THE COMING OF THE SOLDIER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 6

THE COMING OF THE SOLDIER.

Wf '^'t'i-^iIPP JsJrax-viywßtr.). v : /'//^ ''■ ■'■ ' '■■' ■ $> "'Despite'!; P /tie". diimai- prophecies;of bad ;;/'■;.jreather-; to ;come, ''. and.'the.'siglit'■; of• ■ a • . ■-■ ;.. blood-fed-, imoon'^the•,previohs '.-.evening; was/ as calm and ' : ;;:- ■???y; a .Vc6uld ! be;desired-eaimethinKin-L--Por>. 'a' ■//.TOiisiderable^time-before^9,o'clock numi<.•■;■:.*«« :?i.Pfopfen , ere:,to\be/;Eeen ; hurrying ;*fe wtag; to ■; the,:Glasgow,..;TOarf,;.anja6us. • ■•...!,■:?:aeote'.ia''voptago'point irom.:>vMcli they ■. ~A.coHld-catch.'a;glimpse of the'-eoldier who V.:-MS-s(lping,:' andrhas iddne, -srich-'a mightv y p Tfork;fpr:tlie : .jEmpjre: Iwfetlicr-.they, real-' :,:, Jse.it-.orino.-jPor .alongWayout on .the'-' >..:: j6ad,.i to., end. of ; .the. wharf, which was •■;■■ : . ',bj''; re_d : 'coated'., volunteers", 7 .tho ■;;■■: •'■Hμ 'of: f i.eople""exiS(!n(led,' ropes ."/keeping r.;t ; i;clear.;the-,wide'passage'thi;6ngh'which he -■;!.: and., his, escqitiiwqul.a ..paaa'.-later" on; ; with ■;<;.,eje;rybptly_Jistening,;!ceenly,;for the .first >■';'■ Bound^.that./woiild> herald -.nja on;comihg. y'^^!i\(sonp^S : of^otoi^rs,':-lb'rijfe8 ] , ; ''and-/ol(i ■:\ : . ifoes, pf,j.discard6d.ship's- ; machinery of- : :. Vieredi.l.eitcellent',. view-points, '. and the ; :/•: '.with, enyious. eyes . those 'who' had "to ,v.-.; etandi. 'on!. : level , : CTourid';: 6n|y.. '.Tche ■ very '■ ■-- ; best-5 thiijK*' of vill; v though; -was . a;:, wppl -'■■:•; .ivagpn' :pile'd high 'inth bales, its' occu-γ-v: piers; rodking.;'down . on • tho crowd below : with\an.'air of'supreme satisfaction... ; ' :;■:: "Start] irtdlyl^Keen EyeS;" , ": : : ■ -..'.. J : : Still;the. crowd fathered/ its length of .7.-'line-.probably/making, it .seom,; less': than ,;'.;.'it; 'really: was.'-; vCosters,.'with:..their-,bar- ■;../.■ tows (truly 'a,'case'"()f'the /early and ■*'v '■ quite. -.'.>/a'idini- 'shouting: th.ejr or, /; •'.'.,■ three-,belafe(l;vetcransi'■ theiti'medals piii- ■':. n'e'd'.-.to- their--'.brea'sts.'-.^canie '■ i ;-;:-;alp'nffiJ ; f«afWl'''that- : ■' ;■■ ing<the', ; Field : Marshal's'arrival.' .'.'People.•>/et.'opce''wve way, and'.they took up their. the rope. A! faintppp'sounded l v;. '-rPne ; after l another/4the,*g«ns at : Pjpitea •-'•■:: Ppint^T-and.'..'.people.: :,Jp.cjkedv'; expectantly ~ //.along ..the,/, wn'arf—the,. Bncpuriter/ being, '■'■/.'■, ijdden.^fropi" , thair-yiew by l α-ijjiai,. phft ■■ ■•'■' : .-which 'theyiwere ■n6t'"allowed' toVgo.. The■ •■■.•'■■;. /Bounds,: of: approaching/carriage: , wheels. .•/.■V;;and/tte- v .danDng''or-m6tal--.w|re/'fairitly ■■o- : ,Vhear i ii".-'aMVt¥^'--.a ; \-ch«r.-- ; ''bifok.'e : out— '-'!'. :vliord j'.Kitchener... onp ••■;of/ the':forenipst at last/visible / ■

■•As-he' drove'through ■: the • lines ■of waiting 'people,! 'who,- now that; it had; come ■ to- the; 1 point, .were/cnriously.idumb,.-seem-.-•ing,' almost "afraid .to :.cheer, : . one. :,triea ! hard;.-in that" quickly-passing glimpse, ot. I-him to!.fit-in all the conceptions one had formed, • with ■' the 'icality now before one. Startlingly ;; keen 1 eyes—quite .all; that one has' ever!-read of.;them-impressing.: one. even-when : -not-.:close .by—a,.,somewhat bored' expression on the square,, stern, ruddyiface; an 'erect .figure,, with an' air of authority—that was what one gathered of the .outer man. As. the carriage passed alonß,' : 'UP'went'Us,;hand: in .salute when opposite the veterans, standing eagerly at the salute by:;l;lio.rbp'e;: arid again '-later. bn''aoTO;tlie;line:nThen\he;was gone. ■_■■;• Beacon .Liflht'-.of'-.Meii.;.- ■■■: a :. ''.:-. ■■ ; It would, beuvery, strange ,'if' one's' pulse did'not< beat -faster 'at■: such. a • time..;'lt, was'not :alone'that-heVwas Khartoum—a 'name: .known all:,, oijer the world.. What one felt-besides was ..that .he'.'stood-'for:; England-:and --Englands. military ■'might;' her 'hope and power in the ,; stormy-times: ; that'are gathering;-for :.the days.'.gone : by. he; was;the; beacon: light of. the men who, followed him; who fought 'under him,' and. who died—their'trust; in ; him the/- sandy: : wastes;;of Egypt; '/on the. .frpntiefs{of India,;on the Alncan veldt Now., -he is: 6bmo"to?t?aeb.-.:.nsVto".help. the Old Country. pnrselves; gathering.- thei scattered threads.;of the great. Empire -'together, v.and , -, 'guarding against ; the: day -/that; if all; the •■ portents are;correctly' read, looms >..nearer, and nearer, when-., she will be fighting. for her very.- existence—and,' ours—with ;an- ejiemy th'at ; wiir-take- no!.chances,' and-will, crush us'mercilessly-i'f ■ she;can; -These.are the thoughts.that:nash,through one's mi.nd;atthe sigHt of.'LordlKitchener passing: by,...