Tales of Military Life Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1829 edition. Excerpt: ...over-heated by anxiety, the other by a strong meridian sun. Here he seated himself, and remained pensively gazing on, and comparing the charms of his mistress (what will not lovers do?) to the various beautiful flowers which lay before his sight--some peeping out from deep shades, of over-hanging leaves, half seen; others in full glory, glistening in the sun: in every blooming leaf he saw some comparative beauty of his beloved Charlotte Vandeleur. At length his meditations were interrupted, by the appearance of Redmond Allan and his sister Emily, at a short distance. They were slowly emerging from a shady walk--she leaning affectionately on his arm; and they stopped, fully in the captain's view, to admire the beauty of the foliage and flowers, which stood before them. From his concealment he fixed his eyes on them, and felt a melancholy interest in beholding the happiness of the lovers, (for he knew they were lovers), and in constrasting it with his own misery They, believing that they were alone, indulged in all the innocent delights of affection; their lips moved as if they were turning the floral beauties on which they gazed to the use of their loves, and mutually communicating those comparisons, which were silently and solitarily passing in the mind of the captain. He saw his sister lean against Redmond's breast, her white arm on his shoulder, and her eyes fixed on his face, with the expressions of her fond heart beaming in her countenance, while her lover commented on a green branch which he had just plucked; and when he had ceased to speak, her breast heaved with a deep sigh, while he fondly pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her fair forehead. The stout heart of the young grenadier was overcome, and the tear stealing from his...