THE DEMORALISED COLONEL. 3 



of a side-board from Pius IX. A Canadian colonel, 

 dignified, majestic, and speaking as with autliority, 

 discoursed political wisdom to an admiring and 

 obsequious audience. He lorded it over our little 

 society for a brief season, and then suddenly dis- 

 appeared. Awful groans and noises, significant of 

 sickness and sufiering, were heard proceeding from 

 his cabin. But, at last, one day when the weather 

 had moderated a little, we discovered the colonel once 

 more on deck, but, alas ! how changed. His white 

 hat, formerly so trim, was now frightfully battered; 

 his cravat negligently tied ; his whole dress slovenly. 

 He sat with his head between his hands, dejected, 

 silent, and forlorn. 



The purser, a jolly Irishman, came up at the 

 moment, and cried, " Holloa, colonel ! on deck ? Grlad 

 to see you all right again." 



" All right, sir ! " cried the colonel, fiercely ; "all 

 right, sir ? I'm not all right. I'm friglitfully ill, sir ! 

 I've sujBTered the tortures of the — condemned \ horrible 

 beyond expression ; but it's not the pain I complain 

 of; that, sir, a soldier like myself knows how to 

 endure. But I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself, and 

 shall never hold up my head again ! " 



" My dear sir," said the purser, soothingly, with a 

 sly wink at us, "what on earth /^<2t;^ you been doing? 

 There is nothing, surely, in sea-sickness to be ashamed 

 of." 



"I tell you, sir," said the colonel, passionately, 

 " that it's most demoralising ! Think of a man of my 

 years, and of my standing and position, lying for 



B 2 



