The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-11-30

900 against So 900, and the residency
an6 the earthworks around it were not
pu, up for such an attack. 1t was only
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 murt remember that
we and all the women had heard Of the
butchery at Cawnpur. and we knew
what defeat meant. If unable to hold
out any longer, we would have blown
ourselves up and all gone out of life to-
gether. "
''Show me. said, "the rooms where
the 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-
ror indescribable I entered the cellars
where 622 women and children had been
crowded until the whole floor was full.
I know the exact number, for 1 counted
their names Oh the 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" Wives had obtained from
their husbands the promise that the hus-
bands would shoot them rather than let
them fall into the hands Of these desper-
ADDE'S. The women within the resi-
dency were kept on the smallest allow
ance that would maintain life. No op-
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 momentary expectation that
the enraged savages would rush upon
them, in violence Of which club and
sword and torch and throat cutting
would be the milder forms. f ta
Our escort told us again and again of
the bravery of these women. They did
not despair. They encouraged the SOL
diery. They waited on the 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 a 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 come that Havelock and
Outram were on the way to fetch these
besieged ones out of their wretohedness.
They had received a letter from Havelock
rolled up in quill and carried in the
mouth of a disguised messenger, 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-firing from housetops, firing
from windows, firing from doorways
I asked our friend if he thought that
the world famous story of 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 / knew from my
own observation that delirium some
times quickens some of the faculties,
and l rather think the Scotch lass in her
delirium was the first to hear the bag
pipes. | decline to believe that class of
people who would like to 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
fellow poems immortalized things that |
never occurred. The Scotch lass did |
hear the slogan. almost heard it my
self as l stood inside the residency while |
my escort told of the coming on of the
Seventy eighth highland regiment.
"Were you present when Havelock
came inf' l asked, for l could suppress |
the question no longer. His answer
came:
II was not at the moment present, but |
with some other young fellows l saw
bOlul6IS utIlNlllS WH1lc OWO hlSl4duu |
pipers played, and 1 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-
for 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
which they came"
We walked up to the spot. 1t is now
a broken down pile of bricks a dozen
yards from the gate Long grass now,
but then blood spattered, bullet scar
red opening in the wall.
AS we stood there, although the scene
was 81 years ago, 1 saw them come in
-Havelock pale and sick, but trium-
phant and Outram, whom all the eques-
trian statues in Calcutta and Europe
cannot too grandly present.
Deliverance ae Last.
What then happened?'' said to my
escort "Oh, :" 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,