A HOME OF TOMMY ATKINS. 73 



headed children cHnging to her skirts, sobs on the shoulder 

 of some stalwart fellow. Wonderfully gentle is the great, 

 coarse, sunburned soldier as he kisses his little ones and holds 

 the companion of his humble life closer to him for the few short 

 moments that are yet to be spared to them, as some rough 

 fellow, his comrade, who has no wife or child of his own, under- 

 takes to fulfil his friends share of the work of embarkation 

 in addition to his own. The scene becomes livelier as the 

 awakening day sheds fuller light on the busy crowd, and troop 

 after troop enters the station as the horses of the preceding 

 ones are put on board the train ; bundles of hay and forage 

 for the baiting of the horses during the journey to the coast 

 are handed into the cars from the heavy wagons of the Army 

 Service Corps, luggage is stowed away under the seats in the 

 carriages, or corded firmly under the tarpaulins on the tops. 

 Near the first-class carrias^e at the head of the train the officers 

 are smoking a parting cigar with their friends, sergeants and 

 corporals and busy orderlies are moving about, and the men, 

 picking up their weapons, are falling in again, preparatory to 

 embarking in their turn, The colonel is receiving a few part- 

 ing directions from the general, a fine, aristocratic, middle-aged 

 gentleman, with soldierly bearing and gray military mustache 

 and whiskers, the gold-braided peak of his cap drawn down over 

 his eyes, and his overcoat covering his plain, tasteful undress 

 uniform. The last horse has been shut in, the last straggling 

 soldier has taken his place in the carriages, the windows of 

 which are crowded with heads, the last good-bys are being said, 

 sobbinor women and children watch husband and father with 

 streaming eyes, the younger and more thoughtless of the sol- 

 diers are cracking their parting jokes. The colonel touches his 

 helmet, and with a shake of the general's hand turns to the 

 train. " Get on board, gentlemen !" to the ol^cers. " All ready !" 



