San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-24
An .;RMY PORTIA.
By CHARLES KING, o. s. A.,
Author of "Ihc Cotoners Daughter" "The
Deserter," From the Ranks" Dun
rGpen Ranch" "Tt0o Soldiers"


thousand hard working, hard sIaV ;ng nieh
was not infinitely more at the mercy of
single official than could ever happen
in the army of the United States. My
| own people, by Jove! were so impressed
| by what they had been reading for years
in the papers of army life and army
officers that they were perpetually urg-
ing me to quit the service and come In
and begin life over again at forty-fve-
| clerking or something.
Why, only ten years before their
homes had been rescued from the mob,
| after police and militia had been whipped
to the winds, only by the prompt rush
| of the regulars from the frontier Oh,
they honized the shoulder strapped
| autocracy' then, and for just about one
| week it wasn't fashionable for a decent
paper to lampoon them, but the moment
the danger was over their gratitude fed
with their anxiety. tell you, the pa
| pers that are sold for two and three
cents in our big cities have to pander to
| the prejudices of the masses to keep
| alive, and there is no surer way Of tick
ling the palates of the populace than by
| ridiculing or abusing the army officers,
| and in lending themselves to this the
| editors of course influence the Judgment
of people of a much better class-the
great middle class. SO to speak. of the
whole nation"
1T isn't at all so where come FROM"
interposed Hearn, promptly. "At home
all my kinsfolk are proud Of my being
in the army"
All! you're a southerner, Mr. Hearn,
md your people are oil Americans. All
through the north, however, we have an
immense foreign population that has
tary duty. They hate the very sight of
soldier. Three-fourths of the people
of some of our big cities are of foreign
| birth or parentage. The papers seek
| their patronage, and in trucking to
them they prejudice northern Ameri-
cans against their own friends and rela-
| tives who have been idiots enough to
become their defenders. 1t was bad
| enough before the war, God knows, but
it's worse now. People wonder how it
| was that it took the north, with 3,000,-
600 soldiers, so long to subdue the south
with less than fourth that number.
Now see nothing to wonder at what
ever The south has always respected
the profession of arms; the north has al
ways derided it. Lee, with 10000
Americans at his back, and only 10000,
knocked 10000 out Of Grants over
whelming force between the Rapidan
and the James.
| Lees 10000 had the love of every
southern heart to sustain them. How
many of the north, think you, had no
personal interest in that struggle? How
many thousands of the north today
care nothing whatever for that flag
and the major pointed to the standard
floating over the garrison-''and only
ask to be let alone to make money their
own way? God knows, I'm as loyal a
| Union man as ever lived, but don't
like to think of the new generation that
has sprung up in this country; all SOL
diers in the south; all-what? in the
north?"
| And old Kenyon, flushed, almost
breathless, paused and mopped his brow
| with a silk handkerchief as red as his
| face.
| There was silence moment. Capt
Lanes kindly features wore an expression
half grave, half quizzical. Hearn had
| edged around nearer where Miss Mar
| shall was sitting, and that young lady
had dropped her dainty embroidery in
her lap and was listening attentively.
Something in the gravity of her de-
meanor gave Kenyon encouragement
"Now you, Miss Marshall, are accus
:omed TO social circles in the north. Tell
me frankly, now, did you ever hear men
prominent in civil life express any other
| opinion of the profession of an army Off
Ger than that it was rather a useless,
| dawdling and unworthy occupation?
"In peace times, presume You mean,
major"
| "ln peace times, certainly; though the
necessity for its existence then is rs great.
You recollect what Washington said: In
time of peace prepare for. war.
l. 81 confess that men who lead narrow
| lives in business or professions and never
get beyond the groove are apt to say
something of what you suggest, major.
But men who think and travel, especial
Iy those who have visited our frontier,
come back with feelings of much admi-
ration for the army, officers and men,"
"Then I'll rest my case with the men
who think and travel, said Hearn laugh
ing brightly. Come, you old cynic,
don't make me believe have no friends
outside my profession, when it some
times seems as though l hardly had one
/ in If "