tter, a large pot of coffee, a gallon of milk and
six pies--three lemon and three mince--and hurry up, waiter--that will
do for a start; see 'bout the rest later."

This was an order for one, mind you. The next several were like unto it.
Then, one guest said, "I will take a large saddle of mountain mutton,
with a gallon of crabapple jelly to eat with it, and as much as you can
tote of other things."

This, specially the crabapple jelly, quite struck the next man. He said,
"I will take just the same as this gentleman." So the next, and the
next. All the rest of the guests took the mountain mutton and jelly.

All this absurd performance was gone through with all
seriousness--making us wild with suggestions of good things to eat and
plenty of it.

The waiter took all the orders and carefully wrote them down, and read
them out to the guest to be sure he had them right.

Just as we were nearly through with this Barmecide feast, one of the
boys, coming past us from the Commissary tent, called out to me, "Billy,
old Tuck is just in (Tucker drove the Commissary wagon and went up to
Orange for rations) and I think there is a box, or something, for you
down at the tent."

I got one of our crowd to go with me on the jump. Sure enough, there was
a great big box for me--from home. We got it on our shoulders and
trotted back up to the fire. The fellows gathered around, the top was
off that box in a jiffy, and there, right on top, the first thing we
came to--funny to tell, after what had just occurred--was the biggest
saddle of mountain mutton, and a two-gallon jar of crabapple jelly to
eat with it. The box was packed with all good, solid things to
eat--about a bushel of biscuits and butter and sausage and pies, etc.,
etc.

We all pitched in with a whoop. In ten minutes after the top was off,
there was not a thing left in that box except one skin of sausage which
I saved for our mess next morning. You can imagine how the boys did
enjoy it. It was a bully way to end up that hungry Christmas Day.

I wrote my thanks and the thanks of all the boys to my mother and
sisters, who had packed that box, and I described the scene as I have
here described it, which made them realize how welcome and acceptable
their kind present was--and what comfort and pleasure it gave--all the
more that it came to us on Christmas Day, and made it a joyful one--at
the end, at least.

In regard to all this low diet from which we suffered so much hunger