The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-02-26
A TOY DRAMA.

"A 1O4 OhAMAs
Col: Poland, of the Indian army, and
lats Of the hussars. was a man whose
ill-luck had long been proverbia]
among his friends. He had Originally
joined a crack cavalry regiment, in
which he was by far the most popular
officer But good nature was more
conspicuous quality in Frank Poland 8
character than discretion; and In an
evil moment he backed brother If
fcer's bills for a very considerable
amount. Needless to say that his
friend absconded, and was declared
bankrupt; and that Poland, being only
a younger son, with small allowance,
was obliged to exchange into a reg
iment of Indian native cavalry. He
was married man, with a delicate
wife and couple of young children.
and the climate speedily made his
wife chronic invalid, while the chill
dren faded AWAY and died before their
parents eyes. The unfortunate man
was too poor to afford to send them to
England, and his father declined to as
sist him, saying, with more truth than
of his own ruin, and must make the
best of his altered circumstances.
Grief almost killed Mrs. Poland, and
nearly broke the majors heart-for he
was not colonel then. He would have
resigned his commission and left the
country he looked upon as accursed :;
but necessity kept him at his post, and
he lived on dreary, hopeless exist
ence among a people he hated and in
a land which had become detestable
to him. Two years after the death of
their second child third was born to
the colonel and his wife-a son, whom
he called Rupert. The two loved this
youngest baby with a devotion that
was almost pitiful in it's intensity, for
they dreaded the fatal air of the place,
and scarcely dared to hope that he
would escape the fate of his brother
and sister; but Napert was strong,
healthy child, and for the first three
years of his life scarcely had days
illness. Poland began to think his
luck had turned at last. He had re-
Gently been promoted to a colonelcy,
and shortly expected to command his
regiment his wife, too. seemed to re-
7ive in the delight of her boys exist
ence, and Rupert himself was as little
spoiled as any child could be; consid-
ering the amount Of affection which
was la8ished upon him., But Just
when the prospects of the fanlilY seem
ed to brighten, . new terror rose to
torment the luckless colonel. His
child began to show premonitory
symptoms Of the same wasting disease
which was already SO terribly familiar
to his parents, and the chances of los
ing him, too, began to present itself
with dreadful persistence before their
imagination. So far, indeed, there
was no cause for immediate alarm.
Poland's perceptions were quickened
by his over-powering anxiety and af-
lection, or he would scarcely have
noticed that little Rupert's face &C.
casionally wore hectic flush. and that
he seemed to tire of play sooner than
was altogether natural. Husband and
wife for long time. therefore, kept
up the painful farce of pretending to
ignore each others fears, but an ex-
PLANTATION was finally inevitable. Poor
Mrs. Poland, vainly striving to check
her tears, implored her husband to
tell her candidly if any thing. was re-
ally wrong with her darling, and he
was forced to adm NIT that the doctor
had recommended sea voyage and a
change of climate.
And how the poor child is to get
either the one or the other I can't i'm
agine," he groaned.
'Surely your father wouldtd some
thing if he only knew"
The colonel shook his head drearily.
II can't ask him dear; no there is
aothing else for it. 1 must send in my
papers, and we must try to keep out
of the work-house somehow or an
other. Anything to save Rupert
And so the matter was settled. Col.
Poland was to resign his commission,
and the little family were to start for
England by an early steamer. But the
very day before he sent in in his papers
it happened that an old comrade of the
co!onels was passing through the sta
tion in which he was quartered-Sur-
geon major Bradley, who had been
invalided home, and was making the
best of his way to Finland with his
wife. They stayed couple of nights
at Bundapore, and sympathized deep
ly with the Polands in their dilemma.
DR.. Bradley seemed to take great
fancy to Rupert. He was childless
himself, and on the second morning he
came to the colonel and offered to
take charge of the boy until his parents
returned to ENGLAND.
"It would really be rather a favor
than otherwise" he protested. "Mv
wife and 1 are very dull by ourselves,
and if you could only trust us, am
sure we would take as good care of
the boy as if he were our own. But
you must make up your mind at
once"
The colonel grasped his friends
hand in silence. He did not quite re-
alize the position.
II don't want to press you," said
Bradley; "but it certainly seems a
pity that you should cut the service
now and starve on half-pay when there
is such an easy way out of the difficult
ty:"
So after long discussion between
Poland and his wife it was settled that
the colonel should accept his friends
offer, aud send Rupert to England,
while he and his wife remained at
Bundapore. There was very little
time for preparations or for prolong-
cd leave taking. The poor mother
strove to console herself with the
thought that her child's life would be
saved, but she suffered terribly in part
ing from him; while the colonel's feel
ings were none the less deep because
his manhood forbade him to parade
them. As for Rupert, he had taken
wonderfully to his new friends, and as
his old nurse went with him, his child
ish sorrow was soon consoled by the
novelty Of the journey and the change
of scene and air.
Two years passed, and the Polands
were almost reconciled to the separa-
ton by the comforting letters they
constantly received from DR.. Bradley,
Rupert was growing up strong,
healthy boy. He was wonderfully
sharp and intelligent, and had by no
means forgotten his parents. The
BradleYS were living near Tunbrinpe