Social life in the British army
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| Social life in the British army |
Excerpt:
When one considers that the British army finds its recruits among every class of citizens, it becomes rather a matter of astonishment that the inner H of the officer or soldier is, as it undoubtedly is to a great extent, a sealed book to the great bulk of the people.
When the young man leaves the family circle to wear a red or the blue coat, whether in the ranks or a higher grade, he enters a mysterious region, echoes from which do indeed reach the outer world, but which remains, despite the efforts of novelists of both sexes, to all intents and purposes a terra incognita.
In the British army was one of the utmost ease and luxury; every officer, even the humblest subaltern, owned his yacht, his race-horses, and his box at the opera -when quartered, that is to say, where such a luxury could be obtained (the yacht and the racing stud were everywhere); while the more Britons could be who, in spite of the enervating etfects of all this luxury, endured the native Russians, and are even now not back- wealthy possessed their grouse-moors, their deer-forests, etc., the majority playing cards every night for enormous stakes, and spending large sums on presents to actresses and in other follies.
No doubt this highly colored picture went down to a certain extent among its simpler readers, who must his compatriots, it is hardly to be wondered at that the descriptions of it which are placed before foreign readers are as a rule more picturesque than accurate.
NA Russian military paper not long ago in- picturesqueness that the lifg of the officer have wondered what sort of men these winter climate life.