The Entire March Family TrilogyHowells, William Dean
General
The Entire March Family Trilogy
Howells, William Dean
Fiction; Literature -- Collections
Private Joseph Drakes, with the generosity of an enemy expecting
drink-money, pointed out the sign, board on the face of the crag
commemorating 'Montgomery's death'; and then showed them the officers'
quarters and those of the common soldiers, not far from which was a
line of hang-dog fellows drawn up to receive sentence for divers small
misdemeanors, from an officer whose blond whiskers drooped Dundrearily
from his fresh English cheeks. There was that immense difference between
him and the men in physical grandeur and beauty, which is so notable
in the aristocratically ordered military services of Europe, and which
makes the rank seem of another race from the file. Private Drakes
saluted his superior, and visibly deteriorated in his presence, though
his breast was covered with medals, and he had fought England's battles
in every part of the world. It was a gross injustice, the triumph of a
thousand years of wrong; and it was touching to have Private Drakes say
that he expected in three months to begin life for himself, after twenty
years' service of the Queen; and did they think he could get anything
to do in the States? He scarcely knew what he was fit for, but he
thought--to so little in him came the victories he had helped to win
in the Crimea, in China, and in India--that he could take care of a
gentleman's horse and work about his place. He looked inquiringly at
Basil, as if he might be a gentleman with a horse to be taken care of
and a place to be worked about, and made him regret that he was not a
man of substance enough to provide for Private Drakes and Mrs. Drakes
and the brood of Ducklings, who had been shown to him stowed away in one
of those cavernous rooms in the earthworks where the married soldiers
have their quarters. His regret enriched the reward of Private Drakes'
service,--which perhaps answered one of Private Drakes' purposes, if
not his chief aim. He promised to come to the States upon the pressing
advice of Isabel, who, speaking from her own large experience, declared
that everybody got on there,--and he bade our friends an affectionate
farewell as they drove away to the Plains of Abraham.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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