Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-01

Ms Dsnu upon my snouiueE.
$50, he said, you are the lad who love-
q sword better than 8 per?"
"'If it pleases your honor / replied.
ga sword means peril to life and limb,
he said sternly; he who goes a-fghfint
IN India must expect hard fate, rougf
sleeping, rude knocks. He must be evel
On the watch against treschery. He mus
meet duplicity with equal cunning. ID
must obey blsndly he must never ask why
he is sent to die like a rat in q hole, ht
must 90 without murmur or question
What you think-do you ?-that to car
~ sword is to flaunt q scarlet coat be
fore the ladies of ST. James 2"
" Nay, sir, with respect. have read
the lives of roldiers / would willingly
take the danger Tor the sake of the honor
But alas must stay OF home and SWEEP
shop
"'What is thy birth, boy?'
81 told him that, and satisfied BIN on
other points, including the reason OF my
flight, in which trust was 70 more than
truthful. Then he said ,
az am Lord Give and paused as if To
know wether had heard him.
You may be sure l was astonished, bui
/ quickly dotted my hat and made him nv
best country bred bow.
"'My LORD l said, we have heard,
even in Northumberland, of Plassy.'
Good / went to Iudia as writer
a miserable Quill driving writer. Think
of that. What one man has done another
may do. Now, boy, l sail this day Tor
India. There will be more fighting, a
great deal more fighting. If you please
you shall 90 as cadet with me. But
there is no time to hesitate; l sail this
day. Choose between the shop sweeping
and the musket. You will fight IN the
ranks at first, but if yOu behave well the
sword will come after. Choose-peace
and money scraping at home like these
SNUG faced fat citizens he swept his
hand with lordly contempt, or fshtiDg
and poverty, and perhaps death abroad.
Choose
81 bumbly thank your lordship,' /
said, i will follow you if you will conde-
sceDd to take me-
Then he babe me go straight to Lime
house Pool, where l shuld find the ship
at anchor l waJ to take note to the
purser, who would give me an outft.
THUS, my dear Drusilla, did tind my
fortune and sail for foreign parts under as
brave and great captain rs this country
will ever see.
"Our voyage lasted eleven months.
Three hundred raw recruits on board,
mostly kidnapped or inyeigled under false
pretenses by crimps and the scOundrels OF
Mapping. When they first paraded
they werelas beggarly looking lot as you
nous and foul mouthed. Yet III couple
of months, by daily drill, by good food
and sea air, by moderate FASHIONS OF rum,
by sound flOgging, by the continual dis
cipline of the boatswain's ropes end, and
the sergeant's rattan, the regimental sup
pleiack and the ships cat-o'nine-tails,
they became az promising soldiers as one
would wish. As tor me, / stood with
them in the drill and did my best. Of
course could not expect his lordship to
notice SO humble q cadet as myself, but
one evening, when We were near the end
of our voyage, he sent for nle and gave
me glass of wine, and kindly babe me be
patient and Of good cheer, because, he said,
young gentlemen Of merit and courage
would be sure TO find opportunities for dis
tinCtion."
Ralph then went on to describe the life
of soldier in India, and to tell me-but
this leave out for fear of being tedious
how he received his commission and how
he got promotion. lt is sufficient to say
that ut the time he wrote, after six years
Of service he held the commission of a
captain. Nor was that all. He had been |
able to render such signal service to GER
tain rajah, that this prince who was not |
and hoped, besides, for more
such services, took him one day into his |
treasure end babe linn help himself to all
il he pleased.
my dear" he continued, 81 knew not
that the world contained so much treas
are. Yet this raish il bot petty prince,
md bis wealth Is as nothing compared |
iiaih ;h6s 81 B EaePY u8c S6a5s wruSg '%SSofth'1
knew not, and diamonds in rings, sword |
candles and women's gaIds there were
-ubies, emeralds, sapphires, turquOises,
,pals and all kinds of precious stones |
strung rudely on common string If as they |
we're hut pebbles. There were also gold |
and silver vessels of all kinds, and there
we're casks full OF gold coins. As took |
out a handful ! saw that many OF them
were ancient, with Greek characters, per-
haps left IN this country by that great
soldier Alexander. When / had surveyed
these wonders l thanked him and said
that should not presume TO take 80 much
rs . single &c cont from his treasure, but
that il it pleased his highGess to Cfler me
D present should accept it with gratitude,
provided 1t WAS not too costly. He laugh
sd at these words, and when We cameaway
| was so loaded with gold that l tacied my
self already rich man.