Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-03-02
THE SERGEANTS WIFE.

r,.ra was mystery about the sergeant and
..ifs which, like fog, hid familiar land
DIS ' W. and magnified into significance every
MAJ =, s,oncerning them. 1t was obvious that
sh"s .,,ora better educated and better bred
'pe, ,ha;s nosition warranted; but as neither
'a'u .hau made any reference to the past, it
also obvious that they considered it
rotodys business.
", The mystery that befogged the garrison
...;,s was. in fact, only an every day oc-
tt.,,rance-an imprudent marriage, with its Oft
'',aatad seouence-poverty, carping friends,
''p S ,rde. followed by fallacious hope that
~, -. city they would find maintenance il
,nuience; whereas they found the usual
aOs;.aoe of the over sanguine-keen dis
ls,,o;ntment, followed by lethargic despair.
~. ana the end Of the first act Of their small
...oedy was at the recruiting station, where,
.,s Esau. the sergeant sold his birthright Of
nn nositon for necessary portage; thence
,s..n determining, since luck was against
tham. and they had been forced to barter
.Asir independence for bread, they would lose
.hsmselves hopelessly from all possible recog-
milton.
.hon in the army. A millionaire has been
discovered in a dapper little orderly, ard an
..rl's s,n IA Younger one, of course) in a pri-
,ots who sought the captains kitchen because
=, The good cheer The lady who was startled
Nv the apparation of her long deceased friend
4 the Questionable guise OF a sentry present
Inc arms to the officer doing the honors of the
1ort was perhaps only little more courage
ous than most of her sex, who would have
koot their eyes OH the musket, in their dread
ofit going off, rather than on the man who
carried it. But these discovered ones are the
law among the many lost ones, and serve to
prove the rule.
BEING born soldier, the sergeant's pro-
e,;yity for arms was soon recognized by his
.uperor officers, and profited by in swift pro-
motion. Yet it was not until he was made a
.rgeant that his wife joined him, nor indeed
did any one guess that he was married HAY
inc become used to the life in garrison,
which he found far from intolerable, the
sergeant felt the more sympathy for his
Young friendless wife, who led as isolated
life as il the gray walls of the fort held no
one but her husband. Not that she was I'M
civil when her neighbors made advances to-
ward an acquaintance, but mere civility is al
ways repeling, and she evidently wished to be
left to herself
Her pale young face had only traces of its
old beauty, not enough of its fairness left to
attract the notice of casual observer, or
please the coarse tastes Of her neighbors; but
her small white hands were the particular
admiration Of the men who had occasion to
70 to the sergeant's quarters-an admiration
their wives always resented as personal re-
faction upon their own much abused members,
which they averred would become as fair
and delicate if they could only be kept idle
But as there was lacking the full CON-
pement Of laundresses, and the sergeant's
wife occupied the quarters assigned to one,
extra washing left no hope of the bleaching
process Naturally the women had small pa
thence with a drone in their busy hives, and
the sergeant's wife's small white hands were
synonymous with social wrongs and willful
heness.
That the laundresses were jealous Of the
sergeants wife was not singular when we
consider upon what shallow grounds social
ieuds rest The sergeant was one of them
selves, for had not their husbands the posi-
bility-no matter about the improbability
of wearing worsted epaulettes! And
they all knew that a red worsted sash did
not justifya woman in putting on airs as il
her husband wore one woven of silk The ma
terial decided the rank.
Luckily the antagonism of the camp
women was of the weather cock sort, that
could, on small provocation. veer around to
friendness. Only one of their number was
Of the Mrs. Tam o Shanter's mind, and con
sidered it the proper thing to nurse her wrath
for the purpose of keeping it warm.
Life was hard on Mrs. McShane, and the
army regulations iiiberal in respect to quar-
tiers. With six small children, and as many
wash tubs in constant use, she had no more
house room allowed her than her neighbor
the sergeant's wife, who owned neither
Then, too, had she not to forego the con
venent slowing away of the unsightly into
corners and cupboards as well as all maze
shifts for untidiness! For that bugbear, Sun
day inspection, was sure to reveal all such
secrets And now summer was come and q
change of uniform, thereby doubling the
Washing and the company was short of q
iaundress, whilst idle folks lived where they
shouldn't
Aspark will send off rocket, but whert
the stick will fall, who can guest The spark
that set Mrs McShane's hasty temper in G
blaze made a dismal failure of certain
basket OF linen she had to take to the colonel
II she could have left her basket and re
Heated she was coward enough to have done
No. But the colonel was unique-an ole
oacheor with set ways, a man who had M
ialth IN failures. 1t was Mrs. McShane's habit
70 carry over to headquarters her basket o.
linen every Saturday, and it was the colonies
aaolt to inspect every article before he pal,
her. And habit, we know, is second nature
and must be given in to.
Mrs McShane, do you remember that til,
!esulatlons require me to wear white panta
ICONS at this season. asked the colone
S@ndy, ironically holding up before her eye
@e article above mentioned, that should hav,
oesn white, but missed being so.
They do look kind of jaundiced. But it,
We nature Of linen to take several washing
~whlten it." Mrs. McShane explained.
saundleed" catching at the admission
sha Ignoring the information. "Why, the,
Ae bronze colored. besides speckled an,
sfeaked like Jacobs cattle. ask you, Mrs
Aeoaane, shall l obey the regulation if ap
pear az inspection tomorrow in such panta
@onsf They may do for clown, but will
1sy conform to the regulation which dis
!, .S.y says, From the LIST of May to the soil
". september the trousers must be of whit
aaen or cotton without the stripe,' and these
mrs McShane, are striped
mrs McShane's knowledge of both regu
a''0's and laundrying exceeded her biblicn
~ DO That the stripes had more advantag
~e eolonels argument than the speckle
~. nv streaks Her practical mind at ono
n common sense view of the situation.
.ne colonel has any better done up arti
ia advise him to wear them But if it
dues'loh OF trousers or no trousers. he'll b
~ 10 the regulation in these, and bad lucl