it　can　be　defended　only　as　being　effective　where　regulations　are　not；　viz。；　in　the　cases　of　rough　specimens　who　now　not　infrequently　manage　to　win　their　appointments。
  Formerly　in　yearling　camp　the　corporals　were　all　〃acting　sergeants。〃　They　were　so　acting　in　the　absence　of　the　de　facto　sergeants。　These　corporals　got　the　idea　into　their　heads　that　to　retain　their　appointments　they　had　to　do　a　certain　amount　of　〃skinning；〃　and　often　〃skins〃　were　more　fancied　than　real。　This　was　a　rather　sad　condition　of　affairs。　Plebes　would　find　their　demerits　accumulating　and　become　disheartened。　It　was　all　due　to　this　unnecessary　rigor；　and　〃being　military；〃　which　some　of　the　yearling　corporals　affected。　No　one　bears；　or　rather　did　bear；　such　a　reputation　as　the　yearling　corporal。　As　such　he　was　disliked　by　everybody；　and　plebes　have　frequently　fought　them　for　their　unmanly　treatment。　This；　however；　was。　It　is　no　more。　We　have　no　yearling　corporals；　and　plebes　fare　better　generally　than　ever　before。　Not　because　all　yearling　corporals　thus　subserved　their　ambition　by　reporting　men　for　little　things　that　might　as　well　have　been　overlooked；　did　they　get　this　bad　reputation；　but　rather　because　with　it　they　coupled　the　severest　hazing；　and　sometimes　even　insults。　That　was　unmanly　as　well　as　mean。　Hazing　could　be　endured；　but　not　always　insults。
  Whether　for　this　reason　or　not　I　cannot　say；　the　authorities　now　appoint　the　corporals　from　the　second　class；　men　who　are　more　dignified　and　courteous　in　their　conduct　toward　all；　and　especially　toward　plebes。　The　advantages　of　this　system　are　evident。
  One　scarcely　appreciates　cadet　lifeif　such　appreciation　is　possibletill　he　becomes　a　yearling。　It　is　not　till　in　yearling　camp　that　a　cadet　begins　to　〃spoon。〃　Not　till　then　is　he　permitted　to　attend　the　hops；　and　of　course　he　has　but　little　opportunity　to　cultivate　female　society；　nor　is　he　expected　to　do　so　till　then；　for　to　assume　any　familiarity　with　the　upper　classes　would　be　considered　rather　in　advance　of　his　〃plebeship's〃　rights。　How　then　can　hehe　is　little　more　than　a　strangerbecome　acquainted　with　the　fair　ones　who　either　dwell　at　or　are　visiting　West　Point。　Indeed；　knowing　〃femmes〃　are　quite　as　prone　to　haze　as　the　cadets；　and　most　unmercifully　cut　the　unfortunate　plebe。　　Some　are　also　so　very　haughty：　they　will　admit　only　first…　classmen　to　their　acquaintance　and　favor。
  But　Mr。　Plebe；　having　become　a　yearling　finds　that　the　〃Mr。〃　is　dropped；　and　that　he　is　allowed　all　necessary　familiarity。　He　then　begins　to　enjoy　his　cadetship；　a　position　which　for　pleasure　and　happiness　has　untold　advantages；　for　what　woman　can　resist　those　glorious　buttons？　A　yearling　has　another　advantage。　The　furlough　class　is　absent；　and　the　plebeswell；　they　are　〃plebes。〃　　Sufficient；　isn't　it？　The　spooneying　must　all　be　done；　then；　by　the　first　and　third　classes。　Often　a　great　number　of　the　first　class　are　bachelors；　or　not　inclined　to　be　spooney；　and　that　duty　then　of　course　devolves　on　the　more　gallant　part　of　that　class　and　the　yearlings。
  The　hop　managers　of　the　third　class　have　been　mentioned　elsewhere。　They　enjoy　peculiar　facilities　for　pleasure；　and；　where　a　good　selection　has　been　made；　do　much　to　dispel　the　monotony　of　academic　military　life。　Indeed；　they　do　very　much　toward　inducing　others　to　cultivate　a　high　sense　of　gallantry　and　respect　for　women。　The　refining　influence　of　female　society　has　greater　play；　and　its　good　results　are　inevitable。
  But　what　a　wretched　existence　was　mine　when　all　this　was　denied　me！　One　would　be　unwilling　to　believe　I　had　not；　from　October；　1875；　till　May；　1876；　spoken　to　a　female　of　any　age；　and　yet　it　was　so。　There　was　no　society　for　me　to　enjoyno　friends；　male　or　female；　for　me　to　visit；　or　with　whom　I　could　have　any　social　intercourse；　so　absolute　was　my　isolation。*　Indeed；　I　had　friends　who　often　visited　me；　but　they　did　so　only　when　the　weather　was　favorable。　In　the　winter　season；　when　nature；　usually　so　attractive；　presented　nothing　to　amuse　or　dispel　one's　gloom；　and　when；　therefore；　something　or　some　one　suited　for　that　purpose　was　so　desirable；　no　one　of　course　visited　me。　But　I　will　not　murmur。　I　suppose　this　was　but　another　constituent　of　that　mechanical　mixture　of　ills　and　anxieties　and　suspense　that　characterized　my　cadet　life。　At　any　rate　I　can　console　myself　in　my　victory　over　prejudice；　whether　that　victory　be　admitted　or　not。　I　know　I　have　so　lived　that　they　could　find　in　me　no　fault　different　from　those　at　least　common　to　themselves；　and　have　thus　forced　upon　their　consciences　a　just　and　merited　recognition　whether　or　not　they　are　disposed　to　follow　conscience　and　openly　accept　my　claim　to　their　brotherly　love。
  *I　could　and　did　have　a　pleasant　chat　every　day；　more　or　less；　with　〃Bentz　the　bugler；〃　the　tailor；　barber；　commissary　clerk；　the　policeman　who　scrubbed　out　my　room　and　brought　around　the　mail；　the　treasurer's　clerk；　cadets　occasionally；　and　others。　The　statement　made　in　some　of　the　newspapers；　that　from　one　year's　end　to　another　I　never　heard　the　sound　of　my　own　voice；　except　in　the　recitation　room；　is　thus　seen　to　be　untrue。
  CHAPTER　VIII。
  FIRST…CLASS　CAMP。
  IT　is　a　common　saying　among　cadets　that　〃first…class　camp　is　just　like　furlough。〃　I　rather　think　the　assertion　is　an　inheritance　from　former　days　and　the　cadets　of　those　days；　for　the　similarity　at　present　between　first…class　camp　and　furlough　is　beyond　our　conception。　There　is　none；　or　if　any　it　is　chimerical；　depending　entirely　on　circumstances。　In　the　case　of　a　small　class　it　would　be　greater　than　in　that　of　a　large　one。　For　instance；　in　〃train　drill〃　a　certain　number　of　men　are　required。　No　more　are　necessary。　It　would　be　inexpedient　to　employ　a　whole　class　when　the　class　had　more　men　in　it　than　were　required　for　the　drill。　In　such　cases　the　supernumeraries　are　instructed　in　something　else；　and　alternate　with　those　who　attend　train　drill。　In　the　case　of　a　small　class　all　attend　the　same　drill　daily；　and　that　other　duty　or　drill　is　reserved　for　autumn。　Thus　there　is　less　drill　in　camp；　and　it　becomes　more　like　furlough　when　there　is　none　at　all。
  Again；　first…classmen　enjoy　more　privileges　than　others；　and　for　this　reason　their　camp　is　more　like　furlough。　If；　however；　there　are　numerous　drills；　the　analogy　will　fail；　for　how　can　duty；　drills；　etc。；　coexist　with　privileges　such　as　first…class　privileges？　　Time　which　otherwise　would　be　devoted　to　enjoyment　of　privileges　is　now　consumed　in　drills。　Still　there　is　much　in　it　which　makes　first…class　camp　the　most　delightful　part　of　a　cadet's　life。　There　are　more　privileges；　the　duties　are　lighter　and　more　attractive；　and　make　it　withal　more　enjoyable。　First；　members　of　the　class　attend　drill　both　as　assistants　and　as　students。　They　are　detailed　as　chiefs　of　platoon；　chiefs　of　section；　chiefs　of　caissons；　and　as　guidons　at　the　light　battery；　as　chiefs　of　pieces　at　the　several　foot　batteries；　attend　themselves　at　the　siege　or　sea…coast　batteries；　train　drill；　pontoon　drill；　engineering；　ordnance；　and　astronomy；　and　they　are　also　detailed　as　officers　of　the　guard。　These　duties　are　generally　not　very　difficult　nor　unpleasant　to　discharge。　Second；　from　the　nature　of　the　privileges　allowed　first…classmen；　they　have　more　opportunity　for　pleasure　than　other　cadets；　and　therefore　avoid　the　rather　serious　consequences　of　their　monotonous　academic　military　life。　A　solitary　monotonous　life　is　rather　apt　to　engender　a　dislike　for　mankind；　and　no　high　sense　of　honor　or　respect　for　women。　I　deem　these　privileges　of　especial　importance；　as　they　enable　one　to　avoid　that　danger　and　to　cultivate　the　highest　possible　regard　for　women；　and　those　virtues　and　other　Christian　attributes　of　which　they　are　the　better　exponents。　A　soldier　is　particularly　liable　to　fall　into　this　sans…souci　way　of　looking　at　life；　and　those　to　whom　its　pleasures；　as　well　as　its　ills；　are　largely　due。　We　are　indebted　to　our　fellows　for　every　thing　which　affects　our　life　as　regards　its　happiness　or　unhappiness；　and　this　latter　misfortune　will　rarely　be　ours　if　we　properly　appreciate　our　friends　and　those　who　can　and　will　make　life　less　wretched。　To　shut　one's　self　up　in　one's　self　is　merely　to　trust；　or　rather　to　set　up；　one's　own　judgment　as　superior　to　the　world's。　　That　cannot　be；　nor　can　there　be　happiness　in　such　false　views　of　our　organization　as　being　of　and　for　each　other。
  At　this　point　of　the　course　many　of　the　first…class　have　attained　their　majority。　They　are　men；　and　in　one　year　more　will　be　officers　of　the　army。　It　becomes　them；　therefore；　to　lay　aside　the　ordinary　student's　r？le；　and　assume　a　more　dignified　one；　one　more　in　conformity　with　their　age　and　position。　They　leave　all　cadet　r？les；　etc。；　to　the　younger　classes；　and　put　on　the　proper　dignity　of　men。
  There　are　for　them　more　privileges。　They　are　more　independentmore　like　men；　and　consequently　they　find　another　kind　of　enjoyment　in　camp　than　that　of　the　cadet。　It　is　a　general；　a　proper；　a　rational　sort　of　pleasure　such　as　one　would　enjoy　at　home　among　relatives　or　friends；　and　hence　the　similarity　between　first…class　camp　and　furlough。
  But　it　is　not　thus　with　all　first…classmen。　Many；　indeed　the　majority；　are　cadet