



Produced by Chris Curnow, eagkw and the Online Distributed
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  THE BATTLE OF LIFE.

  A LOVE STORY.




  [Illustration]




  [Illustration: THE BATTLE OF LIFE
  A LOVE STORY]




  THE
  BATTLE OF LIFE.
  A Love Story.

  BY
  CHARLES DICKENS.

  London:
  BRADBURY & EVANS, WHITEFRIARS.
  MDCCCXLVI.




  LONDON:
  BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.




  THIS
  Christmas Book
  IS CORDIALLY INSCRIBED TO MY ENGLISH FRIENDS
  IN SWITZERLAND




ILLUSTRATIONS.


    _Title._                 _Artist._           _Engraver._

  FRONTISPIECE             D. MACLISE, R.A.    _Thompson._

  TITLE                    D. MACLISE, R.A.    _Thompson._

  PART THE FIRST           R. DOYLE.           _Dalziel._

  WAR                      C. STANFIELD, R.A.  _Williams._

  PEACE                    C. STANFIELD, R.A.  _Williams._

  THE PARTING BREAKFAST    J. LEECH.           _Dalziel._

  PART THE SECOND          R. DOYLE.           _Green._

  SNITCHEY AND CRAGGS      J. LEECH.           _Dalziel._

  THE SECRET INTERVIEW     D. MACLISE, R.A.    _Williams._

  THE NIGHT OF THE RETURN  J. LEECH.           _Dalziel._

  PART THE THIRD           R. DOYLE.           _Dalziel._

  THE NUTMEG GRATER        C. STANFIELD, R.A.  _Williams._

  THE SISTERS              D. MACLISE, R.A.    _Williams._




THE BATTLE OF LIFE.

A Love Story.

PART THE FIRST.




[Illustration]

PART THE FIRST


[Illustration]

Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it
matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a
long summer day when the waving grass was green. Many a wild flower
formed by the Almighty Hand to be a perfumed goblet for the dew, felt
its enamelled cup fill high with blood that day, and shrinking dropped.
Many an insect deriving its delicate color from harmless leaves and
herbs, was stained anew that day by dying men, and marked its frightened
way with an unnatural track. The painted butterfly took blood into the
air upon the edges of its wings. The stream ran red. The trodden ground
became a quagmire, whence, from sullen pools collected in the prints of
human feet and horses' hoofs, the one prevailing hue still lowered and
glimmered at the sun.

[I