litary tactics than in
our country, that I have heard it said by travellers, that some of the
soldiers who mount guard at public places, look as much like statues, as
they do like living men.

"Other commanders act differently. They let the men do pretty much as
they please. So you will see such a company lounging into a line, when
the drum beats, as if they took little interest in what was going on.
While the captain is giving his commands, one is eating his luncheon;
another is talking with his next neighbor. Part are out of the line;
part lounge on one foot; they hold their guns in every position; and on
the whole, present a very disorderly and unsoldier-like appearance.

"I have observed, too, that boys very generally prefer to _see_ the
strict companies, but perhaps they would prefer to _belong_ to the lax
ones."

"No sir;" "No sir;" say the boys.

"Suppose you all had your choice either to belong to a company like the
first one I described, where the captain was strict in all his
requirements, or to one like the latter, where you could do pretty much
as you pleased, which should you prefer?"

Unless I entirely mistaken in my idea of the inclinations of boys, it
would be very difficult to get a single honest expression of preference
for the latter. They would say with one voice,

"The first."

"I suppose it would be so. You would be put to some inconvenience by the
strict commands of the captain, but then you would be more than paid by
the beauty of regularity and order, which you would all witness. There
is nothing so pleasant as regularity, and nobody likes regularity more
than boys do. To show this, I should like to have you now form a line as
exact as you can."

After some unnecessary shoving and pushing, increased by the disorderly
conduct of a few bad boys, a line is formed. Most of the class are
pleased with the experiment, and the teacher takes no notice of the few
exceptions. The time to attend to _them_, will come by and by.

"Hands down." The boys obey.

"Shoulders back."

"There;--there is a very perfect line."

"Do you stand easily in that position?"

"Yes sir."

"I believe your position is the military one, now, pretty nearly; and
military men study the postures of the human body, for the sake of
finding the one most easy; for they wish to preserve as much as possible
of the soldiers' strength, for the time of battle. I should like to try
the experiment of your standing thus, at the