Granfer looked slowly round from one anxious face to the other, rolled his head from side to side, heaved a deep sigh, and finally remarked in a sepulchral tone:—
“There’s summat goin’ to be done, ye mid be sure.” He paused, nodded, smoothed out the paper on his knee, and finally handed it with a tragic air to Annie. “See, here, my maid,” he said, indicating a certain paragraph with his broad thumb, “read this here to your mother an’ all on us. Then ye’ll see what’s a-goin’ to be done.”
He threw himself back in his chair, while Annie, somewhat mystified and a good deal alarmed, read the following:—
“Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased to invite her old soldiers to return to service again for one year, in defence of the country during the absence of her armies in South Africa.
“The text of the proclamation posted at the War Office will be found in another column. Such an appeal will be warmly responded to by many a loyal British heart; our veterans will rejoice at the opportunity thus afforded them of proving their devotion to Queen and Country.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Sampson in a relieved tone, “think o’ that now! I’m sure there be a good few old soldiers about, an’ it ’ull be very nice for ’em to get a chance o’ doin’ summat.”
“Very nice!” shouted her lord, with unaccountable fierceness. “Very nice, do you say? That be your notion, be it? Well, I did look for a bit more feelin’ from you. A man may be willin’ to do his dooty, an’ yet he mid find it oncommon hard work!”
“Why, Granter, what be talkin’ about? I’m sure I never—”
“Do you suppose, Missus, as us old folks won’t find it a bit agen us to go shootin’, an’ drillin’, an’ manoverin’ an’ sich like, at our time o’ life? Wi’ the best heart in the world I reckon we be like to find it a bit stiff.”
“Bless me, Sampson, don’t tell I as you’ve a-got a notion o’ j’inin’ the army at your time o’ life. Lard save us!” she continued with gathering irritation, “I do believe you’ve a-took leave o’ your senses!”
“My dear woman,” returned the farmer, “I d’ ’low it will have gived ye a bit of a turn, but there, ’tis wrote plain for all to read. ‘Her Majesty the Queen have invited her old soldiers to serve’—if Her Majesty have a-made up her mind as ’tis old soldiers she wants, it bain’t for the likes of us to go agen it. I’ve al’ays heard tell as the Queen were an oncommon sensible woman, an’ she’ve a-found out, most like, as these here youngsters bain’t to be trusted—ye can’t expect old heads on young shoulders—I never did hold wi’ them there notions o’ shart service, an’ havin’ nothin’ but lads in the army, an’ Her Majesty, d’ye see, Her Majesty do very like agree wi’ I.”