Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

1
36 MILITAR Y LIFE.
fended. But his glance produced a strange effect upon me ;
I
looked at him for a few moments, and then placed the money
in the pocket of his cloak.
"'Thanks,' he replied in a voice full of emotion. 'And now,
as I am going home, I
beg you to accept a memento of me.'
"
My
mother and I turned to each other in astonishment.
" '
Will you accept it, sir ?' he asked timidly,
in an affectionate
tone.
" '
" '
Let us see it,' I replied.
Here it is,'
he said, and opening his cloak with his elbows,
he showed me with his eyes a bunch of flowers that were fastened
into a button-hole of his vest.
" '
Ah, it is the soldier in the corso '
\
" '
He !
'
cried my mother.
I exclaimed impetuously, and I dashed forward to
embrace him ;
the cloak fell ; my mother uttered a cry of terror
:
My God !
' '
" '
What is the matter ? ' I asked, turning around. At the
same time I saw that the poor fellow had no hands.
" He had lost them at San Martino.
" I do not know how it
happened ;
but from that day forward
my desire to be a soldier changed into a firm resolution to do
so.
It seemed almost like an act of homage to that poor young
fellow to don the military uniform. And behold me a soldier.
This is the reason why every time I see a soldier of the cavalry
at the corso I feel my heart beat as if for a friend, and I wish
to be a child in order to throw him a bunch of flowers."
" And that soldier ? " asked the lady quickly.
" He died."
" Where ?
"
" At our house, in my arms, in the presence of my mother,
with a little bunch of flowers at his pillow."