A Life for a Life
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A Life for a Life Dinah Craik A Life for a Life Table of Contents A Life for a Life.........................................................................................................................................................1 Dinah Craik....................................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. HER STORY.............................................................................................................................................2 Chapter 2. HIS STORY...............................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 3. HIS STORY.............................................................................................................................................11 Chapter 4. HER STORY...........................................................................................................................................18 Chapter 5. HIS STORY.............................................................................................................................................28 Chapter 6. HER STORY...........................................................................................................................................39 Chapter 7. HIS STORY.............................................................................................................................................47 Chapter 8. HER STORY...........................................................................................................................................58 Chapter 9. HIS STORY.............................................................................................................................................67 Chapter 10. HER STORY.........................................................................................................................................68 Chapter 11. HIS STORY...........................................................................................................................................71 Chapter 12. HER STORY.........................................................................................................................................77 Chapter 13. HER STORY.........................................................................................................................................81 Chapter 14. HIS STORY...........................................................................................................................................88 Chapter 15. HIS STORY...........................................................................................................................................98 Chapter 16. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................109 Chapter 17. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................121 Chapter 18. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................131 Chapter 19. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................134 Chapter 20. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................144 Chapter 21. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................145 Chapter 22. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................152 Chapter 23. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................154 Chapter 24. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................160 Chapter 25. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................167 Chapter 26. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................175 Chapter 27. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................184 Chapter 28. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................191 Chapter 29. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................197 Chapter 30. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................198 Chapter 31. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................205 Chapter 32. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................208 Chapter 33. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................218 Chapter 34. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................227 Chapter 35. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................238 Chapter 36. HIS STORY.........................................................................................................................................251 Chapter 37. HER STORY.......................................................................................................................................256 i A Life for a Life Dinah Craik This page copyright © 2002 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • Chapter 1. HER STORY • Chapter 2. HIS STORY • Chapter 3. HIS STORY • Chapter 4. HER STORY • Chapter 5. HIS STORY • Chapter 6. HER STORY • Chapter 7. HIS STORY • Chapter 8. HER STORY • Chapter 9. HIS STORY • Chapter 10. HER STORY • Chapter 11. HIS STORY • Chapter 12. HER STORY • Chapter 13. HER STORY • Chapter 14. HIS STORY • Chapter 15. HIS STORY • Chapter 16. HER STORY • Chapter 17. HER STORY • Chapter 18. HIS STORY • Chapter 19. HER STORY • Chapter 20. HIS STORY • Chapter 21. HER STORY • Chapter 22. HIS STORY • Chapter 23. HER STORY • Chapter 24. HER STORY • Chapter 25. HIS STORY • Chapter 26. HER STORY • Chapter 27. HIS STORY • Chapter 28. HER STORY • Chapter 29. HIS STORY • Chapter 30. HER STORY • Chapter 31. HIS STORY • Chapter 32. HER STORY • Chapter 33. HIS STORY • Chapter 34. HER STORY • Chapter 35. HIS STORY • Chapter 36. HIS STORY • Chapter 37. HER STORY A Life for a Life 1 A Life for a Life Chapter 1. HER STORY Yes, I hate soldiers. I can't help writing itit relieves my mind. All morning have we been driving about that horrid region into which our beautiful, desolate moor has been transmogrified; round and round, up and down, in at the south camp and out at the north camp; directed hither and thither by muddle−headed privates; stared at by puppyish young officers; choked with chimney−smoke; jolted over roads laid with ashesor no roads at alland pestered everywhere with the sight of lounging, lazy, red groups,that colour is becoming to me a perfect eyesore! What a treat it is to get home and lock myself in my own roomthe tiniest and safest nook in all Rockmountand spurt out my wrath in the blackest of ink with the boldest of pens! Bless you! (query: who can I be blessing, for nobody will ever read this?) what does it matter? And after all, I repeat, it relieves my mind. I do hate soldiers. I always did, from my youth up, till the war in the East startled everybody like a thunder−clap. What a time it wasthis time two years ago! How the actual romance of each day, as set down in the newspapers, made my old romances read like mere balderdash: how the present, in its infinite piteousness, its tangible horror, and the awfulness of what they called its glory, cast the tame past altogether into shade! Who read history then, or novels, or poetry? Who read anything but that fearful Times? And now it is all gone bywe have peace again; and this 20th of September, 1856, I begin with my birthday a new journal (capital one, too, with a first−rate lock and key, saved out of my summer bonnet, which I didn't buy). Nor need I spoil the dayas onceby crying over those who, two years since, Went up Red Alma's heights to glory. Conscience, tender over dead heroes, feels not the smallest compunction in writing the angry initiatory line, when she thinks of that odious camp which has been established near us, for the education of the military mind and the hardening of the military body. Whence red−coats swarm out over the pretty neighbourhood like lady−birds over the hop−gardens harmless, it is true, yet for ever flying in one's face in the most unpleasant manner, making inroads