unwonted feast as
"Christmas Eve, my friends, when the Shepherds, who were poor
travelers, too, in their way, heard the Angels sing, 'On earth,
peace: Good will toward men.'" Then each traveler was invited to
relate a story, and among those told was the following.]

In the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, a relative of
mine came limping down, on foot, to the town of Chatham. He was a poor
traveler, with not a farthing in his pocket.

My relative came down to Chatham to enlist in a cavalry regiment, if a
cavalry regiment would have him; if not, to take King George's shilling
from any corporal or sergeant who would put a bunch of ribbons in his
hat. His object was to get shot; but he thought he might as well ride to
death as be at the trouble of walking.

My relative's Christian name was Richard, but he was better known as
Dick. He dropped his own surname on the road down, and took up that of
Doubledick. He was passed as Richard Doubledick; age, twenty-two;
height, five foot ten; native place, Exmouth, which he had never been
near in his life. There was no cavalry in Chatham when he limped over
the bridge with half a shoe to his dusty feet, so he enlisted into a
regiment of the line, and was glad to get drunk and forget all about it.

You are to know that this relative of mine had gone wrong, and run wild.
His heart was in the right place, but it was sealed up. He had been
betrothed to a good and beautiful girl, whom he had loved better than
she--or perhaps even he--believed; but in an evil hour he had given her
cause to say to him solemnly, "Richard, I will never marry any other
man. I will live single for your sake, but Mary Marshall's lips"--her
name was Mary Marshall--"never address another word to you on earth. Go,
Richard! Heaven forgive you!" This finished him. This brought him down
to Chatham. This made him Private Richard Doubledick, with a
determination to be shot.

There was not a more dissipated and reckless soldier in Chatham
barracks, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, than
Private Richard Doubledick. He associated with the dregs of every
regiment; he was as seldom sober as he could be, and was constantly
under punishment. It became clear to the whole barracks that Private
Richard Doubledick would very soon be flogged.

Now the Captain of Richard Doubledick's company was a young gentleman
not above five years his senior, whose eyes had an expre