Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/283

 THE DEMEANOUR OF ENGLAND. 239 torn, and if so one may call it, 'inveterate,' chap which, if having its evident worth as a sign of 1_ unshaken, efficient command, was also a very real support to the policy of averting attacks by the spell of a stiff-looking front ; (^^) but — ob- served at a time when our troops were cruelly suffering — this calm of course ofiered temptation to any people so conditioned in mind that they liked drawing ugly contrasts between the ruled and the rulers. Men industriously performing their duties in the accustomed way could be easily accused of indifference.(^2) Lord Eaglan was, most days, on horseback, either visiting his divisional camps, or his hos- pitals, or going down to transact business at Balaclava, but he used on such occasions to ride with only a single aide-de-camp ; * and since, also, as indeed we have seen, he com- monly wore a plain forage-cap and a wrapper so overfolding that it did not disclose his maimed arm,(^^) there was nothing to show a spectator, unless chancing to stand very near, that one of the two horsemen passing was the Commander of the forces. Under such condi- tions of course, many officers and men, to say nothing of the newspaper correspondents, were able to say that they never saw anything of the General ; and upon the honest, though deceptive samples of • T < -1 It'll tiilG &TJI3.CK3 testimony thus given, when coupled with the delivered ■^ & ' -f by the unquestioned sufferings of uur troops, the great 'Times.' well-warranted, see post in Appendix, Lord Raglan's De- spatch of March 3, 1855.
 * That the above expression, ' most days,' is accurate and