The National tribune., 1885-11-19

1t was certain that he had learned the lam
guage, and as he was never idle he must have
learned great deal else. In truth. it turned
out at last that he had a vast fund of inform
alton on two very dissimilar subjects, to wit:
MILITARY MATTERS AND COOKING.
Hislove for the art ailitaire was natural TO him,
and he had become interested in the other
science because one day in Paris while he stood
on the Champ dc Mars watching the eyOlutions
of body OF soldiers, he was attracted by tall,
griZZled veteran IN plain clothes who stood near
him, also a spectator of the scene. The soldiers
before them were about to leave Paris Tor the
seat of the anticipated war in Italy,-it was liz
1S59,-and the tall, lean military parsonage,
seeing Stanleys interest, and that he was, as
he supposed. an Englishman, said with great
courtesy and ia very tolerable Englsh:.
"1ou have great admiration, sir; but you
have fine soldiers of your own"
II never saw any of my own; that is. real
soldiers though We have some / believe. am
not an Englishman l am an American"
All, sir; it is happy country that has no
need OF soldiers"
Then followed a conversation, and Stanley
found bis new friend was, as was evident, an
old soldier; that he had left the army many
years before, and that his first service had
been as youth of Is at Waterloo.
And you are General now suppose" said
Stanley with the frankness of boy.
ft"Ah No, no, no | am not soldier now at
al. l was once a Captain, long ago. Now
am what you call in your country cook
"a what" said Stanley in great amazement.
Never in his life before had he spoken to a cook
of the male sex.
Il am a cook" repeated the veteran with
a smile. d" see you have astonishmcnt; in
your country there are, know, no cooks"
Il beg your pardon, said Stanley. In nay
country we have women cooks and they are
- and he hesitated, fearful of wounding the
feelings Of the Frenchman -, they are
usually Irishwomen."
"Impossiblei imposSiblei"
Stanley had never heard a form of denial so
positive, and, as seemed 10 him, so convincing.
''You do not know" went on the Frenchman;
"none but Frenchmen can know, none but
Parsians-few in Paris. l am Of that few"
:. really would like TO know" said Stanley
modestly.
"Then. sir, I viii inform you. More than
that. will that you should behold it yourself"
And then he told Stanley that he was in the
employ of one of the famous noblemen of the
Second Empire, naming him, and that if Stan
ley would do him the honor to call at the resi-
dence Of the magnate and inquire for him,
"Monseur Repart," he would be conducted to
the Chef and given an opportunity to inspect
actual operations.
And all of this Stanley had done. He found
the veteran in the kitchen of the establish
ment and he remained with him during one
evening, when he served dinner to a party of
the French aristocracy. Stanley was deeply
impressed with all he saw, and for the first
time in life understood that cooking was
science, and the management of kitchen
equivalent to
THE COMMAND OF BATTALIoNs.
He was not inclined to dispute the old SOL
der the next day, when he said to him, in his
grand manner:
There is no better what You call cook in all
Paris than /. i learned my art when l learned
war; it Is all the same The same qualities
make success in each. Do you not See? Great
attention to details-thoroughly to understand
your resources and remember instantly the
exact position of each; the capacity to make
much of little; the tact to clothe a small affair
with a great name; celeritv in action; power
of combination that shall cause to appear the
right thing at the right time: the enforcement
of rigid discipline in subordinates, and then,
with all. my dear sir, economy to the last de-
gree-thrift and economy. Why, sir. in the
establishment where you did me the honor to
visit me yesterday, there is nothing lost abb
soiutely nothing; everything is put to its
proper use. and not crumb is lost. A mouse
would starve there. If / were the Emperor
and were TO select my Minister of Finance, it
should he one who had achieved reputation
as cook; or to head my armies, it should
still be COOK
With this singular man Stanley had acquired
avery thorough idea Of very refined cookery, |
an art that he practiced as opportunity permit
ted and finding himself at the time this story
opens about to enter on a campaign through a
country which. from experience gained in one
or two raids, he knew was not Astounding in |
supplies at that season of the year, he had |
taken the precaution TO send to New Orleans to |
one John Galpin, who, on receipt of an order |
from Stanley, bad dispatched to him sundry |
packages of good things, which were now Sc |
curely packed away in an army wagon ready |
for the anticipated march.
.Il ride over and see the General" said the |
Captain TO himself, looking about the tent for |
his sword and belt, land ask him to dine with |
me before we leave, and get Graves and Balm |
bridge and Carruth TO be here, too we will have |
quiet little sit-dOwn and test some of Galpin's
things. Here you, Martini" he called aloud !
.wbat have you done with my sword?'
q" Here, sah,' said his black servant tapping |
ar the entrance to his tent; lust cleaned it. |
sab"
TEL sam to bring up my horse" said Stan
ley, claspiBg his sw ord belt and accordingly in
a very few minutes the gallant Captain was in |
the saddle and cantering easily away towards |
the tent of Gen. Weitzel. the commander of the |
forces then assembled at BeTwick's Bay.
The General in response to the polite invi- |
tation of Stanley that he would
DISE WITH HIN THE NEXT DAY, |
replied that he should take great pleasure in |
doing and then Stanley rode to the quarters !
of cambridge and OF Carruth, both of whom as !
sented with great readiness TO the proposition. |
As he met Graves on his way exercising a |
clay-oolored horse he called Hippodrome he |
too, accepted with alacrity, and the party was |
complete.
When Stanley returned TO his own camp Mr. |
Horton, the junior Lieutenant of his battery, |
reported that the ordnance officer could furnish
no more ammunition at present, but expected |
supply shortly, and would take care that the !
battery had plenty as soon as it came; and then |
the young commander made tour of inspec- |
tion Of his camp looked closely at the wheels |
OF the gun carriages which he thought might |
be shrinking under exposure TO the sun; heard |
Serg't Leatherbee describe the merits of par |
ticular mixture of oil and lampblaek for the |
harness; and finally reaching his tent he spent |
the evening IN reading novel and determin-
ing the menu for the dinner OF the day follow |
ing.
The trumpets sounding reveille in the morn
ing but little disturbed the slumbers of Can't.
Stanley. twas the duty of one of his Lieuten-
ants 10 attend the battery roll-call, and the |
young man was in deep sleep when he was |
aroused ~ tap on the, flap of his tent and a |
voice which he recognized as that of Graves, |
the Generals Abide Camp saying: Capt. |
Stanley, can l come in?"
Yes, Of course, come in" said the artillery |
man, springng from his couch and untying |
the entrance to his tent. Whats up now that |
you are ont so carly? | never knew YOU to |
tl,,,