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

A MEDAL. 267
"
Yes, exactly."
" Oh, thank you thank you And ! !
my son ? Is n't he here ?
Where is he ?
Why did n't he come to meet me ? Tell me
instantly where he is, my good fellow. Take me right " Ah !
to him."
one moment ; you must have a little patience ; you
cannot see him immediately. You must wait about half an
hour. You must remain here and see a certain parade that the
regiment is going through They are to give a medal for
military valor to one of my comrades ;
it is
only an affair of a
few moments, and you must be patient."
"
A half hour more !
Oh, heavens ! how can I wait for a
half hour? "
" I understand, my good woman ;
a half hour will seem like
half a century to you ;
but there is
nothing else to be done, so
you must wait. We will chat a little, and the time will pass
quickly."
" Oh, heavens ! a half hour ! But tell me, tell me, are the
soldiers to come into this square ? "
"
Yes, right into this square from that side look ! "
"But then I shall see him instantly, and I can go and
speak to him."
" No, you cannot, my dear woman."
" But it is two years since I have seen him."
" I know ;
but no one can speak to a soldier when he is in
line ; you ought to know that too ;
the regulations are clear
enough; the colonel commands here, my good woman; the
mothers have nothing to do with the matter ;
and even if the
colonel's mother should come, she, too, would have to be patient
and stand on one side and wait. You must understand that
women have not made the regulations."