,
and II we are obliged to go the long
way round shall be too late"
Here was dilemma. The bride
groom was awaiting the bride, while
She, poor lady, was letting 1.-The tear
doom fa'," though from quite differ
ent motive to that of Jock o Hazel
deans betrothed. Her evident dis
tress moved the young officer to pity,
and though he dared not himself dis
obey his orders, he did the best he
could by representing the case to his
commandant, who gallantly taking
for his motto Place dur Danes, and
considering that if all things are fair
in war they are equally so in love,
gave the required permission, having
no doubt, made a mental calculation
Is to the length OF time that might
elapse before that cloud of dust
should develop itself into something