Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-12-13
From the Home journal.
A WIFE AND A DUCkING.


In ttaa q al FIJI .s..Ifa l.
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,,a. oa, '',oss was 'oa.eu - Wv
.J W e 'l'I 90
Ia1 .oi.,I5 'uio' ~, ',oou ','U '''''' -
'"'s ''''' ..r,y ha,. o,o,,oa
or poiecn and potatoesF
W-had thrown us into HISTORIES with Larry
M'Iale," when, with one accord, the boys
appealed to R--ior something sentimental.
R--was handsome young fellow OF
about twentv-fnur and "a fond of tho Girls
os droL ~ -. IT.; -,
"S d uuoN Is OF water Ills easy HohWu'dh'
manner, combined with a spice of deviltry.
fine voice. natural talent for music and a
good pair Of leps." made him general
hvorite with the gentle sex and if he took
little advantage of this fact. il exeusable
on the ground that .all is fair in love and
war" If mode.tv was one of his inherent
characteristics. its DEVELOPMENT had been
sadly neglected so. without further induce
ment. he related the following which. as near
as 1 recall Give in his own language
you see bows. before was transferred
to this prison-bouse. was in charge of as
awkward a set of recruits a. ever shouIderod
a musket or wore a uniform. They had
rushed with willing hearts and sturdy arms
from work-sbop and field TO the defence OF
constitutional iibortv knovirg az ,,,icb obopt
military tactics As an elephant about rome
walking. Morning. noon and NIGHT. / man
oruvred those fellows until drW became re-
pular bore. inst AS thew bsd attained re-
spectacle proficiency. and was ready to en-
ioy the satisfaction which accompapios all
GOOD work. ths G,Ilouin., was rI,rod in mn
hands.
H,,i o,.,-,.,.. i-,., of M. p.,o,,,c
Lieutenant g. will prco,,, fora par,fcol,r SER
vice and report for Instructions At hesdqua-,ers
ny '''ef " n''sA'er Gen Nel1 ,',. Ella
A. A. swrH. Military Secretary
The routine Of camp life had quite taken
the romance out Of soldering, and hailed
with delight any change from It's dull mono
tony. So, after hearty breakfast, ! donned
my best clothes, mounted my pet pony, and
rode up to the head quarters, where | was in
formed that strict attention to my duties in
camp for several months having much graft
fed my colonel, by his request was tempo
rarily relieved from active service, and ordered
TO northern New York, there 90 Superiutend
the enlistment and forwarding Of recruits TO
the scat of war.
Bowling my thanks with az much calm
ness as | could command, ] backed out Of the
presence of my superior officers, rem0unted
my horse rode of to tell the mess of my
good luck, packed up my traps, and left in
the first train for L., pleasant town on
the Hudson, and not thousand miles from
Troy. Ny Instructions amounted to little
less than furlough, the superiniendence
consisting in riding about the several recruit
ing stations to overlook the business.
" or necessity, the entrance of a dashiug
dragoon, all booted and spurrcd, somewhat
disturbed the repose of ] -, and more
than one pair of bright eyes ghstened through
the bowed shutters, as | rode up TO the PhD-
nix $50 called, | suppose, because it arose
from its ashes. gave my horse 10 the groom,
and entered my name-Lieu' enant R.,
United States Army, in Aarng characters on
the register.
at required but a short time for a scion Of
Uncle Sam, fresh from the scat of war, to
make himself acquainted and the second af-
ternoon found me in company with Charley
, Ia fine fellow who ism t, but ought to
be soldier,) in presence Of three as pretty
and agreeable young ladies as one need wish
to pass an evening with. There is fatality in
my existence; it never rains but it pour.
The desire to have a Irritation was supreme
but how to choose from three equally attract
i've and pleasant was difficult. However. what
indecsion failed T. bring about, chance ac-
comphshed; and in less than three days Emma
Il drop the Miss, as merely conventional and
myself we're skirmishing with our light ar
hllery Of glances, occasionally varied on my
part by throwing in few yolleys of tender
speeches, all supported by reserve force Of
signs whose import was unmistabable. In
the meantime, Mary was by no means neg
ccted 4; and as she lived in another part Of
the town, the two oBaircs de coHr seldom con-
hicied while Jennie, who manifested moth
erly interest in all of us. looked particularly
to the welfare of Emma, her cousin and
visitor.
"Pick-nicks, drives. sails, and surprise par
ties, assisted old father Time TO travel with
unusual rapidity, and began to realize that
my holiday was drawing to a close. The fire.
quent, almost constant association with En-
ma, had excited in my heart something more
than transitory interest, although | was
hardly willing to concede, even to myself
that | was fairly caught in the net woven for
her. That she did not dislike me, was con-
WINGED, but nothing had ever escaped her
which gave me much ground for hope while.
on the other hand, Mary was as attentive and
engaging as a miss of sixteen, and evidently
in no wise displeased with my show Of devo-
ton To he the within of unrenuited affac-