CHILD
OF THE
REGIMENT.
NEW YORK:
P. J. COZANS, PUBLISHER,
107 NASSAU STREET,
CORNER OF ANN.
LITTLE MARY.
ot many years ago a terriblebattle was fought between thesoldiers of Napoleon Bonaparteand the Austrians, at a smallvillage in Italy. The Austrianswere severely beaten, and the houses of thevillage were set on fire by the cannon, andall burned or torn down; the poor villagerswere driven from their homes, and thousandsof soldiers were killed or wounded, and leftto die on the ground; the Austrians tried to get away from theFrench, but the furious soldiers of Napoleon pursued them withtheir bayonets, or trampled them to death with their horses.
In the French army was a regiment of soldiers who were calledguards; they were all dressed alike, in blue coats and whitepantaloons, trimmed with crimson and gold: they were terriblefellows to fight, and their enemies were very much afraid of [Pg 2]them, or they were always in the thickest ofthe battle, clearing their way with the points oftheir bayonets. While this regiment was pursuingthe Austrians, near the burning village,one of the Guards, an old man, saw a sweetlittle girl who could scarcely walk; her papaand mama had been driven from their homes,and her papa, who carried her in his arms, waskilled by the soldiers. Mary, for that was hername, held up her little hands crying bitterly,as she lay among the killed and wounded; andthe Old Guard, who was a brave but kind soldier,pitied her, and took her in his arms, andwhen the battle was ended, carried her to histent, and calling his comrades together, told themof the little girl he had found; and no one knowingwho she was, or who her parents were, theycalled her Mary, the Child of the Regiment, andagreed to take care of her as well as they could.Poor little Mary, she had no mama to undress her at night, andmake her a little bed, but the good old Guard, gave her someof his supper and laid her down on some straw, for the soldiershave no other beds in their tents; and after laying his coatover her to keep her warm, and his haversack under herhead, she sobbed awhile, and fell asleep to forget the scenes ofthat dreadful day. The next morning the old Guard awokelittle Mary, and washed her face, and combed her hair as wellas he could, for he had never taken care of a child in his life,and was almost afraid to touch her with his hard and roughhands, which he thought only fit to shoulder arms or chargebayonet with; and after taking some dried meat and hard breadfor breakfast, he took her out to let her see the soldiers: theywere delighted with Mary, and many of them ran to