New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-05
A GOLDEN SILENCE.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.


She WAS n strkineloolSing child, very pale ana
pinehed In the face with black hair the Color 0,
a ravens wing, cut close to her shapeS he"u CIV
parted on one side like boys her eSo9 -
dark and made her perhaps look more wan 'i,'n
II they had been blue or gray Her muslin gown
had once been white and was full and had many
fiounces or little frills on the skirt thereoi' e"
edged with fine lace-but 1t was very oihsS ~, n
color now, and had Enthusiastically peeh ~asneu
an amateur in the laundry art. her VIZ M, hur
ings had shared the same fate as the irooN "D'
her shoes were tidy and good. ,,..,ou..
The child's whole air was languid and rstless'
twice or three times she would wave my ian W
and fro then take nibble at The dry biscuit"
nibble which had no sign OF appetite aoGuU IA
then she would put up one foot or the other anu
look at the toe of the tidy shoe or at the poor
little stick of an anlle in the dngy stocking teu
She would wave the fan again and turn her wlst1ul
ewes upon the figure Of a lady standing al the
fable the figure of her mother that Is 10 say
There was not much similarity between nother
and cbild-in fact, the siX-mCDths old INFANT III
the basket-cradle bJ the table was the living image
of her mother as the cider child was OF her gallant
father
Mrs Marchmont WIS tall and slight and very
fragile in appearance, had pretty soft gray eyes
and bright brown hair that was scarcely darker
than golden and was yet distinctly brown NOT
was she so pale rs the child in the rocklnechair'
but her gown which was of plnklsh UNI, ""s
very dingy and shabby.
AGAIN and again did the child's big dark eyes
turn upon her watching her she washed out
some grewsome bandages so stained win ploou
that the water in the basin was dyed crimson IRON
thcm-stopping every minute or SO 10 uflNe away
fly from the sleeping but restless oaoy III H. 'ne
cradle or to coax few breaths OF air 10 sui "
as il tossed to and fro.
"Oh! Mamie dear" the girl broke OUT at las.
IL do wish you'd let me do something TO he1p you
I'm afraid Of your faintlng again. lo''ie'
Mrs. Marchmont answered
Il shouldn't feel half so i'll if had something
anything to do" 1ottie persisted. g You know,
Mamie you've always said no human beng couIo
do two things at once properly ana there you are
yourself trying to wash those nasty bandages ana
keep the flies off baby at the same time Couidh
keep the flies of baby, at least 7"
a. You might do that" returned her mother, SUN
nesitatingly only you know what DE- FOX sau'
that you were not to exert yourself IN any WHY
until the attack had quite passed OIL"
IL needn't exert myself,' pleaded 1ottle. you
could move the cradle close up here, and just
tanning her a bit wouldn't hurt ne; 1t would not
indeed Mamie
Thus persuaded Mrs. Marchmont moved the
chair on which the cradle stood CT sc to the rock
ing-chair in which Tottie lay, and then she peht
down and kissed the child tehdcrly
don't Overture yourself, my dearie,' she said
fondly We must be careful of you, you Know
for little while" ,
:" All riqht-Tu be careful, Mamie returned
Tottie waving the fan TO and 1ro ana ATTACKING
the dry biscuit with new vlgor.
B:y It was hard work for her little fever-wasted
frame in that close room without tie luxury OF
more truly necessity, of punkahs to which she h'u
been accustomed during the whole OF hef hie-ior
it was in the hot month of June, in the year 800
Outside the Residency fierce Indian sun shohe
down upon the city and fortress oil Meehaporc'
Fortress did / say? Well, yes, 1t was fortress
although it had never been planned Tor any sucn
purpose; in truth, fortress consisting oi thc
Residency, the English Church, and the hosptai,
three fairly substantial stone buildings each S'h'
ing in al enclosure or compound oil JUS OWL
And now they had become fortrcss-such
n one as would scarce have stood an hour against
the attack OF any foes more valiant tllah llose
who by the force Of overwhelming NUMBERS uur
ing the summer of ST lald waste the greater parV
of the Indian continent by fire and sword, ana pun
to a miserable and shameful death NUMEROUS anu
hundreds OF delcato ly- reared European women ana
children, whom they hated because they were
Christians and humbled To the dust because tIey
had white faces instead OF black
II was toward the end Of the month, ana al
ready the little garrison of Meenapore had beeh
under a close siege for nearly three weeks-a siege
SO close indeed that the rebels outside the wrctcneu
mud walls and stakes and barrIcades OF the I'M
provised fortress could, and often ala, pass Jeer
ing remarks aud gibes and sneers to those sepOys
and natives who had been faithful TO their trust
and still stood by the Fclngbces III their hour ol
need.
At all times Meenapore was an excessively not
place, and anything but healthy at tbs season OF
the year; indeed a matter of fact, Hom May 10
October there were usually no European women Vi
children Of any grade left in the station
But now in spite Of the excessive and over
towering heat one and all had to make lie as
endurable was possible without those Injuries
to which they had been used. For all STOOD On
the same level now; the wives of colonel ana
priyatcs shared alike the work Of nursing and
cooking and washing one with another Just as
officers aud had forgotten oil distinctions, ana
did each the work that his strength allowed, stand
ing shoulder to shoulder, men and brothers, against
one common foe.
And oh. what a life it was Over hundred
and fifty men besides the women and children, Of
whom there were about seventy cooped up III
three buildings which any one OF them would ha''
declared less than three months before couId no.
possibly have held a third of that number. fooc
was scarce and of the poorest quailty' ana "a'
served out in the scantiest OF ntons, So that th'
evil day. when they would be forced TO surrender
to tho enemy, might be put of as long as possible
Water was not plentiful nor yet good There were
no butchers TO kill the animals which stlu exec
out starving existence on the coarse grass OF the
church compound and if there had been, there wer
no cooks TO dress the meat There were no washer
men and no servants TO keep the punkahs gong
nor yet with one exception, any ayahs even u
wash and attend TO the children.
II was an awful life, for this work all fell upor
the European women OF every grade, they VINO
up 10 That time, had Iound HIc III 'iie oe r.,
only endurable by the help of such luXuries as pu
few have or desire to have in their own country
They were all brave, every one OF the womei
Of that devoted band, yet without doubt th'
bravest woman in the garrison the colonel
WIFE Mrs. Marchmont She was not particularly
strong and she had not had the advantage Of what
is generally called domesticated education :" sh
had never been especially handy with her fingers
and knew no pore how to make pudding thar
She knew how 10 make Greek fire. She had beef
Twelve years in Ina ID ~ a rule had lived al
inactive, luxurious life, lying most OF her day
upon q sofa, and driving out in the cooi OF tn
evening to listen TO The band or chat with III
other ladies OF the garrison.
But when the terrible mutiny II 81 broke on
I'D frnun and ofI Ind In fh