San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-23

nall sympathetic, the two officers con
voyed their Junior toward the shaded
veranda where were seated Mrs. Lane
Miss Marshall and other ladies busy will
their needlework and probable gossip
Miss Wharton was of the party, anC
there were two or three callers. They
had noted the colonel's soldierly figure
as he tramped across the parade, and
were quick to see the two officers coming
along the gravel walk. Mrs Lane hall
rose, an smiling brightly babe them
enter. Forage caps were raised In ac.
acknowledgement and salutations exchang.
ed, but the trio hung outside The ma
| jor by this time was talking vehemently
Lane was looking grave and anxious.
The same perplexed expression was on
MS face that mad been noted al the break
fast table when reading that letter Just
| before Miss Marshall's entrance the day
| before. Hearn's face was clouded
How can they. encourage Nal Ken
| yon to be dilating on his pet hobby
| petulantly exclaimed Mrs Graves He
is the most pessimistic cynical. prOsy
| old crank in the whole service, and will
bore them to death There. now. he 5
backed them up against the fence and
there is no hope for them. Do come In
here out of the hot sunshine, Mai Ken
yOn; you can harangue all you like here
just as well" But Kenyon paid no at
tention to his fair comrade of the infant
ry. For years the women of the tt.
hal
him despite the fact that he was one oE
their most devoted admirers When
Mrs. Lane again called to them to come
in and sit on the veranda, however. the
captain calmly took his two friends by
the elbows and steered them through
the gate Another moment and the
lait.Cs were settling back in their seats.
and the major had the floor
Eyes. Mrs. Lane, am a crank, as my
gpod friend Mrs. Graves has doubtless
told you; have reason to be, and the
crank's wound up today. Your husband
and Hearn here have been combating
my views about the desirability of the
army as vocation, and l crave your
pardon, Miss Marshall, for talking
shop"
'Tm deeply interested, Maj. Kenyon"
responded that young lady. $50 on,
beg of you"
well, my views are founded on long
experience, and not the very pleasantest
I say-and say it after years of reaec-
tion-that the more a man may love his
profession, the better a soldier he is, the
more jealous of the honor and reputa-
ton of his cloth, the less can he afford
to take a position in the army of the
United States. Why? Why, because
the great mass of the people have no
conception whatever of the duties that
devolve upon US, of the life we lead, of
the trials We encounter.
''ln time of peace they think they have
no use whatever for an army, and de-
clare that we do nothing but loaf and
drink and gamble. They are taught to
think SO by the press of our great cities,
and, never having a chance to see the
truth for themselves, they accept the
views of their journalists, who really
know no more about it than they do, but
do not hesitate to announce as fact what
exists only in their imagination. Ever
since the war these attacks in the papers
have gradually increased from year to
year Now, my home is in Chicago,
and, naturally, | read the Chicago pa
pers. was five years tramping, scout
ing, sllrmishing all through Arizona and
Wyoming. without ever seeing the inside
of cityor even of a railway car. We
lived on bareback and bacon and what
we could pick up when we couldn't get
them. We lost many good soldier in
Indian battle during that time, and at
last got wound that laid me up and
sent me home hadn't seen the place
in seven years. My boyhood had been
spent there.
Dozens of my relatives and old school
mates lived there, and | looked forward
with pleasure to the rest and joy should
have at the old firesides. | didn't sup
pose that people really believed all the
outrageous filings The Times and The
News and The Sun and The Herald, let
alone The Trades Union Gazette and
The Arbeiter Zeitung, had INDUCED in
at the expense of tho army. But had
to wear my uniform for three or four
days about the old home, and not only
street boys but grown men, respectfully
dressed, jeered and hooted at the dress
that for years in the Confederate south
and all over the frontier had never been
treated with insult. Old schoolmates
patronizingly asked me over their card
tables at the clubs what ON earth could
find to do with myself in the army, and
why didn't quit it and come in here
10 Vn,, l-,,,,t,