his bed-side, and
as I shut the door, I saw his son take up a cushion.--

I thought, said the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr. Trim,
never said your prayers at all.--I heard the poor gentleman say his
prayers last night, said the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own
ears, or I could not have believed it.--Are you sure of it? replied the
curate.--A soldier, an' please your reverence, said I, prays as often
(of his own accord) as a parson;--and when he is fighting for his king,
and for his own life, and for his honour too, he has the most reason
to pray to God of any one in the whole world--'Twas well said of thee,
Trim, said my uncle Toby.--But when a soldier, said I, an' please your
reverence, has been standing for twelve hours together in the trenches,
up to his knees in cold water,--or engaged, said I, for months
together in long and dangerous marches;--harassed, perhaps, in his rear
to-day;--harassing others to-morrow;--detached here;--countermanded
there;--resting this night out upon his arms;--beat up in his shirt the
next;--benumbed in his joints;--perhaps without straw in his tent to
kneel on;--must say his prayers how and when he can.--I believe, said
I,--for I was piqued, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the
army,--I believe, an' please your reverence, said I, that when a soldier
gets time to pray,--he prays as heartily as a parson,--though not with
all his fuss and hypocrisy.--Thou shouldst not have said that, Trim,
said my uncle Toby,--for God only knows who is a hypocrite, and who is
not:--At the great and general review of us all, corporal, at the day of
judgment (and not till then)--it will be seen who has done their
duties in this world,--and who has not; and we shall be advanced, Trim,
accordingly.--I hope we shall, said Trim.--It is in the Scripture, said
my uncle Toby; and I will shew it thee to-morrow:--In the mean time we
may depend upon it, Trim, for our comfort, said my uncle Toby, that God
Almighty is so good and just a governor of the world, that if we have
but done our duties in it,--it will never be enquired into, whether
we have done them in a red coat or a black one:--I hope not, said the
corporal--But go on, Trim, said my uncle Toby, with thy story.

When I went up, continued the corporal, into the lieutenant's room,
which I did not do till the expiration of the ten minutes,--he was lying
in his bed with his head raised upon his hand, with his elbow upon the
pillow,