The Red Book of Heroes. Mrs. Lang

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СКАЧАТЬ even the love that seems the strongest force in our natures, is worth having at the expense of a stain on the white rose of honour. Had she been a few years older, Angélique might have failed to keep the word which was extorted from her as a child, but, being young, she kept it the more easily. What we have to do is to try to be young always in this matter, to be our natural selves and unspotted from the world. Certainly some people are a little better, and so far a little happier, because they have seen the light from Charles Gordon's yet living head, and been half heart-broken by his end, so glorious to himself, so inglorious to his fellow countrymen. For his dear sake we may all do a little, sacrifice a little, to help the Homes for Boys which have been built to his memory, and to help the poor boys whom he used to help, making himself poor, and giving his time for them.

      We read in the book, 'A Child's Hero,' how the brave Havelock won the heart of a little child who never saw him. She heard the words 'Havelock is dead,' and laid her head against the wall and burst into tears. Other children may feel the same devotion for these splendid people, for Hannibal, so far away from us, giving his whole heart and whole genius and his life for his wretched country, for men who would not understand, who would not aid him:

      "Their old art statesmen plied,

       And paltered, and evaded, and denied"

      till their country was vanquished. Bad as that country was, for Hannibal's own sake we are all on the side of Hannibal, as we are on the side of Hector of Troy. 'Well know I this in heart and soul,' said Hector to his wife, when she would have kept him out of the battle, 'that the day is coming when holy Ilios shall perish, and Priam, and the people of Priam of the ashen spear, my father with my mother, and my brothers, many and brave, dying in the dust at the hands of our foemen; but most I sorrow for thee, my wife, when they lead thee weeping away, a slave to weave at thy master's loom and bear water from thy master's well, and the passers-by, as they see thee weeping, shall say, "This was the wife of Hector, the foremost in fight of the men of Troy, when they fought for their city." But may I be dead, and the earth be mounded above me, ere I hear thy cry and the tale of thy captivity.'

      So he went back into the battle, and never again saw his wife and child. It was in the spirit of Hector that Hannibal planned and fought and toiled, till as an old man he bit on the poison ring, and died, and was free from the Roman captivity that threatened him.

      Honour and courage were the masters of the men and women whose stories are told in this book, but of them all none dared a risk so horrible as brave Father Damien in the Isle of Lepers. For his adventure among dreadful people who must give him their own dreadful disease, a Montrose or a Havelock might have had little heart, for his task had none of the excitement and glitter of the soldier's duty in war. But they are all, these men and women, good to live with, good to know, good to go with, weary camp followers as we are of the Noble Army of Martyrs, and unworthy of a single leaf from the laurel crown.

      A. Lang.

      COLOURED PLATES

      (Engraved and Printed by André & Sleigh, Ltd., Bushey.)

       'Go back!' he said [See page 350]Frontispiece

       Fifteen thousand Romans fell that day to face p. 74

       Father Damien went out and sat in a lonely place by the sea106

       A great army of Irishmen have swooped down on the Atholl country 150

       The place was swarming with rats208

       She took all her nuns for a solemn walk258

       They saw a man in uniform shining with gold flying towards them 316

       A jar of water in the figure's right hand emptied itself on his head 364

      FULL-PAGE PLATES

       Roger could hardly believe his eyes to face p.6

       She came forth with a golden circlet round her head44

       Hannibal was determined not to stir until the elephants were safely over58

       Under the eyes of the army the combat began 68

       In vain Guedelha implored him to wait till the fatal hour was past 114

       About thirty or forty of our honestest women did fall a railing on Mr. William Annan 140

       'You will soon have no caste left yourself' 194

       Often … he had felt that a terrible death was very near218

       Sir Thomas sat silent232

       'What now, Mother Eve?' he answered 240

       'You are mistaking me for somebody else'248

       The archers set a ladder against the wall, which the lady instantly threw down 274

       Gordon found time to attend to an old dying woman 310

       A shot ended his life 330

       'Do not delay an instant,' he cried, 'or it will be too late'338

       'Let him die!' he said 344

       The bright-eyed lizards he especially loved 354

      ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

       PAGE

       'Tell me what you want to say, and I will say it'17

       They sprang on the food like wolves 28

       He brushed down the walls without hindrance from anyone41

       All three were apt pupils 51

       The Gauls poured out of their camp shouting and screaming with delight56

       He found right in front of him a huge precipice 64

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