Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-09
Rockies First Lesson
Private SeVenspot Flauks Some
New Recruits
THE sergeant at the big recruiting

man nature. L = III one toihtI VI tAS
room a corporal was putting a rookie
through his PAGES and asking questions
and answering them for him before
the ratified rookie could more than nod
or shake his head. The little room fair
ly clattcred with rapid-hre interroga-
tons.
Had MISUNDERSTANDING
married-no," and by the time the APP
plicant's chin hit or grazed his collar
the answer was down.
A worried-looling man marched in
and up to the sergeant's desk. The
sergeant kept on writing a letter at
double time. The man waited until he
had put the flourish TO the last word
and then said:
Il want to enlist"
"How old?" asked the sergeant.
"Thirty-four," said the man.
~ look &c." remarked the sergeant,
critically. How many wives have y
got?"
Only one!" said the worried-lookiug
man, taken off his guard.
Don't want you,' said the sergeant,
dipping his pen and starting another
letter. And the worried-loohng man
went out, looking more detected than
ever.
A ruddy-faced youth of 20 or % came
a minute later. The sergeant wasn't so
busy that he didn't catch a glimpse of
him out of the corner of his eye. But
hc wrote a sentence or two mere before
he Strengthened himself up, looking
stern and soldierly.
Hat off" he ordered, and then: "Do
you know fractions2 Yes! Well. how
much is one-third and one-half added?
One-flfth, you say! Guess again! Five
siNths, Ell? Greet! How'd YOU like the
heavy artillery? Think you'd like it,
eli? Well, go and get letter from a
reputable business man, saying that
you are all right, and come back
4 shabby individual with a frayed
collar slouched in. An odor of fye-cent
whisky preceded him. The sergeant's
pen was galloping again, but he found
time at the end of sentences to put "a
lot of pertinent questions and orders
with hardly lifting of the cyelids.
Throw AWAY that cigar stump! /
said throw it away. Take of that hat!
stand up! How old? What year were
YOU born? Don't know, Ell? Well,
don't bother TO count on your fingers.
said TO stand up-straight! Had a
bath? You don't looll it. When? Do
you drink? You don't Sure? Don't
want you! G'wan, now! G'wau, say!''
Then the sergeant bent over his desk
and scrubbed for fully two minutes
without interruption. An upright fig
ure in civilian clothing appeared in the
doorway. The sergeant promptly
dropped his pen and sat up in his chair
with an air of dignifed welcome. The
topography of Ireland was lined on the
scanned, set features of the newcomer.
lie was ruddy with health and tritie
more erect than most men of his UNI
disguised years. His jaw was square
and his lips rested against each other
i'm straight line, as if they had habit
Of staying there and seldom parted
company TO make way for words. 9th
erwise he was an ordinary, everyday,
well-preserved civilian, who had failed
to put on flesh in the forties. At least
that is what he looked 10 the average
eye. lie stopped in the doorway until
the sergeant had swung round in his
chair. and then marched up and stood
erect and attentive, but not at atten-
ton. The sergeant looked him up and
down just once and asked:
How many years service?'
"Twinty-wan," said the newcomer.
Then he produced a big, plump en-
yelope. and, placing it on the desk, re-
marked, briefly: "Me discharges
The sergeant stuck the envelope, un-
opened. into a pigeon hole and asked:
What regiment do you want to APP
ply for?"
1.-THE 'Steenth."
IAN right. Make yourself at home
It win take a couple Of days to get or.
dcrs from the adjutaHt general
! The sergeant resumed his writing
and Private Sevenspot, with seven days
coming TO him before the expiration
of his reenistmeut period, made an
about-face and marched out 10 the
rockies waiting-room.
When Sevenspot marched in there
were 3O-odd rockies and four or five
old soldiers scattered about the room
The old soldiers were planted in the
contest corners and easiest chairs and
were busily doing and saving nothing
! The rockies were all talking al once
| They were telling their exploits. Pri-
vate Seveuspot took the most comfort.
able chair available and said nothing
/ When o rookie got up from better one
for a moment Sevenspot exchanged and
said nothing. Then he looked out Of q
window that faced Third avenue and
| kept right ON saying nothing for four
straight hours.
| Meanwhile the rockies kept ON saying
! all sorts of things and all al the sam,
| slime, like women at q church sewing
| circle. One rookie had once thrashet
| bis schuolmaster. who was six feet tail
and SO big that he had to be weighed en-
the city scales. Another had caust
/ down his captain in the Umpty-eventl