lawn in front of it, over which a couple of industrious
red-coats were pulling up and down a garden-roller; and in the centre
of the drive before the door was a tremendous clump of rhododendrons
of more than operatic brilliancy. I leaned on the garden-gate and
looked out at the camp: it was twinkling and bustling in the morning
light, which drizzled down upon it in patches from a somewhat agitated
sky. An hour later the camp got itself together and spread itself, in
close battalions and glittering cohorts, over a big green level, where
it marched and cantered about most effectively in honor of a lady
living at a quiet Scotch country-house. One of this lady's generals
stood in a corner, and the regiments marched past and saluted. This
simple spectacle was in reality very brilliant. I know nothing about
soldiers, as the reader must long since have discovered, but I had,
nevertheless, no hesitation in saying to myself that these were the
handsomest troops in the world. Everything in such a spectacle is
highly picturesque, and if the observer is one of the profane he
has no perception of weakness of detail. He sees the long squadrons
shining and shifting, uncurling themselves over the undulations of
the ground like great serpents with metallic scales, and he remembers
Milton's description of the celestial hosts. The British soldier
is doubtless not celestial, but the extreme perfection of his
appointments makes him look very well on parade. On this occasion at
Aldershot I felt as if I were at the Hippodrome. There was a great
deal of cavalry and artillery, and the dragoons, hussars and lancers,
the beautiful horses, the capital riders, the wonderful wagons and
guns, seemed even more theatrical than military. This came, in a great
measure, from the freshness and tidiness of their accessories--the
brightness and tightness of uniforms, the polish of boots and buckles,
the newness of leather and paint. None of these things were the worse
for wear: they had the bloom of peace still upon them. As I looked at
the show, and then afterward, in charming company, went winding back
to camp, passing detachments of the great cavalcade, returning also in
narrow file, balancing on their handsome horses along the paths in
the gorse-brightened heather, I allowed myself to wish that since, as
matters stood, the British soldier was clearly such a fine fellow and
a review at Aldershot was such a delightful entertainment, the bloom of
peace migh