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

332 MILITARY LIFE.
white wandering about tli3 slopes among pines and myrtles. Oh, happy
beings Not because they are in the shade and rest, but because ! they do
not bear on their souls this terrible weight of discomfort and weariness.
"
Reply I understand : it all ;
mothers understand every
thing. Courage, my son "
!
The Cugia division is at Parma is ; leaving for Ferrara.
The blessed soldiers ! We
PARMA, \oth July.
seem to love them better after these misfortunes.
They are always the same ; always resigned and pood. On the
march, when they begin to bend and limp, I look at and pity them. Sometimes
when some one does any thing, I reason for some time with myself that
it is really a case for me to get angry, and then I raise my voice " Come
:
now, it 's time to stop that You can't ! get on in that way. You try the
patience of a saint; now then
"
. . ." You impostor !" cries a voice
within me, " You arc not
" really angry." That 's quite true," I say, smiling,
and I stop. Then I propose not to love them any more, or at least not to
show it, if not, farewell to " all discipline. We will see," I say; "let us
see if they will succeed in melting this stony heart." Then I march quietly
on, with an. expression of face that ought to arouse any amount of fear,
quite sure of my victory. And here is an " example
: Lieutenant, shall I
carry your cloak for you ?" To which I :
reply brusquely "No." "You
are tired."
" No." "Yes !
" " How 's that ? You will see if I am tired
because you v/ish it Back to " ! your place Another comes with a canteen.
!
"Lieutenant, this is fresh." "I don't wish " "
any." Try it." I won't
try it." "Only a drop, and you will see." " "
Not a drop
! Then he puts
the canteen under my chin. " You will see that it is
" fresh." I know how
to drink myself." I take the leather bottle, wet my lips,
and hand it back
to him. "Lieutenant!" "Well.what is it?" "You have not drunk."
"Yes
"
I have." But it is all there !" and he shakes the flask. "Come
now, understand that I am tired and cross, and that I can bear nothing
more ! Go to your place this moment ; run, or I '11 have you put in the
guard-house ia the camp for fifteen days. What sort of way is this ? " " Im-
"
postor the same voice
" " ! repeats. It is true, I reply again, and I stop.
" "
To-day the lieutenant is in bad humor " "
f the soldiers say. No ! no !
I hastily say to myself ;
'
'
''
no, you set of rascals !
Reply :
" I often tell your sister Erminia, Alberto has really