and snubbed when he held a proud
position and got the big head. Now, my convalescent red-headed yankee,
you have the best advice, I know how to give a young man who has struck
a streak of luck. Go back to your friends, and may God bless you."

Well, I had never had any such advice as that before, and as Jim and me
rode back to camp that Thanksgiving evening, her words seemed to burn
into my alleged brain. I could see how easy it would be for a fellow to
make a spectacle of himself. What did a commission amount to, anyway,
that a fellow should feel above anybody. When we arrived in camp, and
went into our tent to have a smoke, the chaplain came in. I had not
seen much of him lately. When I was sick I felt the need of a chaplain
considerably. Not that I cared particularly to have him come and set
up a howl over me, as though I was going to die, and he was expected
to steer me the right way. But I felt as though it was his duty to look
after the boys when they were sick, and talk to them about something
cheerful. But he did not show up when I needed him, and when he called
at our tent after I was well, there wasn't that cordiality on my part
that there ought to have been. He had a package which he unrolled, after
congratulating me on my recovery, and it proved to be a new saber, with
silver mounted scabbard and gold sword handle. The chaplain said he had
heard that I was to be commissioned, and he had found that saber at a
store down town, and thought I might want to buy it. He said of course
I would not want to wear a common government saber, as it would look too
rude..He said he could get that saber for forty dollars, dirt cheap, and
I could pay for it when I got my first pay as an officer. I could see
through the chaplain in a minute. He had thought I would jump at the
chance to put on style, and that he could make ten or fifteen dollars
selling me a gilt-edged saber. I thanked him warmly, and a little
sarcastically, for his great interest in the welfare of my soul, in
sickness and in health, but told him that I was going to try and pull
through with a common private's saber. I told him that the few people I
should kill with a saber, would enjoy it just as well to be run through
with a common saber. My only object was to help put down the rebellion,
and I could do it with ordinary plain cutlery, as well as silver-mounted
trappings. I said that to smear a silver-mounted saber all over with
gore, would spoil the looks of i