ral and provincial; and there was in it a sort of
brotherly-love tone that struck a stranger, at first, as very curious.
This was, in a great measure, attributable to the fact that the social
circle had been for years a constant quantity, and everybody in it had
known everybody else since childhood.

The men, as a general thing, were very cordial to the strangers, and
some very delightful and some very odd acquaintances were made among
them. Chief among the latter was one, whom we may call--as he would say
"for euphony"--Will Wyatt; the most perfect specimen of the genus
man-about-town in the city. He was very young, with wealth, a pleasing
exterior, and an absolute greed for society. His naturally good mind
had been very prettily cultivated--by himself rather than his
masters--and he had traveled just enough to understand, without
despising, the weaknesses of his compatriots. He and the omniscient
Styles were fast friends, and a card to Wyatt, signed "Fondly thine
own, S. S.," had done the business for me. His house, horses and
friends were all at my service; and in the few intervals that anxiety
and duty left for ennui, he effectually drove the monster off.

"I'm devilish sorry, old man," he said, one day, after we got well
acquainted, "that there's nothing going on in the social line. Drop in
on me at six, to dinner; and I'll show you a clever fellow or two, and
maybe have some music. You understand, my dear boy, we don't entertain
now. After all, it's so late in the season there'd be little doing in
peace times; but this infernal war has smashed us up completely.
Getting your nose red taking leave of your tender family is the only
style they vote at all nobby now--_A diner!_"

The dinner and music at Wyatt's were not warlike--and particularly was
the wine not of that description; but the men were. Over cigars, the
conversation turned upon the organization of the army; and, accustomed
as I was to seeing "the best men in the ranks," the way these young
bloods talked rather astounded me.

"Private in 'Co. F,'" answered John C. to my query--he represented one
of the finest estates on the river--"You've heard of 'F,' of course. We
hang by the old company. Wyatt has just refused a captaincy of
engineers to stick as third corporal."

"Neat that, in John," put in Wyatt, "when he was offered the majority
of a regiment of cavalry and refused it to stay in."

"And why not?" said George H. shortly. "Pass the Madeira, Will