The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
MEN WHO WOULD ENLIST.
HUMAN CON ID GOINa ON BEFORE
THE RECRUITING OFFICER.

W ~
No soft-hearted man should undertake the
duties OF recruiting officer. That fact will be
clear to any one who will listen for an hour to
interviews between the applicants for enlist.
ment and the Daniel who sits In Judgment.
1t is especially true in regard to the militia.
IL 10 a complicated matter to decide upon the
merits ofrocrults for q popular regiment. Height
ana weight and chest measure are not the only
things to BIO considered, and n mans vital or
gans may DO sound without citing him to he an
ornament to a regiment which brides itself
upon the manners and morals of It's men as we'll
as upon their lighting qualities.
I'VE don't want swolls, but we must have do
cent fellows" gays the commanding officer. and
the task OF picking out tho decent fellows from
the crowd of would be recruits isn't an easy
one. All day long tho armory halls arc full.
The guards and an occasional officer are in uni
form, but the majority OF the men are in citi-
zens' clothes, and the variety of Rarb Is q thing
to excite wonder. Tho men who have gone
through the fiery furnace and have been no.
copied present as good a field for the study Of
the philosophy of clothes as do the others, but
they can be picked out unerringly by tho salts
faction In their faces. The aspiranta who
haven't been interviewed look nervous, and
hero and there IL q man who has boon turned
down, but hangs around, with q forlorn hope
that q miracle will occur in his favor and he will
get In after all.
A Sun reporter sat beside tho recruiting officer
at one Of the armories laat Tuesday and found
the position almost as interesting as q seat at
the elbow of the recording angel. The Captain
who was conducting the preliminary examina.
lions was n courteous man with n kindly voice,
but he WAS tempered to the correct degree Of
military steeliness and special pleading had
little effect on him.
I'm very sorry, but 1 can't accept YOU"
That ended it What was writ was writ
There is q vast amount Of human interest in
the continuous performance. and pathos enough
to appeal strongly to ones sympathies. That's
why arecruitinR officer must not be soft.hearted.
The guard at tho door motions to some ono in
the crowd that fills the hall. and q man steps
out and walks across the room to the Captains
desk. He hasn't the ghost OF a show. Even
tho unmilitary individual beside the Captain
knows that. His chest is hollow and he is pain
fully thin; but he makes a tremendous effort to
straiEhten his STOPPING shoulders and wear a
martial air. The Captain begins his formula
as though the verdict were not q ~foregone con-
clusion.
Are you q member of tho National auardi'
mo, sir.
Had any military experienced"
mo. SIR" The face is very eager and the
voice that nswOrs 10 q trlhe tremulouS.
whats your height"
Five feet seven"
"Your weight2'
zone hundred and twenty-four pounds"
You're too light, my man. 1 can't take you"
The Captain mods to tho guard. Tho thin
man hesitates q moment, moves his lips, then
turns and walks out OF the room. His shout
ders droop more than ever. The Captain looks
after the retreating figure.
"No job. 1 suppose, and a forlorn hope that
he could solve the problem this way. It's
pathetic sometimes" he says.
There's nothing pathetic about tho vision that
takes the rejected mans place. A luminous
milo appears in the doorway and advances to-
ward tho Judgment scat, broadening and grow
ing moro effulgcnt as it comes. The pho
nomenon is like the appearance of the Cheshire
Cat in Wonderland after Alice had begged 1t
not to pop upon the scene suddenly. The smile
appeared in the air first and gradually the cat
materialized behind the grin. Down ut the
armory, too, the smile came first; but 1t was
backed up by q round little man with shining
red cheeks and a slde-wheeler action. He
rocked up to tho desk and saluted. Then he
looked at the Captain and the reporter and i'm
proved upon his smile. The reporter went down
charrner to his heart and his regiment,
had never adorned the Nationai Guard, but az
for military experienoe-the little man drew
| llmsBlI up as I0T hB ne WOllu go.
II vas Ply de Cherman army four year. De
Cherman army vas sthriGt; but vas corporal.
ump6ant. sViHts Its full force was turned first on tho
Captain, then on the reporter. but it subsidized
slightly when the subjects of height and weight
You're too short and too heavy."
"Oh, dot makes %nodings,' said the little man,
"But I can't take YOU"
The smile became anxious, then glowed once
II hat no frau" There was cause for an ex.
ira smile in that. and it came. 1t illumined the
room and tared ont through the windows.
Tho German refused to believe that the Cap
s sajol sf' b %G' the lNs offcer we Wa srEdS s@'a mt P aSd cIo'se ed
the interview. The round little figure rocked
away wa cd dSESsd; Ds SIs&pBBS SHs don but it '"i .aISf sfill' re.
Tor a regiment il i couldn't have got him any
But the Captain shook his head and turned to
. newcomer, a serious-faced man with a firm
Captain, I've two brothers in your regiment
and he gave the names and company. They're
going to the front. and l want to get down
Aren't you needed horef'
younger than I. They're my Kid brothers: I
didn't think they would really see hard fighting,
safinE aSan ! went to t. Be said the e o TRfg ' 9SIet nyG
but the Captain dropped his military severity
for q moment. and looked appreciatlve:
the surgeon. Go to the oficer AT the table"
The next man had been fortifying for tho or.
deal. An odor OF many OracNrs chung about him,
but he had fortified In vain. lie sailed through
tho first questions safely. Then no struck .
reef.
Are you marriedr,.
Yes, sir" apologetically.
"Childrenl'
Eyes, SIR" humbly.
"How oldf"
Twelve, 8, and g." abjectly.
Children are as bad a handicap when ono
wants to enlist as when one Is hunting for an
apartment in an exclusive neighborhood.
'HnW nn yDn aNnAnf Tn Drnyi1R for YOUR FAM
lyi" asked tho Captain. The man shifted I'M
easily from one foot to the other.
divide with Them"
,"But you won't have anything worth men
tionlng."
"oh, they'll got along all right, Captain"
Can your wife support themf"
"Oh, yes; she's Industrious"
But has she any definite means of support
"Well, she can do odd jobs"
Tho Captain looked fondly. longinEly at tho
too of his right boot.
&c seems 10 me that your wife and children