you dwell on them only,
military life becomes millinery life alone. Kinglake says that
the Russian Grand-Duke Constantine, contemplating his beautiful
toy-regiments, said that he dreaded war, for he knew that it would spoil
the troops. The simple fact is, that a soldier is like the weapon he
carries; service implies soiling, but you must have it clean in advance,
that when soiled it may be of some use.

The men had that year a Christmas present which they enjoyed to the
utmost,--furnishing the detail, every other day, for provost-guard duty
in Beaufort. It was the only military service which they had ever shared
within the town, and it moreover gave a sense of self-respect to be
keeping the peace of their own streets. I enjoyed seeing them put on
duty those mornings; there was such a twinkle of delight in their eyes,
though their features were immovable. As the "reliefs" went round,
posting the guard, under charge of a corporal, one could watch the black
sentinels successively dropped and the whites picked up,--gradually
changing the complexion, like Lord Somebody's black stockings which
became white stockings,--till at last there was only a squad of
white soldiers obeying the "Support Arms! Forward, March!" of a black
corporal.

Then, when once posted, they glorified their office, you may be sure.
Discipline had grown rather free-and-easy in the town about that time,
and it is said that the guard-house never was so full within human
memory as after their first tour of duty. I remember hearing that one
young reprobate, son of a leading Northern philanthropist in those
parts, was much aggrieved at being taken to the lock-up merely because
he was found drunk in the streets. "Why," said he, "the white corporals
always showed me the way home." And I can testify that, after an evening
party, some weeks later, I beard with pleasure the officers asking
eagerly for the countersign. "Who has the countersign?" said they. "The
darkeys are on guard to-night, and we must look out for our lives." Even
after a Christmas party at General Saxton's, the guard at the door very
properly refused to let the ambulance be brought round from the stable
for the ladies because the driver had not the countersign.

One of the sergeants of the guard, on one of these occasions, made to
one who questioned his authority an answer that could hardly have been
improved. The questioner had just been arrested for some offence.

"Know what dat mean?" sa