BENEATH HIS DIGNITY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XV, 11 April 1896, Page 427

BENEATH HIS DIGNITY.

Sir Hope Grant was the first to meet General Havelock after the relief of Lucknow, and describes the affecting scene when the soldiers flocked round the hero and gave him three cheers. Their welcome was too much for General Havelock ; he could not keep back the tears. Smiles and tears are strangely mingled in this world, however, and Sir Hope goes on to relate another incident of the day, which stood in ridiculous and almost painful contrast to the one in which he had just participated. It was connected with the removal of the women and children. The misery they had endured must have been intense. I saw one little girl run up to her mother, saying :

*O, mamma, there is a loaf of bread on the table! I am certain of it; I saw it with my own eyes !’ The poor little thing had seen nothing so good for a long time. I asked one gentle, delicate-looking lady if I could do anything to assist her. ‘Oh, yes,’ she replied. ‘lf you could procure me a a piece of cheese, I should be so thankful ! It is for a poor sick lady.’ I thought the remedy a pretty strong one, and I confess I was rather taken aback. I ventured to say that it would be hard to find what she asked for; but she answered that if I could only find a gentleman by the name of Captain Ximenes, she knew he would give me some.

I therefore proceeded ou my delicate errand, and at last found the individual in question, who at once supplied me with a large piece of high-flavoured, strongsmelling, greasy-looking cheese wrapped up in a dirty old newspaper. To the commander of a fine force relieving a large number of his countrywomen from a terrible imprisonment, and under the influence of high wrought feelings of sublimity, it was rather a come down, both in dignity and in sentiment, to be the bearer of a piece of nasty, strong cheese ; and I must own that I very reluctantly went about, in the darkness of twilight, seeking the lady who had made the request.

For some time my inquiries were fruitless ; but just as I was about to throw away my unpleasant burden in despair, the lady appeared and relieved me of the cheese and of my anxiety.