Helmetted

The clear bright blaze ascending at times high into the air, revealed the scenery almost distinctly; showing us the piled arms that were to be grasped or levelled on the morrow for the work of death; the plumed and helmetted warriors that passed and re-passed between them; […]

The old King of Prussia shed tears when, on his return from Ems, the despatch announcing the declaration of war by France was handed to him; and I myself witnessed the unaffected and tearful emotion with which the helmetted old warrior read his address at the opening of his parliament in July last.

The train was pulling into Moscow as she came to the end of her story and, during its telling, the image of the helmetted boy had stippled itself on Jakob’s eye like an engraving.