isters, the young soldiers and their chosen partners whirled
away as though they had never heard a slander or a sermon.

I have already endeavored to show how a certain class in Richmond
deprecated gayety of all kinds two years before. These, of course,
objected now; and another class still was loud and violent against it.
But, said the dancers, we do the fighting--we are the ones who are
killed--and if we don't object, why in the deuce should you? Cooped up
in camp, with mud and musty bacon for living, and the whistling of
Minies and whooing of shells for episode, we long for some pleasure
when we can get off. This is the sole enjoyment we have, and we go back
better men in every way for it.

This was rather unanswerable argument; and the younger ladies were all
willing to back it; so _malgre_ long faces and a seeming want of the
unities, the dancing went on.

We have heard a great deal _post-bellum_ bathos about that strange
mixture of gay waltzes, and rumble of dead-cart and ambulance; but one
must have heard the sounds together before he can judge; and no one who
was not in and of that peculiar, and entirely abnormal, state of
society, can understand either its construction, or its demands.

But the short spasm of gayety, after all, was only the fitful and
feverish symptom of the deadly weakness of the body politic. It was
merely superficial; and under it was a fixed and impenetrable gloom.
The desertions from the army were assuming fearful proportions, that no
legislation or executive rigor could diminish; supplies of bare food
were becoming frightfully scarce, and even the wealthiest began to be
pinched for necessaries of life; and over all brooded the dread cloud
of a speedy evacuation of the city.

Every day saw brigades double-quicking back and forth through the
suburbs; the continuous scream of steam-whistles told of movement, here
and there; and every indication showed that the numbers of men were
inadequate to man the vast extent of the lines. As the spring opened,
this became more and more apparent. There was no general attack, but a
few brigades would be thrown against some ill-defended work here; and
almost simultaneously the undefended lines there would have a force
hurled against them. It almost seemed that the enemy, aware of our
weakness, was determined to wear out our men by constant action, before
he struck his heavy blow. How dear the wearied, starving men made these
partial attacks cost him,