Children's own library . ediek; and then the regiment and the world to-gether will be rid of me. The legs of the table were becoming very crooked. CAPTAIN RICHARD DOUBLEDICK. 117 Doubleclick, looking up to steady his vision, met the eyesthat had so strong an influence over him. He put hishand before his own eyes, and the breast of his disgrace-jacket swelled as ifit would fly asunder. I would rather,said the young Cap-tain, see this in you,Doubledick, than Iwould see five thou-sand guineas countedout upon this tablefor a gift to my goodmother. Have you amother? I am thankful tosay she is dead,
Children's own library . ediek; and then the regiment and the world to-gether will be rid of me. The legs of the table were becoming very crooked. CAPTAIN RICHARD DOUBLEDICK. 117 Doubleclick, looking up to steady his vision, met the eyesthat had so strong an influence over him. He put hishand before his own eyes, and the breast of his disgrace-jacket swelled as ifit would fly asunder. I would rather,said the young Cap-tain, see this in you,Doubledick, than Iwould see five thou-sand guineas countedout upon this tablefor a gift to my goodmother. Have you amother? I am thankful tosay she is dead, sir. If your praises,returned the Captain,were sounded frommouth to mouththrough the whole regiment, through the whole army, through the wholecountry, you would wish she had lived to say, with prideand joy, He is my son!> Spare me, sir, said Doubledick. She would neverhave heard any good of me. She would never have hadany pride and joy in owning herself my mother. Loveand compassion she might have had, and would have. 118 CAPTAIN RICHARD DOUBLEDICK. always had, I know; but not— And he turned his faceto the wall, and stretched out his imploring hand. My friend— began the Captain. God bless you, sir! sobbed Private Richard Double-dick. You are at the crisis of your fate. Hold your courseunchanged a little longer, and you know what must hap-pen. I know even better than you can imagine, that,after that has happened, you are lost. No man who couldshed those tears could bear those marks. I fully believe it, sir, in a low, shivering voice saidPrivate Eichard Doubledick. But a man in any station can do his duty, said theyoung Captain, and, in doing it, can earn his own re-spect, even if his case should be so very unfortunate andso very rare that he can earn no other mans. A com-mon soldier, poor brute though you called him just now,has this advantage in the stormy times we live in, thathe always does his duty before a host of sympathizingwitnesses. Do you doubt that he may so d
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