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CHAPTER VI
1867-9
HOME STATIONS
Boring Dover
From April, 1867, to January 12, 1868, the 51st was stationed at Dover; and Major Acton suffered, with more or less boredom, the usual round of regimental duties and social gaieties. Probably his greatest enjoyment was found in sailing a yacht bought by the officers of the regiment, and handed over by vote to his direction.
Injured at Aldershot
Nine uneventful months at Aldershot followed the sojourn at Dover, and there is much in the diary to suggest that the experience was not altogether agreeable. It certainly began unfortunately enough, for soon after his arrival the Major had a fall from his horse whilst hunting that might well have cost him his life. As it was his chest was injured by the horse treading upon it, and for nearly a month he was on the sick-list.
Portland - place of destiny
From Aldershot the regiment moved to the South Coast, part of it going to Portland and part to Weymouth, and remained there for eighteen months from September, 1868, to March, 1870.
This period cannot be lightly passed over, for in more ways than one it saw marked changes in Charles Acton's life. For one thing, his strong religious belief began to assert itself more forcibly, enabling him to throw off some of the reserve that had hitherto prevented anything like free expression of his opinions. For years his habitual reticence on all spiritual matters had been a source of trouble to him, as two interesting letters, written respectively in March and April, 1860, testify. Although chronologically out of place they may usefully be quoted here, as they present the motive of the more actively religious life in which the writer began to engage.
'My dear
'22. 3. '60.
'The following sentence I met somewhere some time ago, and it has not ceased to haunt me and to reproach me that it has been so true of myself : "Hitherto I wrote in my letters of nothing but the current and casual events."
'That this should be is very wrong, but though I have long thought so, I have not been able to break through the old habit.'
'Chichester,
'23. 4. '60.
'My Dr.
'If the subject of my present letter astonish you, as I fear, from its being the first of its kind, there is every reason to believe it will, I yet hope that you will not disapprove of it, and shall be obliged to you if you will tell me whether you do or do not.
Last summer I read somewhere, and it has haunted me ever since, "Hitherto in my letters I had never written of anything but the common events that happened," etc., but surely that faith in God's promises cannot be very real or deep which will never speak of it with friends, and I am sure that many parts of the New Testament will occur to you directing to comfort and admonish one another, not to mention the pleasure that we should take in talking of things that we profess to think of so great importance; for such amusements as we like, how do we not talk of them? Perhaps for hours together, such as hunting, balls, etc. The talking of such things is a proof we are sincere in our profession of liking them, and I think we shall also take a pleasure in talking of those other incomparably more important things concerning our faith ; but it is something so out of the common that one is afraid to begin it, and also, I regret to say, I feel very weak on the subject.
Charles describes his family life
It has always seemed to me so strange that in our family such topics have always been avoided, and I cannot think by accident; for if such were the case they would come out sometimes. Now, I think this is a great mistake on our part (by the by, it seems to me that we have always been a very reserved family amongst ourselves, and not intimate enough in our exchange of thought and feelings, at least it is so with me, and I find the same often prevents my amalgamating, as it were, with my friends), I think we lose much by not supporting one another in our faith. I think I heard you say that you had never yet partaken of our Lord's Supper, and I thought perhaps some of my feelings on the subject, previous to my doing so, would be very similar to yours; for a length of time it used to trouble me much, and I tried to think it was unnecessary, and nothing but a form! But I could not get over the "Do this in remembrance of Me."
On the Holy Communion
'I was prevented, I am ashamed to say, by its being an unusual thing, and I was afraid to begin; in fact, I was ashamed to confess my Saviour. I often have been guilty of denying Him how wretched and despicable! and I cannot say (that) I have yet altogether overcome this.
'The latter part of what I have written, and which I have underlined, I by no means suggest or think to have been your motives, or rather, hindrances. I trust, indeed, now that I receive much benefit from partaking with others of this Sacrament, I believe it to be particularly useful and strengthening to one's faith, thus openly, yet unostentatiously, obeying our Lord's command.
'I fancy many people think there is, in the ceremony, some hidden innate virtue that does them good, and that there is merit to them in doing it. I find it makes me think more seriously at those times, pray more earnestly, and examine myself more strictly than I should otherwise; and, indeed, a firm belief that one is doing God's command cannot but be comforting and beneficial, and I feel it gives a reality to our religion which is useful, as ours is so simple and so free from forms and formalities. There is to my idea a tangibility about it, and without form of some kind one's religion is very likely to become very visionary and speculative.
'I have already derived benefit myself from some of my older and right-thinking friends' letters, and I hope to continue to do so from them, and also from my friend. It is a great thing to seek the friendship and make companions of serious believers (Col. B., by the by, I reckon one), and I am happy to say our . . . has been so for many years, and many of our young fellows are so, too.
'Two strong and active causes there are with me (and I fancy with many) preventing discussion of such subjects; one, the fear of being supposed to set one's self up as better than one's neighbours, and the other, the most proper and natural, though, I suppose, exaggerated, dread of cant. However, with you, I can have no feeling of the kind, though I don't say that the former may not have once actuated me. . .
'I trust I have not altogether wearied you, and I have tried to write clearly and legibly.
'Yours, etc.,
'James v. 16. '2 Peter iii. n.'
The following entry in Charles Acton's diary testifies to the sincerity of his desire to live up to the ideal set forth in the above letters. It runs:
'Feb. 15, 1869. Call on Dobie (the Chaplain), and have a pleasant talk with him. Offer to attend his Bible class on Wednesdays in barracks.'
For an officer of his standing to attend a Bible class was an almost unheard-of proceeding, and one can only regard it as an act of sublime courage on the part of so reserved a man.
Enter Georgie
The month of June, 1869, Major Acton became engaged to
Georgina Cecilia, second daughter of George Annesley, Esq., and the whole outlook of his life was changed. The engagement was very short, only lasting six weeks, and the wedding took place at
Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, London, on July 31st.
Concerning this most interesting event the diary does not tell us much, but the few references there are evince the most perfect satisfaction. On July 28th, for instance, the words 'very happy' are suddenly introduced into an entry concerning other matters altogether, while a later entry runs : 'I feel too happy; may I strive to work God's will with all my heart and with thankfulness.'
The wedding was a large family gathering, and there were nine bridesmaids. The breakfast was pronounced by the joyful bridegroom to be 'very successful' notwithstanding the fact that he had to make three speeches, an ordeal calculated to distress a much more self-confident man.
A long honeymoon
The honeymoon of six weeks was spent in Germany and Switzerland, and not even bad weather and an August crowd could mar the pleasure of the tour.
The next three months were spent in visiting in London, Abbots Leigh, Fifield Bavant and Iffley, and it was not until the end of December that Major Acton rejoined his regiment at Portland. He took with him a somewhat novel offering from one of his juvenile friends, whom he delighted by writing the following letter:
Letter from a kitten
'Portland's Isle,
'29 Dec., '69.
'The little Kitten Sooty Paws, to the good little lady Edie, sends purring:
'MY DEAR LITTLE LADY,
'If I don't write my best hand you must know that I have been so cramped up in my little round travelling basket that I can't do better Mew, mew! My poor little bones are so shaken up in the dark, and my eyes so big and round, that I look quite cross, but I'm not.
'I've been let out only twice, and I was very glad to see the Major again, as I feared some nasty butcher had taken me away to make sausages of. However, the Major made me go into my basket again, which made me cry. They gave me a little bread and beef, but I have had nothing to drink except a few tears of love you dropped on my basket.
'I am too weary to say more, and kind Winkey Blinkey has come for me. I forgot to tell you the Major left me in a windy place, so I crept out of my basket and walked up the railway, and thought I was lost, till several strange men caught me and gave me back to the Major.
'Your humble, faithful kitten,
'Sooty Paws.'
No wonder that Charles Acton gained the wholehearted affection of children, if he could enter into their feelings with such sympathetic playfulness. It was one of the most charming characteristics of an otherwise grave and reserved man, and many other evidences of it exist in letters carefully preserved and cherished by their owners.
Next chapter.
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