Lever_Tom_Burke_of_Ours.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
classes, by the means of which public opinion is brought to
fiiijt bear upon individuals, from those of his own condition. was a
) law unto himself, suggesting his own means of advancement, and esti-
nj. mating his own powers of success $ and the result was, a general scram-
tbe ble for rank, dignity, and honours, the unfitness of the possessor for
ber which, when attained, brought neither contempt nor derision.
of epaulette was noblesse the shako, a coronet. wonder, then,
i.' if she, whose personal attractions were so great, and whose manners
er and tone of thought were so much above her condition, had felt the stir-
rings of that ambition within her heart, which now appeared to be the
i moving spirit of the nation.
in such thoughts, turned homewards towards my quarters,
and was already some distance from the convent, when a dragoon gal-
loped up to my side, and asked, eagerly, if were the surgeon of the
sixth grenadiers. replied in the negative, he muttered something
between his teeth, and added louder, " poor it will be
too late after all ;'' so saying, and before could question him further,
he set spurs to his horse, and dashing onwards, soon disappeared in
the darkness of the night. few minutes afterwards beheld a num-
j ber of lanterns straight before me, on the narrow road, and as came
nearer, a sentinel called out,
" there; stand."
gave my name and rank, when the man[^advancing towards me, said
in a half whisper,
" is our , sir they say he cannot be brought any farther,
and they must perform the operation here."
soldier's voice trembled at every word, and he could scarcely
falter out, in reply to my question, the name of the wounded officer.
" . , sir, who led the grenadiers on the ,"
said the poor fellow, his sorrow struggling with bis pride.
, . . . 11. 2
370 ^ ovn iisfis*
pressed forward, and there, on a litter, lay the figure of a large
and singularly fine-looking man. coat, which was covered with
orders, lay open, and discovered a shirt, stained and clotted with blood ;
but hb most dangerous wound was from a grape shot in the tbigh,
which shattered the bone, and necessitated amputation. young staff
surgeon, the only medical man present, was kneeling at his side, and
occupied in compressing some wounded vessels to arrest the bleeding,
which, at the slightest stir of the patient, broke out anew. re-
mainder of the group were grenadiers of his own regiment, in whose
aad and sorrow*struck faces, one might read the idfection his men
invariably bore him.
* he coming? hear any one coming?** said die young
surgeon, in an anxious whisper to the soldier beside him.
* , sir, but he cannot be far off now," replied the man.
** ride back to for assistance ?*' said , in a low voice,
to the surgeon.
" thank you, sir,'* said the wounded man, in a low, calm tone ^for
with the quick ear of sufi)ering he had overheard my question ^*
thank you, but my orderly has already been sent thither. you could
relieve my young friend here from his fatiguing duty for a little, you
would render us both a service am truly grieved to see him so
much exhausted.**
' , no, sir,'* stammered the youth, as the tears ran fast down his
cheeks, ^^ this is my place, will not leave it."
* fellow,** muttered the , as he pressed his hand gently
on the young man's arm, ^ can bear this better than you can.**
" , here he comes now,** said the sentinel, and the same moment
a man dismounted from his horse, and came forward towards us.
was , the surgeon of the himself, despatched by
the moment he heard of the event.
^At any other moment, perhaps, the abrupt demeanour of this cele
brated surgeon would have savoured little of delicacy or feeling, nor
even then, could forgive the sudden announcement in which he con-
veyed to the sufierer, that immediate amputation must be performed.
|:. ** chance left but this, ?'* said the .
" , sir,** replied the doctor, while he unlocked an instrument
case, and busied himself in preparation for the operation.
*^ you defer it a little an hour or two mean ?**
** hour perhaps, not more certainly **
" am certain of your services, then, ?*' said the ,
trying to smile. " know always promised myself your aid,
when this hour came.**
*' shall return in an hour,** replied the doctor, pulling out his
watch, ^ am going to 's quarters.**
** ; is he wounded ?**
*' mere sabre cut; but has suffered more severely.
, then, ,** said he, addressing the young surgeon, " you
remain here continue as you are doing and in an hour* *
*^ an houTi" echoed the wounded man, with a shudder, as though
*' .*' 371
" the anticipation of the dreadful event had thrilled through his very
heart; nor was it till the retiring sounds of the surgeon's horse
bad died away in the distance, that his features recovered their former
calm and tranquil expression.
prompt fellow is ," said he, after a pause, " and though
one might like somewhat more courtesy in the , yet on the
field of battle it is all for the best this is no place, nor time, for com-
pliments."
young man answered not a word, either not daring to criticise
too harshly his superior ; or, perhaps, his emotion at the moment was
^ too strong for utterance. reply to my offer to remain with him,
however, he thanked me heartily, and seemed gratified that he was
not to be left alone in such a trying emergency.
" ," said , after a pause, " have asked for time,
and am already forgetting how to employ it*'
can write here ? can you, ?'*
" no, sir," said a dark grenadier, blushing'to'the very eyes.
" you will permit a stranger, sir," said , " will be but too
proud and too happy to render you any assistance in my power. am
on the staff of ', and "
" officer, sir," interrupted he ; ** quite enough ; ask for
no other guerdon of your honour. down here, then, and but first
^ try if you can discover a pocket-book in my sabertasch ; hope it has
not been lost."
" it is, ," said a soldier, coming forward with it ; ^
found it on the ground beside you."
' , then, will a|j^ you to write down from my dictation, a few
lines, which, should this affair " he faltered slightly here ; " this
affair prove unfortunate, you will undertake to convey, by some means
or other, to the address shall give you in . is not a will, as-
sure you," continued he, with a faint smile ; " have no wealth to leave ;
but know his majesty too well to fear any thing on that score ; but my
k children, wish to give some few directions " he stopped
* for several minutes, and then, in a calm voice, added, ' you
are ready **
was with a sufiering spirit, and a faltering hand, wrote down
from his dictation, some short sentences, addressed to each member of
his family. these, it is not my intention to speak, save in one in-
stance, where himself evinced a wish that his sentiments,
should not be a matter of secrecy.
^ desire," said he, in a firm tone of voice, as he turned round and
addressed the soldiers on either side of him ; " desire that my son,
now at the , should serve the better than, and
as faithfully as his father has done ; if his majesty will graciously per-
mit him to do so, in the grenadier battalion, which have long com-
manded ; it will be the greatest favour can ask of him " low
murmur of grief, no longer repressible, ran through the little group
around the litter. ' grenadiers of the sixth," continued he,
proudly, while for an instant his pale features flushed up, " will not
love him the less for the name he bears. , come^ men do not
372 .
give way, thus ; what will my kind young friend here say of us, when
he joins the hussar-brigade. is not their ordinary mood, believe
me, ' said he, addressing me ; ' the guard would give a very
different account of them ^they are stouter fellows at the ^pas de
charge,* than around the litter of a wounded comrade."
he was yet speaking, returned, followed by two officers,
one of whom, notwithstanding his efforts at concealment, recognised
to be . .
must remove him, if it be possible," said the surgeon^ in a
whisper ; ^^ and yet the slightest motion is tp dreaded."
* speak to him ?" said , in a low voice.
" , that you may," replied , who now pushed his way for-
ward and approached the litter.
" , so soon !" said the wounded man, looking up ; "a man of your
word, and how is ? nothing in this fashion, hope,"
added he, pointing to his fractured limb with a sickly smile.
, no," replied the surgeon ; but here is come
to inquire after, you, from the ."
flush of pride lit up 's features as he heard this ; and he
asked eagerly " , where ?"
" must remove you, . ," said , endeavouring to
speak calmly, when it was evident .his feelings were highly excited;
' says you must not remain here."
' you like, ; what says his majesty ? is the affair as de-
cisive as he looked for ?*'
" more so : the allied army is destroyed the campaign is
ended."
^*, then, this is not so bad as deemed it," r^oined .
, with a tone of almost gaiety ; *' can afford to be invalided
if the has no further occasion for me."
these few words were interchanging, had applied a
tourniquet around the wounded limb, and having given the soldiers di-
rections how they were to step, so as not to disturb or displace the
shattered bones, he took his place beside the litter and said
" are ready now, ."
lifted - the litter as he spoke, and moved slowly forward.
pressed the hand . extended to him, without a word ;
and then, turning his head away, suffered the party to pass on.
we reached , the wounded general had fallen into a
heavy sleep, from which he did not awake, as they laid him on the bed
in the hospital.
" night, sir, or, rather, good morning," said to me, as
turned to leave the spot ; " we may chance to have better news for you
than we anticipated, when you visit us here again."
so we parted.