So we did middling well,
and Jan got one of the men that was a bit of a scollard to write to his
mother, and got a hawker to take the letter along for the mending of
his shoes. And in six months the hawker came back to say that mother
was dead and that father had sold Loudacott and was gone to live in the
town, where he was drinking and doing no good. I reckon 'twas the old
Betsy had told mun; and I suppose that really 'twas all o' my account,
but 'twas too late to think of that. And it was less than six months
after this news come that my boy was a-born--"
She stopped a minute to pass her hand over the sick man's head, and
went on:
"A beautiful boy he was, sure enough, and glad I was, when he was about
a twelvemonth old, that the peace came and there was no chance for Jan
to be sent to the war. Scores of men was discharged, but Jan said we
should do better to stay, for there wasn't nowhere for us to go to if
we went, and he'd a got fond of the sojer's life, as I had, so long as
I was with he; and they was glad to keep so fine a man. But then the
war come again, and a terrible way I was in, for they said the ridgment
was sure to be sent soon to the Injies or some place. But it chanced
that another ridgment was raising a new battalion in Gloucester, and
there was a young chap that was got into trouble and wanted to cross
the sea as soon as might be, so wished, if he could, to change with
Jan.
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