A VISION OF THE NIGHT.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 3260, 20 May 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

A VISION OF THE NIGHT.

We livo in a humble way and have but one spare room to offer to our guests. It was occupied by my wife's father, and when my sister arrived unexpectedly thoro was nothing for it but that I should turn out, and, leaving the bed-room to hor and my wito, make shift on the largo sofa in tho drawing-room. There, after a long hour's tossing, I fell asleop; and thonce, some little while after, I fell off with a thud,

waking my wife, who rushed in in great alarm, to find me dazedly sprawling on tho floor. Whereupon, it being three o'clock ou a summer's morniug, I enough and to spare of that sotudressed myself and went for a walk. That is what happened, teste my wife—an unimpeachable witness. But this is what seemed to happen just before she found me sprawl-

I was lying on the top of a high hill, musing on the changes and chances of my life, recalling the faces of the woman I had loved and tho roar of the battles I had fought. Suddenly tho ground gave way under me and I fell, gently yet swiftly, a great distance, A grassy mound received me unhurt, and I

sprang to my feet and looked round on a fair plain, and, only a mile away, a stately eity; and near me I saw my old friend Colonel Croft, who lives just over the way, Ho was clad in a splendid uniform: a girl gave him wine to drink, and another burnished his sword (it was the old sword that hung in his little room). Presently there was a sound of trumpets and a tramp of thousands of feet, and a great army caino, saluting tho Colonel and cheering. Over against the horizon I saw now anothor army, coming

quickly nonrer, bont on beleaguering the city. They brought his charger to tho Colonel and, mounting, he set himself at the head of his array and led the way to battle. His eye gleamed, and he shouted he-arsoly in his frenzy. All day long, from my grassy mound, I watched the battlo raging in the plain outsido tho city and marked the Colonel doing mighty deeds; and in the evening the enemy was routed and fled headlong, amid groat slaughter. And I, finding myself in the city, saw tho lofty gates opon, aud tho Colonel ride in, his sword still red in his weary hand, answering the mighty acclaim of the people with a stiff salute. Ho rode on till he

came to a palace; and I followed, | mingling, with the gaily clad crowd that fiuug rosos at him aud chanted his praises. Before tho palaco ■o-ates there stood a beautiful Queou; and she came to meet him as he dismounted, and would havo knelt, soizing his hand to kiss aud giving him thauks for tho deliverance he had wrought; and the Queen's face was the faco of the woman whoso picture I had seen over the mantelpieco in the Colonel's little room. A cry went up from tho poople; and, before them all, a priest came out and wodded tho Queen to her victorious champion, aud thoy two turnod aud wero hidden from mo in tho palaco. And tho pejplo and tho city and the army melted from

my sight. When I returuod from my early walk I found a summons from tho Colouol awaiting mo, and, aftor breakfast, I walked across to his rooms. Tho picture was over the mautolpioco, and tho old sword, polished bright, hung below.it, Tho Colonel was in sad plight: the gout that had long harassed his

outwork (and ho pointed with a faint smile to his foot) was hard on its way to vital parts; he had no strength to fight it, and his span of life was contracted toa wook—so tho doctor told him. I pressed his hand, and ho looked wistfully at me. "Ah, if I had had a life like yours, Tom," ho said, "I should go in poace. If my sword wcro dented, and your niodals on my breast, and tho womau I loved near to smooth my pillow. I would go in peace But look at that old sword of mine! For thirty years, day and night, have I longed to draw it; thirty years a soldier, novor have I seen an enemy. And my heart broke with the weary waiting. It is ready now, as sharp and as bright as ever, but I shall never use it. A carpet-knight I have been, Tom-I that would any day have given my life for one good fight. But drill! drill! drill! Never a fight!" Ee paused an instant and went on—"And that girl there! It's five-and-twenty years since I saw her last; since she turned from me with a sad smile, and put her hand in another man's and passed out of my life. Since then I havo not known love or what it is to be loved: neither homo nor children have been mine." And he stopped short—l think, because he could not go on. Then, to change the current of his thoughts, or from some other impulse, I told him my last night's dream. He laughed and .swore petulantly at such heathenish uonsense; but his dim eye sparkled again, and the fingers of his sword-arm workod as he clasped his hand. I rose and brought him tho old sword, laying it on the table by him, near his Bible. He unsheathed it and let his hand lest on it. I think he pushed the Bible a little on one side and then hurriedly drew it near again. His look was still wistful, and I took down tho picture and set it up on a chair near bim, so that ho could lay his left hand on it; and he held the sword in his hand and looked at the picture; but when he saw me looking ho would change and draw the Bible ncaror and mutter again, with a smile of apology, " Heathenish nousenso, Tom! You ought to bo ashamed of yoursolf." At last I said good-bye, taking from him a few instructions: for, but for mo he had uo one to carry out what ho wished. Thoro was enough to bury him, ho said, aud to pay everybody. "But nothing for you, Tom," ho added regretfully : " unless you care for tho old sword and—but you won't care fov the picture." "No," said I. The picture shall lie by you—and tho sword too. Why, Colouol, you may want it." He shook his head repioichfully again, aud with that longing, shamefaced oager smile. 8) I left hi.-u, with his Bible, his sword, and his picture; tho last I saw was his left hand on the picture and his right hovering doubtfully between the Biblo and the sword. A week later we buried him with his picture and his sword, and I put iu tho Biblo, too, I supposo tho Colouol never led that great army to triumph or wedded that beautiful QueeD. It was indeed a heathenish hereafter my wayward dream imagined for him. Aud yet—how the poor old Colonel would have liked it! — St. James's Gazette.