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

254 MILITARY LIFE.
stand ?
They gathered around my bed, and stayed there for .a
good half hour ;
and there was the captain, who looked at me
and cried, and another officer, a young fellow without any
beard. I saw the tears running down his face. Another officer
(I had a little fever) put his hand on my forehead, and his
neighbor said to him '
Take : it off ; you worry him.' They
recommended me to the care of the doctors and nurses, and
but without tell-
told me to have some one write to my family,
ing them what had happened, as it would give them too much
pain. And every one of them, from the first to the last, shook
hands with me before going away, and the youngest, the one
who commanded the second squad in which I was, seized a
moment when the others were
not looking, and kissed me on
my forehead, and when he was at the door he turned and gave
me one more salute with his hand. Do you understand ? One
day came the old general with his breast all covered with medals,
and followed by many officers he ; approached my bed, cap
in hand, and all the others uncovered their "heads too. He,
the general, asked me how I was, and where I had been
wounded, and how ;
and then when I had told him every thing,
I seem to see him now, he raised his eyes to heaven, then
closed his lips, with a sigh, and said: 'Be brave, my boy.'
Then he grasped my hand, he who was a general. His hand
was very thin, for he was so old. I would have kissed it, but
I was afraid to seem lacking in respect he seemed to me like
;
another father. Ah ! one must have been present on such occasions
to know what is felt. One forgets all his misfortunes.
Then, even beforehand . . . You will see, comrade ; it
was one thing to talk of it at a distance, another to be there
on the spot, right there in the midst of all those bayonets, the