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"Take my parting assurance," she said, shaking hands warmly, "that I shall be able to take care of myself, and to see through the Rev. Septimus Stole-if he is worth seeing through; and I shall never be fooled into a belief that a dinner of turbot or salmon is not a dinner, but a fast, because eaten on Friday."

He had recovered his satisfaction with his influence, and was abundantly satisfied.

"You forget," she said, coming back to the door, "how little power the rector has as yet. We all rush to a garrison ball in spite of his conviction that the devil is fond of dancing and we run the risk of having him for a partner."

"Yes, in a red coat, no doubt," said Pipperly, becoming mildly jocose" an appropriate colour I

admit. Give my very best respects to your aunt, my dear."

He shut up the big banking Bible with a reassured expression of countenance, and a decisive bang.

Who was the Reverend Septimus Stole, and did he deserve all this outburst of virtuous indignation on the part of so staid a personage as Samuel Pipperly? or was it sheer prejudice against the cloth-a man of this world against a man of the other-cash versus credit? This question I am unable to answer; but I am positive that the reverend gentleman had in no wise troubled himself to form any opinion, good, bad, or indifferent, as to the merits or theological tenets of Samuel Pipperly. His diagnosis was exclusively confined to the other partner in the business, as the old gentleman himself had shrewdly surmised.

IN THE RANKS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

THE great Powers of the European continent are just able to avert the evils of war by means of universal conscription, and at the risk of an ever-imminent bankruptcy. From this evil the two great Powers of the New World are exempt the two World Empires, as Professor Seeley calls them, of Great Britain and the United States. This happy immunity is due in the first place to their geographical separation from any other great Power that maintains one of these gigantic peace preservers; and, secondly, to their mutual forbearance, since in North America their frontiers are contiguous for nearly three thousand miles, a degree of proximity which would keep certain European States in a hopeless condition of perpetual warfare. This unique military position stamps both Governments as being the only great Powers able to dispense with conscription, and to rely for their peace establishments upon armies enrolled entirely by voluntary enlistment. It is true, indeed, that both States are provided with laws under which a militia may be levied by conscription, but these laws are only used in times of national emergency. In Great Britain balloting for the militia has been annually suspended; and the United States has in only one war, that of the Secession, demanded freed levies since the Napoleonic era.

Although Great Britain and the United States are alike in both having volunteer armies, there is, at the same time, a great difference not only in numbers-that of Great Britain numbering 240,000, while

that of the United States numbers only 25,000, or about one-fifth of the British army-but also in the nature of the work done by the army, in the class of men in the ranks, and in the mode of life of the rank and file. In the discussion at present going on among us regarding the falling off of the supply of recruits in Great Britain, it may be interesting to an English reader to note some of the conditions under which men enlist in the United States army. There may be a further interest due to the fact that many young men emigrate from England with sanguine hopes of success in farming or in ranching-hopes which are too often disappointed. Then, broken in spirits and in fortune, they may find a shelter, and even a career, in the ranks of an army which is exceedingly hospitable to men of foreign birth. The qualifications for enlistment are physical and moral. Physically, the recruit must satisfy a doctor in the usual way as to general health. In age he must, on first enlisting, be under thirty-five and over eighteen, but if under twenty-one, the consent of a guardian is necessary. As to height, the minimum is 5 feet 4 inches, and for mounted service the maximum is 5 feet 10 inches. In weight the minimum is 120 lb., and the maximum for cavalry is 180 lb. With regard to moral qualifications, the candidate for enlistment must be of good character; but to satisfy himself of this, the recruiting officer has to rely upon the answers to such questions as a taste or distaste for cross-examination may lead him to put. He generally, however, asks the

reasons that have induced the man

to enlist, and whether the man has ever had any previous service. To make a man commit himself in this last respect, a few catches are some times putas, for instance, one recruiting officer always shouted "Attention!" to the recruits who came to him to be examined. The effect of this was a crucial test whether a man had ever been drilled before or no.

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A man may enlist at the recruiting offices called "rendezvous,' which are established in about a score of the chief cities, or he may go to any barracks called "posts where troops are stationed, and ask to be enlisted. He will probably be taken if the troops at that place are below their normal complement. The recruiting rendezvous or the barracks in any town may be found by ordinary inquiry, and the towns in which they are situated by consulting some military newspaper, such as the Army and Navy Register,' or the Army and Navy Journal.' The eager recruit may remember that if he is rejected by one recruiting officer, another may not be so discriminating. The pay of a private soldier commences at the date of enlistment, and is $13 a-month; that of a corporal is $15, and of a sergeant $17. All the troops are paid by a paymaster once a-month. The only regular deduction from the pay of a soldier is 12 cents per month, as a kind of insurance, to support the soldiers' home, a hospital for veterans. This home is open to soldiers of twenty years' service, and to those disabled in line of duty. Further deductions can be made only by way of fines by court-martial, or when the clothing allowance has been exceeded. There are additional amounts paid on discharge for

deferred pay and travelling allow

ance.

For

There is a savings bank in which money may be deposited, receiving 4 per cent, but it can only be taken out on discharge, and is forfeited by desertion. this reason a soldier who deposits in this way is regarded by his officers as giving pledge of his disposition to remain in the service. Clothing, food, and quarters are all provided in addition to the pay. Clothing is provided in such a way that a man who is careful of his clothing thereby earns his own reward. A man is credited on the ledger of his company with a certain amount of money per month for clothing. He puts in a requisition, subject to the discretion of the captain, for what he wants. This is supplied him at the Government contract price, and is entered on the ledger against him. The ledger is balanced twice a-year, If the balance is against the soldier, it is deducted from his next pay, but if in his favour, it is carried to his credit on the ledger towards the next settlement. On his discharge the balance is again struck, and added to or deducted from his final statements, as they call the balance of pay, deferred pay, and other allowances due on discharge. On the first half-yearly balance there is generally a balance against the soldier; but on the final settlement there is, on the other hand, usually a good sum to his credit. If a man, whilst in the service, is discovered to have sold any of his military clothing, he is he is courtmartialled and severely punished; but on discharge it is absolutely his own property. A man has to pay for his own washing one dollar or a dollar and a half amonth, unless he does it himself, when he can claim a ration of

soap, which otherwise goes to his laundress.

The system of providing rations is similar to that of providing clothing, the company being credited, according to its strength, with a certain amount of money, and drawing provisions as the captain and sergeant please. Monthly balances in favour of the company are paid to the captain, and go into the company fund, which is expended under the captain's supervision in any way he thinks will be for the benefit of the company. The meals are well served, and the food is various and of good quality. For breakfast there is generally fish or meat-hash and coffee. The dinner is generally fresh meat and vegetables or pork and beans, and coffee or soups, with puddings on Sundays, and feasts on on great days such as Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day. At supper there is coffee and "skilly " or thin soup, or meat, or wheatcakes. There is always plenty of good bread, as well as of vegetables, as every company has a garden in or near the barracks. The meals are always laid for the men by the cooks in a dining-room, in which no one is allowed to sleep or to sit during the day. In fine, the food is of as good quality, better cooked, and more relishing than that served at English public schools. The barracks vary considerably, but they are all well built and ventilated, and stand in larger grounds than is the case in England. The amount of space given to each bunk is ample for comfort and privacy. The bunks themselves are of woven wire beds which do not fold up, with flock mattresses and pillows. Each man has a regulation box, which he may lock, and shelf and pegs. There are in most posts canteens, libraries,

and reading-rooms, as well as in some company quarters in addition. The quarters are kept clean and tolerably quiet by men daily detailed in charge for that purpose.

The private soldier is apparently more liberally treated in the United States than in England, but it must be remembered that an unskilled labourer in civil life will not take less than $30 amonth in America. The officers, however, are actually better paid than in England. An officer on getting his commission is paid $1400 a-year, monthly, or about £280 sterling, with quarters and certain other allowances. The pay is increased without promotion at the rate of 10 per cent for every five years of service. The num

ber of officers commissioned each year varies between fifty and seventy. The vacancies are filled up firstly by those who graduated after the four years' course at the military college at West Point. Nominations to West Point are given by Congress-men, and only to the sons of citizens. The remaining vacancies may be filled by the promotion of non-commissioned officers, and by the appointment of the President from civil life. These men must be themselves citizens, but a foreign-born soldier can be naturalised after one year's service in the ranks. It is very rarely that men are commissioned direct from civil life, but each year, out of a rank and file of 25,000, six or eight non-commissioned officers are promoted from the ranks. captain can once each year recommend for promotion any of his non-commissioned officers who is of excellent character and has served two years. If all goes well with the recommendation, the soldier is ordered before a board of officers for an examination,

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which is literary and military, and written and oral, but not severe. If the board is satisfied he is officially declared, and takes a certain rank as a qualified didate." He then waits his turn for appointment. He will not, however, be commissioned unless he is under thirty and unmarried. A man who enlists with a view to gain a commission should be very careful where he enlists. He should avoid joining a company in any of the eastern States, and would do best to get sent to a company out West or at a small post. He is more likely in this way to win the notice and friendship of his officers; for though he may not become known to many, yet what he must aim at is to gain the good opinion of his captain. If, however, an English lad goes to the United States to enlist, he will save himself the expense of a journey across the continent by enlisting at the rendezvous of the port where he lands either New York, Boston, or Philadelphia. He must, of course, enlist in the "line." He has the choice there between the cavalry, artillery, and infantry. The cavalry have all kicks and no halfpence. They are stationed in the worst climates. They have hard, uninteresting, and dangerous work. They make no show, and are generally stationed away from the chief towns. For all this they have the same pay as the artillery and infantry. On the other hand, when the Indians go on the warpath-the only time when there is any warlike service-it is the cavalry that have the first chance of being ordered out. The artillery, whether mounted or heavy, have least work of all, and are stationed in the chief cities of the States. They have no campaigning at all.

Consequently an artilleryman has the least chance of obtaining the notice of his captain. On the whole, the best corps to choose is the infantry, who are not generally stationed far away from towns, and have occasional campaign service, so that a man has opportunities of bringing himself under the observation of his officers, without the hard and trying labour of a cavalryman.

Now a man of fair education, of tolerably steady conduct, and of agreeable manners, may certainly hope to get a commission if he will also become a smart soldier. When such a man has enlisted, he should be silent about his intentions among his fellowsoldiers. He should not even talk about how to get a commission, for he will not have to wait long before he hears. He should be especially respectful to non-commissioned officers and veterans of inferior education, remembering that they are at any rate better soldiers than himself. First and last, he must not forget that his first step is to get the corporal's stripes, which are given by the captain. If, however, our recruit does not aim so high as a commission, he may become a staff non-commissioned officer-such as sergeant major, quartermastersergeant, or commissary sergeant. These men get from $23 to $36 a-month, with allowances for quarters, food, and clothing. Furthermore, every soldier with an honourable discharge has a right to 180 acres of uncultivated land in the Western territories if he

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takes it up. He has also a right to be employed on any Government work of which he is capable, in preference to a man who has not served in the United States army.

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