The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-21

| wearied of asking Smerdon's daughter
! about him on such occasions as Frances was
| in Manchester, and cross examined Nellie
on her return from Monmouthshire In a
manner Numerically opposed to his ex-
/ pressed opinions. Smerdon. too, in his turn,
! had been curious to hear of his old school,
/ boy friend. and the two girls sometimes dis
/ cussed their respective fathers. But there
was this difference: Whereas, Matthew
| Smerdoa's career was not only well known
| to his daughter but TO all his neighbors
| from the verv outset, nobody knew any
thing about Lynden's from his disappear
! ance almost as boy in the great London
, wilderness until his temperance as re-
tired medical man in Manchester some four
years ago. That he had practiced on the
continent and made money was the brief
account that DIR. Lynden deigned TO give of
his past
At this particular juncture there COM
menced a pickering between England and
the great Autocrat OF the north, which
little as any ono dreamed of it at the time,
was shortly destined to set all Europe by
the ears. Europe had been at peace ever
since Waterloo, and that big battles were
ever again to he fought amongst the west
ern nations was apparently looked upon by
politicians with incredulity. Still that real
or mythical will of Peter the Greats had
always been kept steadily in sight by the
rulers of Russia, To come to Constauti-
nople sooner or later ever their fixed reso-
luton, and tho Turks still believe just
as firmly that they will, and that
it is their Kismet. But as to about
the when they are to arrive there the Rus
slams have fallen into great mistakes. II the
Turk submits resignedly to his KiSnlet in the
end, yet he will fight bitterly to avert, it as
he has shown at Plevna and elsewhere.
Moreover the nations of Europe have ever
regarded with jealous eyes the idea of Rus
STA at Constantinople. The car, Nicholas,
was doubtless aware OF all this when he
made up his mind that the pear was ripe for
the pluckiDg. Europe might not like it,
but who was there to interfere with him.
There was no united Germany in those
days. France had only recovered from its
state of chronic revolution to have relapse
in the shape of coup d'etdt, while for
England one might as we'll expect to see a
Quaker in the prize ring as Great Britain
intervening by arms in any of the quarrels
of Europe.
The nations of the west might not like it;
but then, in the words of the immortal
Wegg. 1.-THE nations of the west were at
liberty to lump It." Very busy was the
English government with notes aud protests.
circulars, ETC., finally dabbling with that
most dangerous of all documents an, ultima
tum. That England would ever fight about
such trif1e as Russia annexing the Dan
ubian provinces of Turkey was thing
neither believed in by the car nor
the British government. But the
temper of the English people
had to be reckoned with. The Eaglish peo-
pie may be thick headed, but they are also
extremely obstinate, and close on forty
years ago John Bull made up his mind that
he would stand no Russian aggression, and
chat it was his bounden duty 10 protect the
Turks. After Waterloo. the Millenium;
forty years, and there comes another big
war; forty years again, and those gallant
Turks for whom 1t was waged are pro-
nounced ''unspeakable. And l fancy there
are good many big battles yet to be fought
before we come to the final field of Arma-
geddon.
The English nation had taken the bit be-
tween its tee th, and was "neither to baud
nor to bind" 1t was bent upon fighting,
and no government could control it-kicked
the government OF the day out Of the saddle
in very short time. Whether we were
ready for war, or indeed whether any nation
in Europe was what would be termed ready
for war in these days, is open to question.
Before we knew where we were, we were
committed to 1t, and had to make the best
of ii. That this should occasion much con-
fusion at the Horse Guards. as
it was then, and much order
ing and counter ordering Of troops,
was only natural. One thing which still
further complicated affairs was the per-
sistency with which the government chung
to the belief that the whole thing would end
after all in "a demonstration" that the
strengthening of our garrisons in The
| Mediterranean and the landing Of a small
army at Gallipolli must convince the car
| that we were in earnest. 1t was not likely
that the proud ruler OF the hordes of
Turkestan and the steppes of Tartary " ould
| finch from lifting the gauntlet we had
thrown down, and of this our rulers were
very shortly destined Co be convinced.
Now all this led. of course, to much shift
| ing and changing of troops, the places OF
regiments that had been promptly shipped
off to the east had to be filled by others,
brought from wherever the authorities
could ley hands on them. Our military
chiefs of those days were painfully cogni-
zant that they could do with mauy more
regiments that we actually possessed, and
small in comparison TO all that was
required of it. Regiments got
hu filed about in rather higgedly-
piggledy fashion in those days. One thing
safe to keep clearly in mind, tnat wherever
regiment might be sent it was as well
it should be handy to port Of i.barka
ton, tor it was patent TO any one that ii
there was really going to be war every
soldier that could be laid hands on in th'
United Kingdom would be required on the
scene of action. The result OF all these
changes was was that her Majesty's til
found themselves, much to their disgust
in Manchester one fine day. having beer
sent there to relieve regiment told off fol
the east.
Miss Smerdon, who happened to be stay
ing with the Lyndens, picked up the news
in the course of her morning walk. Nearl,
year had elapsed since the great walking
match, and Frances Smerdon had seen q
good deal OF the til since then, but 1T 81
. happened Miss Lynden had not. She hac
paid one short visit in the autumn, but tn
only one of the officers from Newport sh
had met during that time was Capt. Byng
Frances laughed at the time and said, Its
not my fault, Nell, assure you, we asked
your hero TO dinner, but he's away on leave
somewhere, and could not catch him."
30 you may laugh at my hero, reJoineo
the girl gravely, but they will all have
chance of being heroes shortly"
why. nobody thinks there is going to b
a war, really" exclaimed Miss Smerdon.
so, yes, Frances, they do. My fathe
does for one. He not only thinks there'l
be war, but big war, too"
''But even if there should be. the I'll
are not under orders for it, and hope rhel
won't be- don't want to think my friends
my partners, men whose hands have onl.
, lately pressed mine, are carrying their live