Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/524

 480 iVrPENDix. settled doctrine, Init rather from the worship lie owed to the gracious lady beside him. I do not pretend to understand the soldier's true nature, and indeed all I learn tends rather to deepen than to solve the mys- tery. It cannot be that he is an angel — if he were, notwith- standing his inches, we should not want to enlist him — but (ex- cept upon the supposition of his being an actor who is matchless in playing a part) it is impossible to doubt that his character has angelic phases. It is true, perhaps, that these show themselves the most strongly when he lies on the bed of sickness, and finds himself treated with gentle kindness ; but still I can hardly think that what I have called the ' mystery ' of his nature is disposed of by repeating the couplet which begins with — ' The devil was sick.' The circumstance I am going to mention tends to show that the ' angelic phase ' of the soldier's nature discloses itself — not exceptionally in a few instances chosen out of the many, but — in numbers and numbers of men laid low in hospital wards, and selected entirely at random, I was told by the late Mr Stafford (the generous friend to our sick and wounded troops, of whom I spoke in the text) that, after his labours at the bedside of our soldiery, he had become deeply impressed by the piety, the gratitude, the gentleness of the men whose sufferings he had tried to assuage, and that he spoke in that sense to Lady Ellesmere. She answered in a way implying that she thought his impressions must surely be fanciful. We live, she said, in a manufacturing district where many troops are quartered, and we hear only of their vice and profligacy. Stafford said, ' Well, will you come to Chatham, and there ' form your own opinion after seeing and conversing with the ' men 1 I will arrange that you shall be in each ward at a time ' when no medical officer is there, and when no one is present ' who could be suspected of causing the men to act a part.' Lady Ellesmere consenting, the project was carried into etfect. Lady Ellesmere passed hours in the wards, conversing with the men, and reading to them, and praying with them. When her task had ended, she was rejoined by Stafford, and he said to her, ' Noiv, what do you say of the soldiers ? ' She answered, accord- ing to Stattbrd, in these very words, ' It seems to me that every ' one of them is a Christian and a gentleman.' Note 8. — That particular exclamation was one addressed to Miss Anderson. — Dean Staidey quoting the words of Miss Stan- ley, ubi supra, p. 11. Note 9.— ibid. V. 11. Note 10.— Ibid. P. 7.