The Hero

day, looking through his Standard to make sure that he had overlooked no part of it. Finall

hed the paper?"

read it all. Ther

een. His eyes rested, with a happy smile, upon the triumphal arch which decorated the gate for the home-coming of his son, expected the next day from So

you go on much longer w

le, affectionate smile. But she stopped, rather tired, and

made it a bit higher in t

would yo

and when he had made up his mind, sat down again quietly on her chair by the firesi

was the gentlest of creatures, and the most kind-hearted; she looked upon her husband with great and unalterable affection, admiring intensely both his head and his heart. He was her type of the upright man, walking in the ways of the Lord. You saw in the placid, smooth brow of the Colonel's wife, in her calm eyes, even in the severe arrangement of the hair, parted in the middle and drawn back, that her character was frank, simple, and straightforward. She was a woman to whom evil had never offered the smallest attraction; she was merely aware of its existence theoretically. To her the only way of life had been that which led to God; the o

d Colonel Parsons suddenly. "

Richm

rightened her pale cheeks. Her heart beat painfull

hip is signalled," said the Colonel, to quiete

d, can it?" said Mrs. Parsons, her

he telegram was brought in by the servant. "I

me; I can see

the window, and with tre

o-night; 7.

d then, unable to restrain herself, sank on a chair,

le, but half choked with his own emotion, "don't cry!

holding it for comfort. With the other, the Colonel lo

that anxiety. It makes me tremble still when I think how we used to long for the paper to come, an

the Colonel cheerily, blowing his no

of the pleasure this earlier arrival would cause to Mary Clibbo

ppointed not to be here; she's gone to the Polsons in T

t's too late to go and meet h

this evening. I don't th

roused herself to

d; "we've only the rest of the cold mutton, and the

lowing day to celebrate the return of their son, and Mrs. P

get some chops. I expe

ut. And we can have a b

like it; no detail slipped their memory, and they arranged and rearranged so that he should find nothing altered in his absence. They attempted to satisfy in this manner the eager longing of their hearts; it made them both a little happier to know that they were actually doing something for their son. No pain in love is so hard to bear as that which comes from the impossibility of doing any

of Parsons had been in the army, and had borne themselves with honour to their family and with credit to themselves. It was a fine record that Colonel Parsons inherited of brave men and good sol

fluence was invariably for good, and his subordinates knew that in him they had always a trusty friend; few men had gained more love. He was a mild, even-tempered fellow, and in no circumstance of life forgot to love his neighbour as himself; he never allowed it to slip his memory that even the lowest caste n

cut off, by means of flanking bodies, their retreat through the two passes behind. He placed his guns on a line of hillocks to the right, and held the tribesmen in the hollow of his hand. He could have massacred them all, but nothing was farther from his thoughts. He summoned

he said, "and they'

m all sides; and in the early morning, before dawn, his flanking parties were attacked. Colonel Parsons, rather astonished, sent them help, and thinking himself still superior in numbers to the rebellious tribesmen, attacked their main body. They wanted nothing better. Falling back slowly, they drew him into the mo

oming a disorderly rout. He gathered his men together, put courage into them, risked his life a dozen times; but nothing could disguise the fact that his failure was disastrous. It was a small affair and was hushed up, but the consequences were

folly had cost so many lives. When he heard people laugh he thought it was in scorn of him; when he saw compassion in their eyes he could scarcely restrain his tears. He was indeed utterly broken. He walked in his garden, away from the eyes of his fellows, up and down, continually turning over in his mind the events of that terrible week. And he could not c

the best, Richm

blood. That's not war; that's murder. What should I have said to my Maker when He asked me to account for those many souls? I spared them; I imagined they'd un

ly in the sight

t I acted as a Ch

God, you need not min

been lost than if I had struck boldly and mercilessly. There are widows and orphans in England who must curse me because I am the cause that their husbands are dead, and that their fathers are rotting on the hills of India. If I had a

her hand on her h

e is clear of evil intent. What is the judgment of man beside the judgment of God? If you have received insult and humiliation at the han

act like a Christian a

hat the most ignorant sepoy in his command thought him incapable and mad. He saw the look in the eyes of the officers under him, their bitter contempt, their anger because he forced them to retire before the enemy; and because, instead of honour and glory

egan to take an interest in the affairs of the life surrounding him. He could read his paper without every word stabbing him by some chance association; and there is nothing like the daily and thorough perusal of a newspaper for dulling a man's br

el Parsons had shrunk from telling the youth anything of the catastrophe which had driven him from the service; but now he forced himself to give

n can only harm you. Men will nudge one another and say, 'There's the son of old Parsons, who bungled the affair against the Madda Khels.' You must show them that you're of good st

ed in despatches. Colonel Parsons regained entirely his old cheerfulness; Jamie's courage and manifest knowledge of his business made him feel that at last he could again look the world frankly in the face. Then came the Boer War; for the parents at Little Primpton and for Mary Clibborn days