Round the Red Lamp

was sodden and greasy and cheerless. From the high dark buildings of the arsenal came the whirr of many wheels, the thudding of weights, and the buzz and babel

ool, or loitered to peep through the single, front windows at the big, gilt-edged Bibles, balanced upon small, three-legged tables, which were their usual adornment. Stout women, with thick, red arms and dirty aprons, stood upon the whitened doorsteps, leaning upon

the listeners. "If he hain't no sense now, I 'specs he won't learn much on thi

ale-faced woman with watery blue eyes. "He's been at the ba

me agone," remarked a third.

had stood leaning against the wall, with a smile of superior knowledge upon her face.

th, Missus Simpson, 'ow l

n her coarse red fingers, "and that were fifteen. Ten and ten, and ten, and

e young woman with a chuckle. "S'pose he were only twenty, the

every day of it,

his young niece, or grandniece, or whatever she is, come to-day, I'm off,

issus Simpson?" asked th

ck. "There he go back and forrards, doing what he call his sentry go. 'Arf the night through he's at that game, the silly old juggins. At six o'clock this very mornin there he was beatin' with a stick a

pson!" cried a cracked and

with an air of triumph. "He do go on som

ning ration, M

eady, Mr. Br

a baby cryin' for its pa

up sometimes!" cried Mrs. Simpson viciou

stepped across the road and touched the housekeeper timidly upon the arm. "I think

and comely, with a turned-up nose and large, honest grey eyes. Her print dress, her straw hat

" said Mrs. Simpson, eyeing her u

o look after my G

here you are, young woman! In you go and make yourself at home. There's tea in the caddy and bacon on the dresser, and the old man will be about you if you don'

n instant took over her new duties. Ere five minutes had passed the tea was made, two slices of bacon were frizzling on the pan, the table was rearranged, the antimacassars straightened over the sombre brown furniture, and the whole room had taken a new air of comfort and neatness. This done she looked round curiously at the prints upon the walls. Over the fireplace, in a

ng that Generals Foy and Jerome Buonaparte were again massing their infantry for an attack on the position, Colonel Byng dispatched Corporal Brewster to the rear to hasten up the reserve ammunition. Brewster came upon two powder tumbrils of the Nassau division, and succeeded, after menacing the drivers with his musket, in inducing them to convey their powder to Hougoumont. In his absence, however, the hedges surrounding the position had been set on fire by a howitzer battery of the French, and the passage of the carts full of powder became a most hazardous matter. The first tumbril exploded, blowing the driver to fragments. Daunted by the fate of his comrade, the second driver turned his horses, but Corporal Brewste

red how her father used to speak of his courage and his strength, how he could strike down a bullock with a blow of his fist and carry a fat sheep under either arm. True, she had n

an, which was inscribed upon the edge, when there came a sudden tapping and shuffling upon the

an, gaunt and puckered, with twitching hands and shuffling, purposeless feet. A cloud of fluffy white hair, a red-veined nose, two thick tufts of eyebrow and a pair of d

The cold nips me without 'em. See to my fingers!" He held out his distorted ha

im with wonder in her eyes. "Don't you know who I

s chair, "and schnapps is warm, and there's 'eat in soup, bu

h Bre

Seems to me folk's voices

m your grandniece come down fr

arge having a girl!" He chuckled hoarsely to himself, and

rother George's son," said s

there was no chousing Jarge. He's got a bull pup o' mine that I gav

n dead this twenty year," sa

imini! I'm cold for lack o' my rations. Rum is good, a

"It's a middlin' goodish way you've come," said

hat, u

h that br

e by the mo

newfangled things! By Jimini, to think of you comin'

at stirring her tea and glancing sideways at the

ife, uncle," said she. "It must

d that battle, it might have been yesterday. Eh, but I get a power o' good from my rations!" He did indee

e asked, jerking his he

I'm sure you must

dgment is proud of you,' says he. 'And I'm proud of the ridgment,' say I. 'A damned good answer too!' sa

ldiers coming down the street with

re's the pioneers an' the drum-major! What be their number, lass?" His eyes were shining

cle. They've something wrote on their

young mostly, but they hain't forgot how to march. They have the swing-aye, I'll say that for them. They've got the swing." He ga

hair when the door opened

ter! Better to

g in my chest. It's all them toobes. If I could but cut the phle

ng man, put his fingers to th

no liberties." The thin tide of life seemed t

man ch

he'll see I don't break barracks or do what I hadn't o

h wh

n 'em had his stock on." He croaked and chuckled for a long time over his discovery. "It woul

e. "I'll look in once a week or so, and see how you are."

pered. "If you find him fa

ls him,

are pipes of lime. His heart is shrun

nsibilities which had come upon her. When she turned a tall, brown-faced artilleryman, with t

y, yellow-banded cap. "I b'lieve there's an old gentleman lives here

down her eyes before the keen, critical gaze of

miss? I'll call again if it d

u, sir. He's in here, if you'll step in. Uncle,

ile he raised his hand, palm forwards, in a salute. Norah stood by the door, with her mouth and eyes open, wondering if her granduncle

ing with his stick to a chair. "You're full young for the stripes. Lordy, it's easier to get three now th

cdonald, of H Battery, Southern Artillery Division. I have called as the spokesman of m

cried. "'The ridgment is proud of ye,' says he. 'And I am proud of the ridgment,' says

sir," said Sergeant Macdonald; "and if you could step as far you'

Well, well, when the warm weather comes again I'll maybe drop in. Too grand for a cantee

r, was you not?" asked t

now the Scots Guards. Lordy, but they have all marched away-every man of them-from old Colonel Byng down to the drummer boys, and here am I a straggler-

ed the sergeant. "Won't you try my bacc

an instant it slipped through his fingers, and was broken to pieces on the floor. His lip quivered, his no

er him, and patting his white head as one soothes

wooden pipe with an amber mouth, if you'll do me the honour

ars. "It's a fine pipe. See to my new pipe, Norah. I lay that Jarge

y way back from the b

on a musket. What's the manual, sergeant, eh? Cock your firelock-look to your primi

ing. "You pressed on the lever and opened the b

ard tell of it, but I never believed it afore. Ah! it won't come up to brown Bess. When

h Africa now. I see by this mornin's paper that the Government has knuckled unde

it wouldn't ha' done for the Dook; the Do

ve wearied you enough for one sitting. I'll look in again, and I'll bring a comrade or

me, at last, when it might be doubted to which of the two occupants his visits were directed, nor was it hard to say by which he was most anxiously awaited. He brought others with him; and soon, through all the lines, a pilgrimage to Daddy Brewster's came to be looked upon as the proper thing to do. Gunners and

when, save an animal outcry when the hour of his meals came round, no word would fall from him. He was a white-haired child, with all a child's troubles and emotions. As the warm weather came

the hot May sun. "It's a job to keep back the flies, though. Th

m off you, unc

o' the glory to come. You might read me a bit o

would you l

them

e w

to my mind. When parson comes he wants to get off to something else; but it's Joshua o

Norah, "it's all pea

t ain'

, uncle,

irritably upon the ground. "I tel

hat did

fight. He even gave it a name,

aged

pecs the Third Guards'll be there. And

the street, glancing up at the numbers of the houses. Now a

"perhaps you are

r," answered

who is on the roll of the Scots Guards as h

rd Guards in those days. It was a fine ridgment,

gentleman heartily. "But I am the colonel of the Scots G

h his hand to his rabbit-skin cap. "God bless

ome in?" suggested the practic

ten his stick, and as he led the way into the parlour his knees tottered, and he threw ou

d the colonel, as he l

arce believe it. To think of me the corporal of the flank company and

otted knuckles, the stringy throat, and the heaving, rounded shoulders. Could this, indeed, be the last of that band of heroes? Then he glanced at the half-filled phials, the blue li

y comfortable and happy,"

You wouldn't think the job it is to cut the phlegm. And I need my rations. I get

emory?" aske

, sir, I could give you the name of every

ttle-you re

l box is for Hougoumont on the right-where we was-and Norah's thimble for La Haye Sainte. There it is, all right, sir; and here were our guns, and here behind the reserves and the Belgians. Ach, them Belgians!" He spat fur

most now in connection with the

ent 'em to Jabez Smith, my rear rank man, in Brussels. 'Only till pay-day, Grig,' says he. By Gosh! he was stuck by a lancer a

f some little trifle which may add to your comfort," he said. "It is not from me, so you need

here's one favour that I wou

, my

lag and a firing party? I'm not a civilian; I'm

said the colonel. "Good-bye; I hope t

they saw him walk past the window; "but, Lordy, he

or came and shook his head in silence. All day the man lay with only his puffing blue lips and the twitching of his scraggy neck to show that he still held the breath of life. Norah and Serge

they heard a shout that rang through the house. Loud and clear and swelling, it pealed in their ears-a voice full o

e hair bristling, his whole figure towering and expanding, with eagle head and glance of fire. "The Guards need powder!" he thundered once again, "and,

bed the frightened girl,

said he, "that the Third Guards hav