s not considered an offense.

29. Nothing of interest has transpired to-day. Bugles, drums, drills,
parades--the old story over and over again; the usual number of
corn-cakes eaten, of pipes smoked, of papers respectfully forwarded, of
how-do-ye-do's to colonels, captains, lieutenants, and soldiers. You put
on your hat and take a short walk. It does you no good. Returning you
lie down on the cot, and undertake to sleep; but you have already slept
too much, and you get up and smoke again, look over an old paper, yawn,
throw the paper down, and conclude it is confoundedly dull. Jack brings
in dinner. You see somebody passing; it is Captain Clayson, the
Judge-Advocate, and you cry out: "Hold on, Captain; come in and have a
bite of dinner." He concludes to do so. Being a judge-advocate he talks
law, and impresses you with the idea that every other judge-advocate has
in some respects been faulty; but he has taken pains to master his
duties perfectly, and makes no mistakes. Pretty soon Major Shane drops
in, and you ask him to dine; but he has just been to dinner, and thanks
you. Observing Captain Clayson, he asks how the business of the
court-martial progresses, and says: "By the way, Captain, the sentence
in that quartermaster's case was disapproved because the record was
defective." The Captain blushes. He made up the record, and it strikes
him the Major's remark is very untimely.

It is dull!

30. Took a ten-mile ride this afternoon. Two miles from camp I met
Lieutenant Platt, one of my aids. He had asked permission in the morning
to go into the country to secure a lady for a dance, which is to take
place a night or two hence. I asked: "Where have you been, Lieutenant?"
"At Mrs. Calisspe's, the house on the left, yonder." I did not, of
course, ask if he had been successful in his mission; but as I
approached the little frame in which Mrs. Calisspe resided, I thought I
would drop in and see what sort of a woman had drawn the Lieutenant so
far from camp. Knocking at the door, a feminine voice said "Come in,"
and I entered. There were three females. The elder I took to be Mrs.
Calisspe. A handsome, neatly-dressed young lady I concluded was the one
the Lieutenant sought. A heavy and rather dull woman, who stood leaning
against the wall, I set down as a dependent or servant in the family.
"Beg pardon, madam, is this the direct road to Shallow Ford?" "Yes, sir,
the straight road. Won't you take a seat?" "Thank you, no. Good
e