eastpin, who were wont, in the days of genial Southern preponderance,
to lend lustre to the hall-ways of the more majestic hotels, and
occasionally induce the inebriated son of Chivalry to join them at Faro
his table. We miss these light and airy chaps, each of whom is now an
unblushing Confederacy without hope of Reconstruction; we miss the high
and lofty Carolina chap of much hat-brim, whose playful moments after
the bottle were now and then illustrated with a lively shot from a
revolver at a waiter, or cheerful pass with a bowie-knife at his
opponent in conversation. And oh! we miss those languishing magnolia
belles, whose eyes always reminded me of fresh drops of ink on tinted
paper, and whose beautiful belief in the utter vulgarity of all
Northern ladies it was really quite delightful to hear. Yes, my boy,
all, all are gone; but we have in their places such representatives of
genuine republican simplicity as you shall not see again in a circuit
of the globe. Our hotel-halls are brightened by youthful forms in the
self-sacrificing uniform of our national army; and these youthful
forms, being mostly from the country, confine their innocent gaming,
almost exclusively, to the athletic game of "checkers." The prominent
walking-gentlemen of Willard's wear black velvet vests all the year
round, and, so far from shooting waiters, are always on the most
familiar terms with that oppressed race; joking freely with them and
recognizing them as intimate equals, as all genuine citizens of a true
Republic should do. And as for our present Washington ladies,--wearing
Lisle-thread gloves at the dinner-table and putting almonds and raisins
into their pockets before leaving it, God bless 'em!--why they know no
more of anything vulgar, than a maniac does of insanity.

Reflecting upon these things, on Monday last, my boy, I strolled
abstractedly into an establishment where they sell army stores, such as
lemons by the slice, sugar by the half-ounce, etc. I strolled dreamily
in, when who should I see at the crockery-counter but the Conservative
Kentucky chap, whose hat was very far down over his eyes, like one who
has just come through a severe election. He appeared to be taking
Richmond at the moment, my boy, with a spoon in it; and as quickly as I
entered, he let the hand grasping it fall suddenly down on his obverse
side, and gave his entire and most unremitting attention to the picture
of a flesh-colored young lady on the farthest wal