provided us with a chaplain, and a weekly service was held by the
Anglican clergyman--a tall, well-formed man, a scholar and, as we say, a
gentleman. He wore the uniform of the army chaplain, and as far as looks
went could hold his own with any of the younger officers. And it was a
great comfort to the church people to have this weekly service.

During the rest of the time, the chapel was concealed by heavy curtains,
and the seats turned around facing the stage.

We had a good string orchestra of twenty or more pieces, and as there
were a number of active young bachelors at the post, a series of weekly
dances was inaugurated. Never did I enjoy dancing more than at this
time.

Then Mrs. Kautz, who was a thorough music lover and had a cultivated
taste as well as a trained and exquisite voice, gave several musicales,
for which much preparation was made, and which were most delightful.
These were given at the quarters of General Kautz, a long, low, rambling
one-story house, arranged with that artistic taste for which Mrs. Kautz
was distinguished.

Then came theatricals, all managed by Mrs. Kautz, whose talents were
versatile.

We charged admission, for we needed some more scenery, and the
neighboring frontier town of Valentine came riding and driving over
the prairie and across the old bridge of the Niobrara River, to see our
plays. We had a well-lighted stage. Our methods were primitive, as there
was no gas or electricity there in those days, but the results were
good, and the histrionic ability shown by some of our young men and
women seemed marvellous to us.

I remember especially Bob Emmet's acting, which moved me to tears, in a
most pathetic love scene. I thought, "What has the stage lost, in this
gifted man!"

But he is of a family whose talents are well known, and his personality,
no doubt, added much to his natural ability as an actor.

Neither the army nor the stage can now claim this brilliant cavalry
officer, as he was induced, by urgent family reasons, shortly after the
period of which I am writing, to resign his commission and retire to
private life, at the very height of his ambitious career.

And now the summer came on apace. A tennis-court was made, and added
greatly to our amusement. We were in the saddle every day, and the
country around proved very attractive at this season, both for riding
and driving.

But all this gayety did not content me, for the serious question of
education for our c