al coffee-boiler of one man in the Army of Northern Virginia
was always kept at the boiling point. The owner of it was an enigma to
his comrades. They could not understand his strange fondness for
"red-hot" coffee. Since the war he has explained that he found the heat
of the coffee prevented its use by others, and adopted the plan of
placing his cup on the fire after every sip. This same character never
troubled himself to carry a canteen, though a great water drinker. When
he found a good canteen he would kindly give it to a comrade, reserving
the privilege of an occasional drink when in need. He soon had an
interest in thirty or forty canteens and their contents, and could
always get a drink of water if it was to be found in any of them. He
pursued the same plan with blankets, and always had plenty in that line.
His entire outfit was the clothes on his back and a haversack accurately
shaped to hold one half pone of corn bread.

Roasting-ear time was a trying time for the hungry private. Having been
fed during the whole of the winter on salt meat and coarse bread, his
system craved the fresh, luscious juice of the corn, and at times his
honesty gave way under the pressure. How could he resist? He didn't,--he
took some roasting ears! Sometimes the farmer grumbled, sometimes he
quarreled, and sometimes he complained to the officers of the
depredations of "the men." The officers apologized, ate what corn they
had on hand, and sent their "boy" for some more. One old farmer
conceived the happy plan of inviting some privates to his house, stating
his grievances, and securing their cooperation in the effort to protect
his corn. He told them that of course _they_ were not the _gentlemen_
who took his corn! Oh no! of course _they_ would not do such a thing;
but wouldn't they please speak to the others and ask them please not to
take his corn? Of course! certainly! oh, yes! they would remonstrate
with their comrades. How they burned, though, as they thought of the
past and contemplated the near future. As they returned to camp through
the field they filled their haversacks with the silky ears, and were met
on the other side of the field by the kind farmer and a file of men, who
were only too eager to secure the plucked corn "in the line of duty."

A faithful officer, worn out with the long, weary march, sick, hungry,
and dejected, leaned his back against a tree and groaned to think of his
inability to join in the chase of an old