The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-11-30

from the mercy of God that we were
not massacred soon after the besiege-
ment. We were resolved not to allow
ourselves to get into the hands Of those
desperadoes. You NUT remember that
we and all the women had heard of the
butohery at Cawnpur. and we knew
what defeat meant II unable to hold
out any longer, we would have blown
ourselves up and all gone out Of life to-
gether."
'Show mo. said, ''the rooms where
ihe women and children staid during
those awful months" Then we crossed
over and went down into the cellar of
the residency. With shudder of hor.
Dor Understandable ! entered the cellars
where 82a women and children had been
crowded until the whole floor was full
/ know the exact number, for counted
their names ON tho roll. As one of the
ladies wrote in her diary-speaking of
these women she said, "They lay upon
the floor fitting into each other like bits
in puzzle. F" Wives had obtained from
their husbands the promise that tho hus-
bands would shoot them rather than let
them fall into the hands Of these desper
ADDE'S Tho women within the resi-
denoy were kept on tho smallest allow
ance that would m,iintain life. No OPP
portunity Of privacy. The death angel
and the birth angel touched wings as
they passed. Flies, mosquitoes, vermin
in full possession of the place, and these
women in momentnry expectation that
the enraged savages would rush upon
them, in violence Of which club and
sword and torch and throat cutting
would DO the milder forms.
Our escort told Us again and again of
the bravery of these women, They did
not despair. They encouraged tho SOL
diery. They waited on tho wounded and
dying in the hospital. They gave up
their stockings for holders of the grape
shot. They solaced each other when
their children died. When q husband
or father fell, such prayers of sympathy
were offered as only women can offer.
They endured without complaint They
prepared their own children for burial.
They were inspiration for the men who
stood at their posts fighting till they
dropped.
The GUNS of Relief.
Our escort told us that again and
again news had some that Haveloch and
Outram were OH the way to fetch these
besieged ones out of their Indebtedness.
They had received a letter from Havelock
rolled up in quill and carried in the
mouth Of disguised messenger, a letter
telling them he was ON the way, but the
next news was that Havelock had been
compelled to retreat. 1t was constant
vacillation between hope and despair.
But one day they heard the guns Of re-
lief sounding nearer and nearer. Yet all
the houses of Lucknow were fortresses
filled with armed miscreants, and every
step Of Havelock and his army was con-
tested-fring from housetops, firing
from windows. firing from doorways.
/ asked our friend II lie thought that
the world famous story CT Scotch lass
in her delirium hearing The Scotch bag
pipes advancing with the Scotch regi-
ment was true story. He said he did
not know but that is was true Without
this mans telling me I knew from my
own observation that delirium some
times quickens some Of the faculties,
and rather think the Scotch lass in her
delirium was the first to hear the bag
pipes I decline to believe that class Of
people who would like 70 kill all the
poetry of the world and Danish all the
fine sentiment. They tell us that Whit
tiers poem about Barbara Freitchie was
founded on delusion, and that Long
fellows poems immortalized things that
never occurred. The Scotch lass did
hear the slogan. I almost heard 1t my
self as stood inside the residency while
my escort told of the coming on of the
Seventy eighth highland regiment.
"Were you present when Havelock
came in?" I asked, for could suppress
the question no longer. His answer
came:
II was not at the moment present, but
with some other young fellows I saw
soldiers dancing while two highland
pipers played, and l said, What is all
this excitement?' Then we came up and
saw that Havelock was in, and Outram
was In, and the regiments were pouring
in.
SHOW us where they came in" / ex-
claimed. for I knew that they did not
enter through the gate Of the residency,
that being banked up inside to keep the
murderers out. Here it is, answered
my escort Here it is-the embrasure
through which they came. I"
We walked up to the spot. It is now
broken down pile of bricks dozen
yards from the gate. Long grass now,
but then blood spattered, bullet scar
red opening III the wall
As we stood there, although the scene
was 81 years ago, saw them come in
-Havelock pale and sick, but trium-
plant, and Outram, whom all the eques-
trian statues in Calcutta and Europe
cannot too grandly present.
Deliyerance at Last.
What then happened" ] said to my
escort. "Oh, I" he said, that is impos-
sible to tell. The earth was removed
from the gate, and soon all the army Of
relief entered, and some of us laughed,
and some cried, and some prayed, and
some danced. Highlanders 80 dust COY
cred and enough blood and wounds on
their faces 10 make them unrecogniza.
BILE snatohed the babes out of their
mothers arms and kissed them and
passed the babies along for other sol
diers to kiss, and the wounded men
crawlcd out Of the hospital to join in
the cheering, and it was wild jubilee
until, the first excitement passed, the
story of how many of the advancing ar
my had been slain ON the way began to
dave fearful effect, and the story of suf-
fering that had been endured inside the
fort, and the announcement to children
that they were fatherless, and to wives
that they were widows, submerged the
shouts of joy with wailing of agony.
but were you not embarrassed by
the arrival Of Hayeiock and /, 400 men
who brought no food with them?'' He
answered: "Of course wo were put on
smaller rations Immediately in order