Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-03
TWO AMBITIONS.

The chief and first tendency of the
army, Individually and collectively, is
to love all new arrivals. The second and
lasting one is to pick them to pieces and
to backbite them.
We loved Miss Rohan with true
Christian spirit when she first came to
the fort It being the headquarters of
the regiment and we having a band at
our disposal, we gave her a serenade
upon the night of her entrance upon
military soil The style Of the serenade
80 minor" being his way Of express
ing ultra classic" The programme
had been arranged before we had had
the pleasure of seeing Miss Rohan, and
when we realized how entirely it was
unsuited to her style there was no time
to change.
We called on her in a body the night
of the'day that she came, which is the
delightfully."- barbarous custom at mill
tary posts, Like lot of savages crowd
ing about a newly arrived runner who
brings news of the outside world. 1t is
meant well. Most of the inane and an
noying things that we Go in the social
body are meant well, which is their
only excuse Nobody stops to think that
the travel stained wanderer would like
time to rid herself of the rubbed in coal
SCOT and the alkali powder of the plains;
that she would like the first impression
to be favorable one.
We sat within the tawdry little par
lor while the band played symphonies
and andantes under tho window, and
we watched the drop of new blood in
our stagnant veins. 1t was not blue
blood in the least. 1t was hearty and
red and strong but it was the better ap
preciated on that account.
We were four the bachelor officers
I mean in the room-and one of us was
undoubtedly doomed to become the prey
of this young person. Which of us
heaven had set it's mark upon was not
then to he guessed. Miss Rohan smiled
Oh all alike. 1t was a generous smile,
which showed two rows Of teeth rather
heavily upholstered in gold. They sug
gested that she had eaten a good deal OF
taffy and picked lines in her very
youthful days. AS I see it now, in the
light Of cool reason, she would have
made an ideal milkmaid, for she was
plump and fair, her nose was crimson
from exposure to the Arizona sun, her
hair was an undecided blond, and her
ewes were blue-real Irish blue; also,
seen in the cool light of reason, her
gown was more intricate than graceful
She had on skirt ruff1ed quite to the
waist, fashion, it seems, among stout
women, very large founce, if that is
the name for it, falling from the shout
der and sleeves, which were simply
huge. She was very much laced, too,
which may have had something to do
with her forid skin. One is pretty apt
to notice a woman's feet. Hers were
short and broad and cased i'll red slip
pers. As for her hands, they were
dumpy, and the tips of her fingers were
square. I learned afterward that her
hands were her pride. She would sit on
the front porch every morning at guard
mounting and manicure them. There
was no hesitation in her manner nor in
her voice-in fact, she spoke loudly and
not always quite dramatically.
Then l looked at my three compan-
ions. There was Blake, who was tall,
fair and handsome-the kind of man
that women fall head over ears in love
with, who stood and looked deep into
their eyes as if he read therein the story
of his life. He was the son of a New
England farmer of tho kind called
''good, plain people, and he was about
as manly and whole souled a fellow as
the cavalry held.
Then there was Thomas, who was
small and trim. He had enough conceit
for much bigger man, but then con-
ceit is usually in inverse ratio to a mans
proportions. He was Of the cavalry,
too, and he rode the largest horse in the
garrison. As to his ancestors, they were
Philadelphians and, he led one to be-
lieve, of good old Quaker stock.
Also there was Bayard. Now, ne was
what any man with his name should be
we all know the old motto. And he
was SO blue bloodedl His people were
tho varv best that the United States af.