Two mats and a cushion."

"Well, he is not a Union officer," said Sharlee to Queed, "for if he
were, he would not be bitter. All the bitterness nowadays comes from the
non-combatants, the camp-followers, the sutlers, and the cowards. Look,
Mr. Queed! _Look!_"

The street had become a tumult, the shouting grew into a roar. Two
squares away the head of the parade swept into view, and drew steadily
nearer. Mr. Queed looked, and felt a thrill in despite of himself.

At the head of the column came the escort, with the three regimental
bands, mounted and bicycle police, city officials, visiting military,
sons of veterans, and the militia, including the resplendent Light
Infantry Blues of Richmond, a crack drill regiment with an honorable
history dating from 1789, and the handsomest uniforms ever seen. Behind
the escort rode the honored commander-in-chief of the veterans, and
staff, the grand marshal and staff, and a detachment of mounted
veterans. The general commanding rode a dashing white horse, which he
sat superbly despite his years, and received an ovation all along the
line. An even greater ovation went to two festooned carriages which
rolled behind the general staff: they contained four black-clad women,
no longer young, who bore names that had been dear to the hearts of the
Confederacy. After these came the veterans afoot, stepping like
youngsters, for that was their pride, in faded equipments which
contrasted sharply with the shining trappings of the militia. They
marched by state divisions, each division marshaled into brigades, each
brigade subdivided again into camps. At the head of each division rode
the major-general and staff, and behind each staff came a carriage
containing the state's sponsor and maids of honor. And everywhere there
were bands, bands playing "Dixie," and the effect would have been even
more glorious, if only any two of them had played the same part of it at
the same time.

Everybody was standing. It is doubtful if in all the city there was
anybody sitting now, save those restrained by physical disabilities.
Conversation on the Weyland piazza became exceedingly disjointed.
Everybody was excitedly calling everybody else's attention to things
that seemed particularly important in the passing spectacle. To Queed
the amount these people appeared to know about it all was amazing. All
during the afternoon he heard Sharlee identifying fragments of
regiments with a sureness of knowledge that he, a