to do. Question: shall I get
stiffer as the days grow colder, until on the hike they will discharge me
as an old man; or will it all work off as I get used to the exercise,
until I am limber? It is really a very serious matter, my dear, this
being forty-five years old. One should turn life into a profession, and
study how to become young. There are a number of men of my age or older
here at camp, and I find we all have this same preoccupation, and very
eagerly ask each other how we are getting on, and give advice. And the
hike--that looms ahead of us all as an ordeal which we are afraid we
shan't pass.

I never tire of the view from our drill field. The mountains are never
twice the same, and the lake is quite as changeable; they vary their
aspect every hour from morning to evening. We are lucky just now in our
full moon, to light us about the unaccustomed streets. In contrast are
the ugly tents, which yet have a romantic interest in their possible
warlike use, and in their perfect uniformity, which is so forbidding that
it becomes interesting. And for one who has come from a skirted sea-side
resort, it is not unpleasant to see around me nothing but men, men, men.

Your letters make me feel easy about the family. We are very lucky that
Mildred did not get a bad fall when the handle of her bicycle broke. Tell
Florence to make a proper distinction between _to_ and _too_, and to form
her capital Cs more carefully. Little Elinor's letters are much admired
in the whole tent. It must be about time to pick the Gravenstein apples.
Tell Robert to handle them as if they were eggs.

You see I am well. Do not worry about me. Love to all the youngsters.

ERASMUS.

PRIVATE RICHARD GODWIN TO HIS MOTHER

Plattsburg, Tuesday, September 12.

DEAR MOTHER:--

Today we have had something new. We have so far been drilling in close
order formation, so called because we always maintain our front and rear
ranks together as such. This order has two purposes, one for parade and
review, the other for quickest marching to any given place. But for
fighting, which after all is our real purpose, the close order must be
discarded in favor of extended order, which you will understand better if
I call it skirmish line formation. Here front and rear rank form in one
long line, in order not to do damage to each other in firing.

Our drill