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

DEPARTURE AND RETURN. 323
be ? I cannot distinguish the figure ;
it is
waving its hands ;
looks down, " "
My God ! who can it be ?
Suddenly a light appeared at the window below. " Ah ! I
see ;
it is the old blind man. God bless you, papa ! "
Here was my friend of the third floor he embraced
;
me, kissed
me, and shouted :
" Good luck to you, brother ! Hurrah for,
"
the war ! and disappeared.
We entered the train ; I put out my head ;
saw the lighted
window again, and the old blind man, quite alone, who is waving
a salute. " Oh, will the music never cease !
Oh, my poor
"
mother !
We heard the whistle ;
the train started ; my heart gave a
tremendous bound. "Who else has come to the window ?" I
saw two arms stretching out toward me ..." My God !
Did I hear a cry?"
The house disappeared.
"
Farewell, my good angel ! farewell, my holy and adored
mother !
May heaven grant that I see you again, or die so
nobly that the pride of being my mother will lighten the grief
of having lost me "
!
" "
Now it 's our turn ! I said, turning quickly and slapping
my neighbor on his knee.
My friend, immersed in melancholy at having left his
sweetheart, started "
suddenly and shouted loudly
: Hurrah for
"
the war !
Then all the others cried :
And in a moment the
and gaiety.
THE CAMPAIGN.
" Let 's light our cigars \ "
carriage was filled with smoke, noise,
At this point of the book I find a long series of Alberto's