The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-05
FEATURES OF ARMY LIFE
WIVES OF OFFICERS AND THE
reIALs OF THE BARRACKS.

..on Place to Place-Wealth Not a
x.cessary Qualification.
-,n the Ne1 YORK CONGRATULATIONS.
s,much has been said and written of the
g;.,rv features of life at United States
~ Garrison, that its routine is familiar
n INIT of the woman's side of it, of the
;,I aud home life, little is really known
the ordinary civilians. And yet the
man themselves-those charming and
..n;jful women who have chosen to share
!. syer-moving life Of a soldier, who have
viii ngly left homes of plenty to wander
r.s the men of their choice, from one far
r.v garrison to another, as Uncle Sam
Iii dictate-these have much to say Of
INV life from their peculiar point Of view
SOME OF THE DRAWBACKS.
put the discomforts of their lives are
.naIIv discussed only in their inner circle
!, the outside world only the glitter of gold
.cas and the noise of military bands are
',bibited. while the bare quarters, the
r1rned and mended gowns and the incon-
ranience of constant changes of home ara
a ever mentioned, except within their own
<,acrad male. Here, however, the tongues
Tag fast enough, and many a bitter little
Einvective is thrown at government which
80 ignores the private wishes OF womankind
as 10 move them about like figures on a
chess board from east to west, from north
to south; and scarcely one OF them but
halieves that these sudden orders are insti-
gated by bit of pure malice prepense on
the mart of the government-unless she
b lnannens at the time to be in an undesirable
garrison. or in cramped quarters, in which
81 case the move is welcomed as promising
something better. The daughter of lndul-
a oent and perhaps wealthy parents is taken
y 70 spend the season in the neighborhood of
one of our military garrisons; Fortress
s Monroe for example, or West Point, or
4. .Fort Leavenworth, or Washington City.
Here the young girl meets and loves some
one of the tri II gallant officers, brilliant in
their gay uniforms, and brave with their
1clankng swords, who come to pay court to
{ber His rank may be but that of second
Xlieuten ant, but his uniform is as bright,
aud his gold lace as glittering as that of the
hardy old officer Of high rank who has seen
fght-and 50 she marries him.
Her father, rich man that he is is only
too glad to bestow his petted daughter upon
the snall-salaried young officer just begin
ming his hard career. What is this mys-
ferrous charm which surrounds army
u officers, which makes parents SO willing to
~ dLUM JuSll ddue, w 1OllOW lubO
"a hardship and danger? Is it the brave lives
& that they are supposed to lead? Is it that
Il they are for the most part of good families
& and fine education? Is it because their uni
4 forms are SO bright and allurings Is it be-
cause they and their families are admitted
by tacit consent into the best circles of So
ciety wherever they go? Or is it because
they are really such superior men? WHAT
ever the charm may be it certainly exists,
and the daughter of luxury is the first to
admit 1t.
AFTER MARRIAGE.
The young girl follows her soldier hus-
band to his far-off station, away upon some
dreary plain or wild northwestern river.
Here the difficulty of comfortable homo
for the dainty bride first appears. The
young officers rank is such that he is en-
titled only to last choice of quarters
what everybody else has refused He may
consider himself fortunate if he gets four
decent rooms for the tender girl who has
spent her life in city palace. All her
fathers millions cannot buy the young uair
a larger dwelling, where everything is de-
clded by rank-noG money. But they con-
sole themselves In their small domain by
boxing forwa d to the dey of promotion j.
when the second lieutenant will become a
first lieutenant, then captain, major, a
colonel, and even some day-oh joy!-the
commanding officer of the garrison, with
the right to live in the very biggest house
at the post.
The new wife has not even room in her
cramped quarters for the costly wedding
prese IS which her generous friends have
bestowed upon her, and the most of them
must be slowed away to await the day of
more connections quarters. By the aid of
bright rugs and dainty pictures and soft
cushions, the young woman is able to con-
vert the four bare rooms into apartments
Of artistic besuty. And then the fascina-
ton OF army life begins. Every soul in the
garrison set comes to pay social visit to
the strangers; the rigid etiquette of the
army demands that every officer, from the
commander down to the smallest lieutenant.
together with his family, if he has one,
shall call upon every newcomer within his
circle. This brings be wildering number
Of visitors within the first few weeks of
their arrival, and the meager number of
chairs are inadequate to hold the brilliant
array OF uniforms that crowd the small
parlor of the young couple. Invitations to
dinners, receptions and military balls pour
10, and life looks rosy to the young bride
VINO mas already grown fond of the novelty
Of such tiny home
TURNED OUT.
But alas, one of the visitors-a selfish
bachelor perhaps-has cast an envious eve
upon the little wife's tasteful arrangement
OF her quarters. He me lions to another
orncer that he 'had no idea that the AS
quarters were so good-they were actually
more comfortable than his own; he believed
ne would turn them out" Accordingly, the
very next week the poor little woman ex-
periences for the first time that turning
ouU process SO familiar to army women, and
tne pair are forced to seek other quarters,
smaller than before.
ana he protested to be our friend.n she
says with tears in her eyes, she was so nice
anu petite to me-the horrid. deceitfIl man.
even II he does rank us, he need not have
IurHeo us out of our home" But the other
W.; women console her, and prepare her by tell
eng ner That they have been turned OUT
t nt.e umes, or twenty times, or even
ottener, as the case may have been, and that
cue snali havsher revenge some day by turn
wy ouGSomenody else. Once more the Young
ooutie establish themselves with what
N t;l ~ Cney can In the quarters that are
bro .Lne limited to but three rooms. They
uoSy open out again their household
99bos, nang curtains and pictures, and lay
J fnotr bright rugs. But alas, again, the very
ea a5 tnat their last tack is driven, and they
4 he prepared once more to enjoy their
i fine, comes cruel and imperative order
4 III IN Inc war department, commanding
4 III Attie Lieutenant A. to report at the
tb Saer END OF the continent on the 2Sth of
No. No. month. "The 28th," ecloes the little
i; me aghast; that gives us but three .days
III "nlcn 10 pack our effects and be upon