Old Man Savarin Stories

s, and unquenchable eyes that pierce through rolling smoke to where the relics of the old Guard of France stagger and rally and reach fiercely again up the hill o

g himself from that case-bottle of sound brandy? George Osborne lying yonder, all his fopperies ended, with a bullet through his heart? Rawdo

r grandfather, or his father, or some old dead soldier of the great wars whose blood you exult to inherit, or some

s in my thought-pictures charge again and again vainly against old John; he it is who breaks the New Guard; upon the ground that he defends the Emperor's eyes are fixed all day long. It is John who occasionally glances at t

as if under the orders of his commander. Tall, thin, white-haired, close-shaven, and always in knee-breeches and long stockings, his wa

ish by horse and cart was regarded in that district as peculiarly respectable. It was a glorious trade when old John Loc

a lot of customers and was about to march again at the head of his horse. That restored him from trade to his soldiership-

wear it outsid

ram Beaman, the druggist, asked him wh

old John

scorn. 'I've took better men's lives nor ever yours was for to get i

l you,' sa

're nowt but walking dirt.' From that day forth he woul

home from school on a bright winter afternoon, I met old John walking very erect, without

staring with admiration, "is th

ter. "War's declared against Rooshia, and now it's right to show i

the paper that the veteran gave him. In those days there was no railway within fifty miles of us. It ha

g his white head, "and it's curious to be f

t of Alma came, his remarks on the French failure to get into the fight were severe. "What was they eve

ng they had outflanked us and the day was gone, so there was nothing more to do but make out to die hard, like the sons of Waterloo men. You would have been pleased to see the looks of what was left of the old regiment, father. Then all of a sudden a French column came up the rise out of the mist, screaming, 'Vive l'Empereur!' their drums beating the charge. We gave them room, for we

they beat all the world, and even stand up many's the day agen ourselves and the Duke? They didn't

d been promoted for bravery on the field. After John came a dozen gray militiamen of Queenston Heights, Lundy's Lane, and Chippewa; next some forty volunteers of '37. And we boys of the U. E. Loyalist settlement cheered and cheered, thrilled with an intense vague kno

CHED IN FULL

CHED IN FULL

aled. The Chinese War of 1857 was too contemptibl

steadily in, his face became more haggard, gray, and dreadful. The feeling that he was too old for use seemed to shame him. He no longer carried his head high, as of yore. That his son was not marching behind Havelock with the avenging army see

and thrown into India against the mutineers. At that news old John marched into the vill

ng aloud the account of the capture of a great Sepoy fort. The veteran

k. It was performed by native sappers, covered by the fire of two regiments, and head

soldier. He straightened up to keener attention, threw out his chest

y son was there!"

party, under Lieutenant Dacre, to do its duty. While trying to fire the charge he was shot through one arm and leg. He sank, but handed the match to Sergeant Macpherson, who was at onc

a deeper voice. All forbore

blown to fragments, and the waiting regiments of infa

in the post-office, till

alings with us! My son, Sergeant Locke,

soldier wheeled about, and marched proudly straight do

refrained from intruding on his mourning. But in the evening, when the Angl

t of Waterloo above his quiet heart. His right hand lay on an open Bible, and his face wore an expression as of looking for ever and