Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-17

eyes centred upon him when in his ST-
tempore prayer the minister besought
"consolation for those who we're in sore
trouble and mourning over tho falling
away OF one near and dear TO them"
Robbie sat straight and square, his face
fixed--oniy bis lean, brown throat swelled
for moment as il bo were resolutely
forcing down a spasm of emotion. lib
bic, his wife, sat by his side. and when
the old soldier laid his hand on her
shoulder she quelled with strong effort
her rising sobs.
The simple services ended, the people
streamed out through tho door that Rob-
bic had thrown open; we OF the manse
party we're the last to emerge. IL was
part Of kobbie's duty as kirk-officer to
"cry" 10 the dispensing congregation
ell notices placed in his hands for pur
poses OF publicity. the duplicates OF
which he had previously nailed on the
kirk door. The kirk-ofiicer in those
primitive regions was the chief medium
for giving good advertisement. As we
came out Robbie was standing in the
centre Of large circle calling out in his
high falset.o tile particulars of a "dis-
pleuish sale -" Fower good stots, three
milk kye, a pair of work-horses, farm
Implements. household furniture" and
so on.
This finished there was pause. Ser
eeant Robbie folded mp the sale adver-
tisement, as he did this his hand was
trembling go that it fell TO the ground.
lie stopped, picked up the paper, and
put it in the rear pocket of his coat,
then from out his breast pocket he
pulled folded blue document. He
braced himself firmly came to rigid
attention" az if he were in the pres
once of his commanding officer, and
slowly opened out the blue paper.
Dinna read it, Robbie Dinna
read it. Sergeant " came from a dozen
voices in the sympathiziug circle around
him. " It's no necesssr'-ye medina. ye
mauna read it, " cried the senior elder,
James Cameron, OF the Caldwell, with
q sob in his thin old voice.
II was as if the Sergeant heard no word
Of discussion. ne had opened out the
paper and was holding it between bis
hands. standing there braced at "atten-
ton and fighting down the working IN
his throat that momentarily was staying
his voice.
Behind him, as ho thus struggled.
broke out the piteous wall, "Oh, my
laldie, ny Iaddie :" from the very
depths Of poor Tibbie's heart, followed
10y burst Of loud sobs.
The Sergeant did not turn to bis wife.
Boy as ] was. remember 1t struck me
that be dared not. ,
Balnabreich," ne said to an old
farmer standing directly in fiont OF INN
" Balnabreioh, tax her bame-tak her
ava frae TINS in the name Of God "
Old Balnabrcicb moved towards lib
bic. but before he reached her she got
the mastery Of herself again.
"1hank yc. Balnabreich, - she said,
"ye'ye a kind heart bat I'm gam to
bide here, whsur my man Is. We've
come through muckle thegther, and
we'li thole this disgrace thegither. and
sy0e him an NC, harmless moo, will tax
our sorrow hame thegither
The water was standing in the Ser
geants eyes, but the spasm was out OF
ms throat now, and IN steady, strong
voice that carried far, he read out the
print on the face of the blue paper. And
this was what 1t belell him to have to
rc0d
Whereas No 1920, Corporal Peter
S;rachau, Of the Ninety-second regi-
ment, aged twenty-iour years, height
five feet eleven inches, complexion rud-
dy, hair red. eyes blue, distinguishing
marks none, enlisted at Aberdeen on
the - day of --. 1874, born IN the
parish OF Auchtcrturlf, in the county OF
Bann, and resident iu said parish before
enlistment: Desc rted from the said regl-
mcut ut Montreal, Canada, on the --
day OF -, 1913: The heges are here
by warned under pain Of law against
hsrboring the said deserter, and are
strictly enioiued to give immediate in
formation 20 the nearest police officer
should they become coanlZant Of his
whereabouts, to the end that he may be
apprcbendcd and duly punished.
AlAsrAH MPHERsoN,
Col, Cong. Gordon Highlanders.
Con SAVE IRE QUEEN
Tho Sergeant uttered the final inyOca-
ton in loud, fra voice. and a gracclcss
Gallant in the background, unwilling Of
the tragedy Of the situation, cried
"Hurrah." Otherwise there rcigned
a dead silence rs the old man,
turning TO his wife, gave her his
arm with n Certein courtliness rare
among North Country husbands Of
the humber classes. and conducted
her out Of the little throng. The pair
we're allowed TO get out OF hearing ere
the little sur Of comment and coincidence
set init dill not last long, for most Of
the folk had TO trudgo some distance to
their homes. remember watching the
lonely couple as they wended their way
along the path 10y the side Of the wood,
the dumpy huddled figure Ia tho dutiie
shawl leaning against the tall spare form
i'm the quaint old blue coat that had once
belonged 90 the Duke, and the thread
bare tartan trcws that were relic OF the
old rCelmcnia'5.
From that sunday old Sergeant Robbie
was an altered mau. Never more did he
cross the hill for the once cherished
"crack" with his Peninsula friend the
Duke. Never more could the lads en-
Tee him to dram in the Biackhillock
public house. lie duly came TO his work
In the mause garden, but we boys hung
about him ma VAN for stories OF bls Old
fighting days a great silence had fallen
upon the old man. Ills lean figure
began to lose its erectness, and soon you
would scarcely have known HIM for Il
veteran soldier. There remained one
Ink only between him and my father
the interchange Of the snuh-mnil. But
there were no moro Of the genial little
chats that had been won't TO accompany
toe give snd take From that Sunday
Robbie was man of monosyllables, and
even my mother could not penetrate
hls grim reserve. He became yet
more laconic after he lost libbie,
who never held up head from the day
she knew of her sons disgrace. The
poor old woman faded out within u
couple of years, and Robbie had no
longer the consolation that comes from
1..,,, eorro,y shared. After her death