he exultation of victory, hold thee
only as an unconsidered part of the dumb and blind machine which hoists
thy captain to eminence. Yet would I have thee turn thy fairest hope,
thy perfect faith, to that one spot of all the world where kneels
to-night some fond, familiar form; where loving hands are humbly
uplifted for an absent one, and quivering lips implore, Almighty
Father, guard him still!

Now tremble, earth, and shake, ye friendly spheres, for the Mackerel
Brigade, glittering with spectacles and gorgeous with red neckties and
gold watches, advances for a third round with the unblushing
Confederacies of Paris, several of whom are on the roof with duck-guns
in their hands and slaughter in their hearts. As I gaze upon the
wonderful scene through my bit of smoked glass, the Orange County
Howitzers burst into a roar, not unlike a Dutch chorus, and the sun is
in momentary danger of being hit.

To speak once more in a past tense:--Forward rolled the Mackerel tide
of battle the whole length of the line, with skirmishers thrown out to
catch Confederate chickens, and the deadly peal of treason's duck-gun
mingled hoarsely with the angry bang of loyalty's random musket.
Heading Regiment 5, and mounted on his geometrical steed, Euclid,
Captain Villiam Brown essayed a daring charge at the front door of
Paris; while Captain Bob Shorty, with a portion of the Conic Section
just arrived from Accomac, thundered toward the window of the first
floor; but here a female Confederacy opened a heavy fire of pokers and
gridirons from the basement, and there was too much danger to the
spectacles of the ancient Brigade to warrant persistence in the bold
attempt.

Far to the left, with his eyes blazing like the ends of two cigars, and
his nose glowing like a transparent strawberry, Captain Samyule Sa-mith
got himself and his celebrated horse-marines so ingeniously entangled
and mixed up with Captain Munchausen's and everybody else's command,
that the Schleswig-Holstein question was a very ordinary conundrum in
comparison, and the fight in that part of the field bade fair to last
for a few years without much definite carnage.

Then, again, on the calm waters of Duck Lake (now too deep for wading
in consequence of recent rains), that hoary old salt, Rear Admiral
Head, unhooked his famous flagship, the "Shockingbadhat," and set out
with his improved swivel-gun and agile Mackerel crew to take a hand in
the carnival of conquest.

"Loosen m