Year: 1871

road. If he turned to the left, and
walked straight on, he would come, at
the end of a couple of miles, to mar
tello tower; and then, two miles again
further on, to Portable, where is small
harbor with occasional yachts in it, a
good hotel, a billiard-room-in word,
civilization. IF he turned to the right,
ten minutes walk would bring him to
the barracks.


1t was on the second day of my arri
val that | made this last discovery, and
as | stood gazing with awe upon the
barrack entrance, thinking how very
much it resembled prison, and won
dering what the sentry, who stood just
inside, looking prickly, would do to me
if | attempted to enter, the soldier
thus contemplated became suddenly
rigid, his Misunderstanding weapon
flew up to his shoulder, and he made a
sort of military point. Then, in q sud-
den, snatchy, galvanized way, he gave
his gun slap, and held it in front of
him; and this, tall, elderly man in
spurs, striped trousers, and frock-coat
festooned with broad shoe-string seemed
to take as personal compliment, for he
touched his forage cap, an absurd little
head ornament, which did not quite
cover the bald patch on the top.


A young lady accompanied the elderly
officer, and young man accompanied
the, young lady. The youth must have
been very fond, for he was got up as if
for Ascot; and his shining hat, delicate
boots, lavender gloves, and button-hole
flower, looked very incongruous in that
lonely spot. But the peacock spreads
his dazzling tail just as readily in the
depths of the lonely forest as on the
lordly terrace; and he is right. do
not suppose that an Adonis wants to fas-
cinate more than one at a time with his
apparel; and if that one is present, what
does the absence of the twenty thousand
others matter?.


When the trio emerged from the bar
rack square, the young lady stopped
short, looked hard at me, and then
spoke eagerly to the old gentleman in
uniform, who at once advanced toward
me and held out his hand.


" MY daughter tells me that you are
Mr.. Tweedle, who so kindly came to her
assistance when she was lost in London" ="
said he, and was very civil. So was Miss.
Duckling. The young man to whom L
was introduced tried to follow suit, but
failed. 1t was easy to see that he hated
me. He was but an ingenious Ensign,
and had not yet learned how to conceal
his feelings. The cause of his enmity, [
need hardly say, was the cordiality of the
Young lady's manner toward myself.


$50 Won have left Ireland" [ unne-
cessarily observed.


"Yes papa got his step, and was put
in command of this depot"


"By the by, Colonel" said l, "what is
a depot? Stores, shades and depots
have been mysteries to me from my
youth" The solidity of my ignorance
excited a smile upon the face OF the En-
sign, but the old soldier sought to
enlighten me.


"A depot? Well, you know-several
regiments have their depot at it,"


/" I see," I falsely asserted.


We had a pleasant walk to some new
butts which are being set up and on
our return the Colonel and his daughter
both declared that | must come and see
Mrs. Duckling. So passed through the
barrack- gates with the rest, feeling taller
when the sentry presented arms. The
Colonel took the Ensign's arm, and
spoke to him aside; the poor youth nod
ded, and presently afterward asked me
to dine at the mess that evening. L am
sure from the forced character Oh ms
smile, that he felt feeding me to be
pushing Christianity rather to far.


Then he had to bow himself off, leav-
ing me to enter the home of the beautI-
fi1I Emma. Neither the beautiful Emma
nor her mamma could have been good
housewives, for the quarters OF the chief
were in terrible mess, and his little
ones, who came swarm4ng over us were
a sad contrast to the clean tidy off
springs of the non on-commissioned officers
that | had noticed playing about. AS
for the youngest Duckling, tot that
pottered about, dragging fresh herring
tied to bit Of string after it, as toy,
he was so sticky that | am convinced
that fly alighting on him would have
been lined.


The furniture was scanty and COM
mon, and no attempt had been made to
set things off. We found Mrs. Duck
ling lying on sofa reading a novel.
She had been handsome woman in her
time, there could be no doubt of that,
and she had the best part of beauty, a
kind, feminine, good tempered express
sion. left. She greeted me with cordi-
ality, and evidently thought great deal
of my having paid her daughters fare.
{" Civility | have met with myself, over
and over again." said she, "but five
pounds from an utter stranger-never" "


| liked her, she was so thoroughly un-
affected; they were poor, but she seemed
to think that rather a joke than other
wise.


"I will not ask you to dinner" said
she, 1--WE dine early, because OF the chill
dren. If you are hungry at any time
about one o'clock, and can eat cold meat
and rice pudding, we shall be glad to
see you, but do not expect to be asked.
When the Colonel cannot stand our fare
any longer, he goes to the mess"


1t is vesy pleasant to be made much
of. and the Ducklings were so agreeable
that l stopped at Cobbleston few days
longer than was strictly necessary. L
must confess that took a mischievous
pleasure in exciting the jealous wrath
of the Ensign, and this appeared to be
shared by the fair Emma. AT least, she
certainly acted in a manner which was
likely to pique him, paid more attention
to what said when we were together,
and seemed to prefer walking with me /;
but cannot put into words the many
little perceptible, though undetinable,
shades of conduct which were calculated
to depress him and encourage me. L
was glad not to be forced on the poor
youth as a nominal say nominal, be-
cause, doubtless, l really dined at the
Colonels expense-as a nominal guest
again. On the second day I was made