Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-11
A GOLDEN SILENCE.
BIZ JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

chair. Win IAN ono anu Ntfl Nlg
unpalatahe-lookinC biscuit In the other.
She was a stIiking-loOking child, very pale and
uinchei In the face with black hair the color OF a
ravens wing cut close 10 her shapely head and
parted on sne side Ike boys Her eyes were
DARK. and made her perhaps look more wan than
n they had been blue or gray. Her muslin gown
had once been white, and was fun and had many
nOnnces or little frills on the skirt thereof each
edged with fine lace-but IL was very dlngy IN
color now. and mad unmlstakably been washed by
an amateur in the laundry art. Her white stock
mrs mad shared the fate as the frock bat her
SHOES were tidy and good
,rbe child's whole air was languid aud listiess;
tuice or three times she would wave the fas to
and fro then take a niIble at the dry biscuit-a
niOble which had no sign OF appetite about 1t
then she would put up one foot or the other and
look the toe OF the tidy shoe or At the poor little
stick OF m ankle In the dingy stocking, then she
would wave the fan again and turn her wistfu
eyes upon the figure OF a Lady standing at the
Ia bic the figure OF her mother, that IS 20 say.
'There was NOT much similarity between mother
and child-in fact, the six months Old infant In
the basket-crafle by the table was the living
image OF he- mother, as the older child was OF her
MS. Marchmont was tall and slight and very
friyile In appearance, had pretty soft gray eyes
ard bright brown hair that was scarcely darker
than golden and was yet distinctly brown. Nor
was she So pale a. the child In the rOcking-chair
but her gown, which was OF pinkish tint, was
yery dngy and shabby
Again and again dld the child's big dark eyes
turn upon her watching her as she washed out
some grewsoue bandages so stained with blood
that the water In the basin was dyed crimson
from Ihem-stOpping every minute or so TO drive
away a nv from the sleeping but restless baby In
the cradle or 10 coax few breathS OF air 10 still
ir as II tossed TO and 1ro.
"Oh! Mamie dear the girl broke out at last, 81
do wish you'd let me 90 something TO help you"
"Im so afraid OF your fainting again, Tottie,"
az shouldn't feel half so I'll IL had something
anything 10 do" TOttie persisted sYOu know
Mamie, you've always said no human being could
nd fhPrp VO1I arp
yourself trying 10 wash those nasty bandages and
KEEP the 1les on baby at the same time. Couldn't
j Keep the flies on baby, at least?"
you might do that" returned her mother. still
hesitatingly, 'Only you know what Dr. Fox said,
that you were not 10 exert yourself In any way
until the attack had quite passed on
81 needn't exert myself" pleaded Tottie. "You
ming her bit wouAnt hurt me; 1t would not In
deed, Mamie"
Thus persuaded, Mrs Marchmont moved the
ing-chair In which TOttie lay, and then she bent
down and kissed the child tenderly.
'DOnt Overture yourself my dearie," she said
fondly. ave must be careful OF you you know,
for a little while"
IAN nght-Fil be careful, Mamie" returned
Tottie, waving the fan 70 and fro and attacking
the dry biscuit with new vigor.
But IL was hard work for her little fever-wasted
more truly necessity, OF punkahs to which She had
been accustomed during the whole OF her life-fOr
twas N the not month OF June, In the year 1877
down upon the city and fortress OF MeenapOre.
Fortress, did say7 Well, yes 1t was fortress,
although II had never been planned for any such
purpose; In truth, a fortress consisting OF the
Restdency. the English church, and the hospital
three fairly substantial stone buildings, each
Standing In an enclosure or compound OF It's own.
And now they had become fortreSs-such one
as would scarce have stood an hour against the
attack OF any foes more valiant than those who,
by the force OF overw helming numbers, during the
summer OF 81 laid waste the greater part Of the
Indian continent by fire and sword, and put TO q
miserable and shameful death hundreds and hun
dreds OF delieatelyreared European women and
CHRISTIANS, and humbled to the dust because they
had white faces instead OF black.
II was toward the end Of the month, and already
the little garrison OF Meenapore had been under a
close siege for nearly three weeks-a siege so close
indeed that the rebels outside the wretched mud
walls and stakes and barricades OF the improvised
fortress could and often did pass teertnQ remarks
and gbeS and sneers 70 those sepOys and natives
who had been faithful 70 their trust and still stood
At all times Meenapore was an excessively hot
place, and anything but healthy at this season or
october there were usually no European women or
children Of any grade left In the station.
ering heat, one and all had TO make life as endura
Die as was possible without those luxurtes TO
which they had been used. For all stood on the
shared alike the work OF nursing and cooking and
washing one with another. just as officers and
men had forgotten all distinctions and did each
the work that his strength allowed, standing
shoulder TO shoulder, men and brothers, against
And oh, what life it was! over a hundred and
NIFTY men besides the women and children, OF
whom there were about seventy, cooped-up in
three buildings. which any one OF them would
have declared less than three months before could
not possibly have held a third of that number
was served in the scantiest Of rations so thar
the evil day, when they would be forced TO sur
render TO the enemy, might be put on as long as
possible. Water was not plentiful nor yet good
There were no butchers 70 Kill the animals wnicn
sim eked out starving existence on the coarse
grass OF the church compound and II there had
been there were no COOKS 10 dress the meat. There
were no washermen, and no servants 10 keep the
pnnkahs going. nor yet with one exception, any
IL was an awful life, for this work all fell upon
the European women OF every grade they who
up 10 that time, had found life in the shining
East only endurable by the help OF such Injuries
as but few have or desire TO have in their own
country.
They were all brave every one OF the women n,
that devoted band, yet without a doubt the Draw
est woman In the garrison was the colonel's wife,
MIS- Marcn month She was not particularly strong,
and she had not had the advantage OF what Is
generally called .-dOmesticated education;- she
had never been especially handy with her fingers.
and knew no more how 10 make a pudding than
she knew how 10 make Greek IRE. She had been
twelve years IN India, and as a rule had lived an
upon a sofa, and driving out In the cool OF the
evening 70 listen 10 the banc or chat with the
other ladies' of the garrison
But when the terrible mutiny OF 81 broke out at
Neerut, and blazed from one end OF India TO the
olner, MS MarchinOnt reused herself from her
llstless lie and showed the husband who adored
her that his wife was made OF the right stun and
that brave EnglishwOman IL quite as capabe OF
endurance as gallant Englishman may be- From
the hour that the mud wall was thrown up along
the compound OF the Residency and the last stakes
were urNen IN IN the hope OF Strengthening IL,
nothing seemed 10 come amisS TO her hands and
without doubt she put her whole heart into
everything that she found TO do.
DO not mean 10 say that she became an AZ once
nFSt-rate COOK who could have set up cooking
classes for young ladies at South KensIngton and
sent them home TO poison long suffering father,
with preserved ginger made out OF lettuce stalks
or apricot jam made chiefly OF vegetables arrows
i do not say for one moment that as laundress
She would have kept the washing OF any respect
able middle-class family In any part OF London
after the first trial: do believe for a monenI
that they would have taken her In at ST. John's
House, or any similar institution and have chosen
her 10 take charge OF the most critical cases hch
called for help from them, without the regular
hospital training; but do say that many was the
1aded palate 10 which Ms. Marchmont's arrow
root or beeftea Game like food for the gods. many
was the wound 10 which she brought bandageS
that We're cool and fresh. many the feyered and
weary pillow she soothed. and many the fever
world every thing goes by comparison, ana 10 the
sa1 ntte world or Meenapore Mrs. Marchmont
appeared very often In the guise or an angel
III.
Several days had gone by Hour By hour the
anxious watchers kept strict lookout for the re-
Inducements which they believed 20 be already
ON the road 20 their succor Hour by hour all ears
were strained 70 catch, amid the crack OF mus
kerry and the Din OF the enemy's fortunately poor
and UNNAMED artillery, the sound OF the SCOT
ush Dagpipes or English cheers
Nn~N can 4r4uT a ~