In the Yule-Log Glow, Book I

eas, the landing, amid strange, dark faces on a burnished shore, the slow, delicious journ

ing excellent, it will be owing to that lady, the Vittoria Colonna of her humble Michael Angelo. My little sister Mary came with me, and, when I tell you that she was a teacher in a school, you will easily understand what an intoxicating thing it was for her to see a new world every day, and have nothing to do from morning, till night. The poor child could hardly believe in

is called; but we had placed ourselves under the guidance of an enterprising Frenchman, who transacted all sorts of business on the road between Mascara and Fig-gig, the last French post in the Desert. His name was Dominique, and I shall always look upon him as the most remarkable man I ever knew. He was as witty as Sydney Smith, as clever at expediences as Robinson Crusoe, as shrewd a politician as Machiavelli, as apt at languages as Mezzofanti, and as brave as Garibaldi. Being a bachelor, Dom

nique, as he served our first dinner. "Monsieur can amuse himself

to Napoleon," Mary said, with a mock assumption of di

apoleon," Dominique answered. "It's a very dull life they lead here, these poor officers; and if it weren't for hunting gazelles and h

d tried to turn

th themselves all d

r time of it, except when there is an insurrection, and then he makes a raid against the Arabs, and after keeping his men out of their way very cleverly, sticks up the French flag somewhere in the Desert and comes home. M. le Lieutenant does odd jobs for the Commandant and the Capitaine, and plays the flute; but we have got

hope none of them will come near us," Mary said

mandant, though he thinks fighting the best fun in the world, he wouldn't hurt a fly. To see him pet his little gazelle would make you cry. She's the only lady in the place, and I believe, if she died, it would break his heart. But people must have something t

t's, she seemed likely to have the full benefit of his musical capacities; but I do not think she lay awake to be serenaded that night. We were f

ourse of the day. Not knowing at what hour we might expect him, we set to work immediately after breakfast to prepare my room for the reception of so

dusting and polishing in a pink cambric dress and tiny black apron. But, neat as she was, and neat as my beard and the room were in a fair way of becoming, we were overwhelmed with surprise and conf

ng cherries, M. le Commandant had made a courteous speech, welcoming us to Teschoun. Then we all sat down, and M. le Commandant talked t

e enchanted to place at monsieur's disposal horses, and my servant and a spahi as guides. But what

o go with me where it

ked at Mary much as one looks upon a pr

answered. "Mademoiselle would be too

"I have no fear, monsieur, an

rse, and make everything as pleasant as possible." And after inviting us to dine with him

osed; "if all French officers were like this one, Tom, I

ckly ceased to bleed for

his kind-looking Commandant. I only wish he had not come till the room was tidied and I had got on a

ttled in the passage outside. This time Dominique's arm swung back the door with less pomp

almest nonchalance. The second figure was a man of much more presence than the Commandant. He had the polished, graceful ease of a ma

of it, mademoiselle; we have no theatre, no music, no society, and no domestic life. To find a lady here is like the mir

ed distractingly pretty as she sat opposite to him, smiling and blushing when he addressed

ride?" asked the

mons

docile, so sweet-tempered, and so sure-footed. It is not every lady I would trust with my little hor

mercie bien

aine talked of

great water-falls of Boisel-Kebir and breakfast there. I will invite my Commandant and all t

d, after promising to send Mary ostrich eggs and jac

; "but how kind they all are to us! It is as if we were princes o

th the Commandant's dinners and the Capitaine's f

ominique, opening the door calm

eutenant. Indeed, he was rather shy himself, which was the very thing to reassure a warm-hearted

ome, with a very frank

y happy to do anything for you. If mademoiselle would like any stuffed birds, or dried flowers and plants, it will give me pleasure to procure them for her; an

ly speaking, lunch, we pressed him to partake of it with us, which he did. We should not have ventured upon inviting the C

d mademoiselle will visit me, I will do the honors of it with

miling; "our rooms join, and I heard you

hall never forgive mys

s I liked the music, I was too tired to li

ldren, and the Lieutenant promised to play

p, and a wall of circumvallation. There were gardens in embryo here and there, but no trees of any size, and not till you had got fairly away from Teschoun could you perceive that its aspect was striking or imposing. Then, looking back from the craggy heights that surrounded it, the white line of the cam

Bedouin smiling down upon us. It was a perfect personification of Eastern life, and I made a sketch, while the Lieuten

compliments; that the Capitaine's servant had been sent round with his master's horse for her to try, and that th

cal, insignificant selves, who, but for you, oh! most sweet and honored Patroness, would have sunk under the burden of toil imposed upon us. But how all was changed! The poor

ittle music after a very sociable fashion, when a noisy excitement seemed to shake the house lik

person; and, indeed, we had so expended our s

's French, said that he intended to dine with us at the Commandant's to-morrow, and told us some laughable stories about the Arabs. I noticed that the Lieutenant seemed quite overawed by the presence of the Général, and sat flu

't you?" he asked, in that quick, positive, milita

le Sist

mon Gé

lieve. The Kabyles got the better o

e so, mon

I have no doubt that Monsieur le Lieutenant's musical education is much more advanced, and to s

as if he had been a little boy of ten years old; and on taking leave added half a dozen commissions in the same peremptory tone. The poor Lieutenant liste

nder supply of gala dresses, and we discussed the

lease the Capitaine; if you dress for the Capitaine, you will displease the Co

m. "Don't you think I had better stay

"settle the matter by

a semi-moresque, dainty, and glowing bit of co