Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/316

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ORP, THE DEATH OF LORD RAGLAN. CH A P. XIII. General Airey. His Inst hoars and death. anxiously into the future that lies beyond the grave. Approaching Lord Raglan closely, Ik; said: — 'Sir, you are ill; would you not like to see some ' one ? ' Faintly and gently Lord Raglan answered, 'No.' General Airey still persisted, and said — said indeed more than once — ' Sir, you are very ' ill ; would you not like to see some one ? ' but the faint, gentle ' No ' was still all the answer he drew. Then altering a little the scope of his question, General Airey said to him, ' Sir, you ' are very ill ; whom would you like to see ? ' Lord Eaglan gently answering, said, 'Frank,' meaning Lady Eaglan 's nephew, Lord Burghersh. The foreshadow of death was then falling on the mind of the Chief, and he did not, I believe, speak again. Lord Burghersh presently came, but the con- sciousness of Lord Raglan had ceased. Thenceforth, during some three hours, the com- mander lay breathing and tranquil on his narrow camp-bed ; but, when the descending sun had at last sunk low in the heavens, a great life seemed to be waning with the waning of the day. The Chaplain of the Forces was present;* and he has recorded what followed: 'At this moment,' he said and wrote, ' I have before me one whom I ' had learnt to love, lying in his last moments ' upon a narrow camp-bed. The room was small ' and scantily furnished. Colonel Somerset and ' Lord Burghersh stood on one side of the bed,

  • Archdeacon Wrieht.