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

326 MILITARY LIFE.
The colonel instantly replied
:
"
so delicate !
" He is
very well. But he is
My mother understood the irony ;
was a trifle
angry seized
;
her pen, and " began
:
My very dear friend, I do not say that
Alberto is delicate, but I think I might
. . ." She stops at
this point.
The Cugia division has left for Cremona ;
from Cremona
it will go to Goito. A letter from the mother runs thus :
" You will say that I am foolish, that I talk of the things I do
not understand ;
but I certainly see no necessity for passing
the Mincio immediately. If I were General La Marmora, I
think I should wait a little ;
one never knows what may happen ;
at any rate I should have General Cialdini's soldiers go first,
because they have the fleet near them, and in any case . . ."
" " Could they take refuge there ? asks Alberto in reply. His
mother writes back :
" This is no time for joking."
The Cugia division is on the Mincio.
The mother's letter is
hastily written, is all full of exclamation points and words that run
into each other, and lines and strokes that are a finger in length.
" For pity's sake, my son, do your duty ;
I am the first to
urge it ;
but don't do too much. . . . Armies need officers,
and if the officers expose themselves more than is necessary,
what will be the result ? It will end in the soldiers remaining
without any guides or discipline, and then . . . what will
become of the army ? For pity's sake, do think a little of the
soldiers ! . . .
(oh, maternal love, what subtle arguments !)
and think of me, too ;
do your duty, yes, but think . . ."
Here there are some words which are not comprehensible.
Then :
" Your life is mine. Oh, my son ! what days !
what tremendous moments ! I will not tell you what is hap-