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

MILITARY LIFE,
"
Just that, have "
you any, captain ?
"
Yes, I have many of them and as soon
;
as I reach Turin
I will send them to you. Oh, I had thought of this If you
!
had not spoken of it to me,
I should have mentioned it to
you."
" " Oh, captain
! exclaimed " the old man, how good you are !
How much I owe you
! I shall always preserve most religiously
all that my poor son wrote ;
I shall read it ten times a
day, and always keep it under my eyes.
. . .
Oh, you will
send me a great comfort, captain, in sending me those papers."
" But that will not be the only comfort I can give you."
" What other ?
" asked the good father quickly, and he sat
up again in bed.
"
This, for instance," replied the captain, and he handed him
the cap of an artillery sergeant, which
he had kept hidden behind
his
back.
The old man uttered a short cry, seized the cap
with both
hands, and kissed it passionately three or four times.
" "
Father," then said the oldest son, I too have some comfort
to give you
. . . here it is," and he handed him a pair
of sergeant's epaulettes.
The father seized and kissed the epaulettes, too.
" I have one also," said the second brother immediately, as
he handed his father the yellow
He took them and kissed them fondly.
" And I," said the boy finally.
full-dress cords.
"Oh, my child " exclaimed the father ! affectionately stretching
out his arm to him.
" I too have to give you something in " he stopped to think