d, and I could hear him
talking to them in a low and joyful tone. Poor, poor fellow! the New
Year so full of hope and happiness had dawned upon him, but he did not
live to see the wild flowers spring up peacefully through the
war-trodden sod before Sebastopol.

CHAPTER XIX.

NEW YEAR IN THE CRIMEA--GOOD NEWS--THE ARMISTICE--BARTER
WITH THE RUSSIANS--WAR AND PEACE--TIDINGS OF
PEACE--EXCURSIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CRIMEA--TO
SIMPHEROPOL, BAKTCHISERAI, ETC.--THE TROOPS BEGIN TO
LEAVE THE CRIMEA--FRIENDS' FAREWELLS--THE CEMETERIES--WE
REMOVE FROM SPRING HILL TO BALACLAVA--ALARMING SACRIFICE
OF OUR STOCK--A LAST GLIMPSE OF SEBASTOPOL--HOME!

Before the New Year was far advanced we all began to think of going
home, making sure that peace would soon be concluded. And never did
more welcome message come anywhere than that which brought us
intelligence of the armistice, and the firing, which had grown more
and more slack lately, ceased altogether. Of course the army did not
desire peace because they had any distaste for fighting; so far from
it, I believe the only more welcome intelligence would have been news
of a campaign in the field, but they were most heartily weary of
sieges, and the prospect of another year before the gloomy north of
Sebastopol damped the ardour of the most sanguine. Before the
armistice was signed, the Russians and their old foes made advances of
friendship, and the banks of the Tchernaya used to be thronged with
strangers, and many strange acquaintances were thus began. I was one
of the first to ride down to the Tchernaya, and very much delighted
seemed the Russians to see an English woman. I wonder if they thought
they all had my complexion. I soon entered heartily into the then
current amusement--that of exchanging coin, etc., with the Russians. I
stole a march upon my companions by making the sign of the cross upon
my bosom, upon which a Russian threw me, in exchange for some pence, a
little metal figure of some ugly saint. Then we wrapped up halfpence
in clay, and received coins of less value in exchange. Seeing a
soldier eating some white bread, I made signs of wanting some, and
threw over a piece of money. I had great difficulty in making the man
understand me, but after considerable pantomime, with surprise in his
round bullet eyes, he wrapped up his bread in some paper, then coated
it with clay and sent it over to me. I thought it would look well
bes