one could foresee the end of the retrogression. Knowing editors, possessed with the blundering infatuation of the times, prophesied falsely or lied deliberately:-it matters little which, they were wrong. All sorts of rumors were abroad. Only one thing could be held certain, and that was the general black appearance of things.

Beside the exciting rumors from Washington, we had as an agreeable diversion in our rural retreat, the pleasant anxiety attendant on an enrollment for military service of all men between eighteen and fortyfive years of age, and a draft immediately to follow. But for the personal interest we had in the matter, it might have given us much edification to observe the different degrees of stoical philosophy with which persons awaited the draft. Many were they who discovered weaknesses or deformities of body unknown before. Not a few became suddenly conscientious on the subject of fighting, aud on so swearing, were exempted. We were unfortunately neither bodily incapable nor conscientious, but trusted that we might prove to the Marshal a residence in New Haven and therefore non-liability to an enrollment in that place. Firm in this purpose we prepared a list of arguments bearing on the point, and calmly awaited the advent of the minion of the law. He came, "suddenly and in the night," that is to say, about 9 P. M.; he asked no useless questions, but with the simple remark that he "supposed I wanted my papers too," thrust them into my hand and turning on his heel was lost in darkness. Such haste we were unprepared for. Our labored arguments had no application. We felt hurt at the Marshal's unwonted celerity. It looked as if he were suspicious of something, and we longed for an opportunity to resent the imputation. Thus we were enrolled. Here was the proof of it, a soiled bit of blue paper and on it some penmanship of a rude character. This badly written scrawl might put me in arms, will I nill I, and for an indefinite term. Dread reflection, I was no longer myself but a thing in the hands of government!

"If I were a man, I'd rather volunteer than be drafted," was softly remarked in our hearing, and for us, by a fair Unionist. "O most certainly!" was our instant reply, but at the same time we were busily thinking how very willingly we would lend our best inexpressibles to said dear creature, if she would only don them and volunteer for one short week. What an army such soldiers would form! They would be irresistible. No body of male troops could have the heart to withstand them. Who would not go to war if you could have such enemies? (We trust our ardent feelings have not led us to speak too strongly on this point. If they have, we here beg pardon of the sex in general.)

The excitement attending battles abroad and a draft at home, are nothing however to the anxiety produced by an approach of the enemy. The fearful suspense, the thickening and preposterous rumors, the hurry-and-skurry that mark such a crisis, defy description. Such a crisis soon overtook our rural quietude. Our vacation was almost past, the first of September come,-when danger of invasion broke up our meditations and made us pro tempore a modest warrior. It came about somewhat as thus.

It was a balmy morning in the first week of autumn: the sun had not yet dried the dew, and every green leaf and every spear of grass was tipped with a gem, of which the purest diamond is but imitation. A slight mist, faint and blue, hung round the hills, suggesting that fall was at hand; yet the birds sang as sweetly, and nature was as merry as if the fall of the leaf were a thing unknown. Summer would not yield to autumn without a struggle. We were returning homeward on this morning from a wood near by, whither we had early repaired to look out for squirrels. The result of the morning's sport was a dozen plump grey fellows, brought from the damp tree-tops by our trusty double-barrel. Laden thus with the spoils of the hunt, we were met by the startling news, "Enemy in force at Chambersburg! Will be in Harrisburg tomorrow! Gov. Curtin wants 50,000 men at once, and orders all to arm and drill!" (These tidings were given us by a fair cousin of ours. who, knowing our anxiety to hear the good or bad news, and also by which path we would probably return home, had walked out to meet us. She was painfully agitated as she told us and almost ready to cry. So were we, but seeing she wanted cheering, we treated the matter lightly, and to show how very little, just then, we feared an invasion, we, with our usual adroitness, bestowed on her one of those delicate attentions which, like exchange in Political Economy, can only be fairly effected when there are two persons concerned and a mutual willingness of the parties. It had a wonderful revivifying effect. But to return to weightier matters.) Truly this was stirring news. The hostile army must be hurled back from the border of the Keystone. If necessary we resolved to volunteer at once, but we trusted that the facts were as afterward appeared,-exaggerated. Still we prepared for war. We scoured our gnn and looked to the ammunition. Ease and repose were banished. The stern pleasure of playing soldier replaced the lighter amusements of vacation.

That afternoon we attended a recruiting meeting in K——, and arranged with a friend to enroll ourself; but our friend not being able to sign then, we also postponed our signature until next day. That

meeting was a memorable one, not large in numbers, but important in its effect;-for just three days after it was held, the rebel army turned southward. A veteran of 1812, grey-headed and feeble, was made chairman, a sheet of paper, headed with a patriotic preamble and resolution, prepared, and signers invited to step forward. Inherent bashfulness-a prime element in American character-delayed any one of the twenty-five present from stepping forward for a considerable time. But at length the smallest man in the room-a bar room,-said he would head the list if nobody else would, and did so. Names flowed in freely after this example had been set, until the large number of ten—the veteran among them,-had signed, and we went home thinking the danger not yet very imminent. It may be mentioned as a matter of interest, that at this enthusiastic war meeting, there were two ministers who of course could'nt go, one theological student who did'nt see it to be his duty, two bar-tenders who could not possibly be spared-they were eager to go if business would only let them,-one unfortunate consumptive individual whose health forbade entirely, and three men whose wives had taken time by the forelock and vetoed the whole proceeding, nipping in the bud any such wild plans of their husbands as wanting to go to war. Nevertheless K—is a very patriotic town, has an Aid Society, and once got up tableaux.

We went next day, with some thousand other patriots, to call on the commissioner of draft in the town of N- -n, and learned with regret that minors were exempt. We had hoped to have the pleasure of standing a draft, and like Mark Tapley "coming out strong, and being jolly under creditable circumstances." But fickle fortune denied us this favor. Returning home disappointed from this mission, we learned with surprise that the company at K, to defend the border, had grown to the size of thirty, and with still more surprise, that the veteran leader had sent for us to "come and drill them, as he had heard that we understood drilling." Where he got his information was beyond our conjecture, for surely we neither knew anything of drilling, nor had ever given out such intimation. Possibly he thought that college boys must know everything. However that might be, the fact was indisputable: we were sent for, and we concluded to go, and do all we could to drill these valiant defenders. Indeed we could not but regard this turn of affairs as an interposition of fortune in our favor. We had almost dropped the idea of volunteering until this opening appeared. If the drill-master so suddenly appointed should become one of the company, and approve himself to them, there could be little doubt who would fill an office when the organizatoin was completed.

Aeting upon this brilliant thought, we devoted two or three hours to a close study of Hardee's company drill, and set out for K, where we modestly declared our intention of becoming one of the border defenders. The veteran of '12 shook us warmly by the hand, the light of battle shining in his dim eyes. He was glad we had come, and quite delighted to find that we had joined the band. It was arranged that he should form the company, and after a few evolutions-which proved to be of a highly antediluvian nature,-deliver up the stick to us: meanwhile we fell into the ranks. Having exhausted his little stock of knowledge in a very few minutes, the veteran stated to the squad that "there was present another person," naming us, "who understood drilling, and he would resign to him the baton of office," which after a becoming show of diffidence we accepted, and the veteran stepped into the place we left vacant in the ranks.

It is not necessary to state how we succeeded in our first attempt, nor to describe the gallant corps. Be it enough to say that they numbered thirty-including a minister of the gospel,-of many sizes, shapes, and dispositions. For an hour or more we wearied ourself and the newly-raised company,-the sun was quite warm,-practising evolutions unheard of by Hardee or Scott, running the martial array into corners and places out of which it was impossible to get them, and giving them long resting spells while we worked out the problematic manoeuvre necessary to extricate us from our strait. The rest were still more ignorant than ourselves, and as we were determined to be knowing, we gained credit from our men, and were even rated as "pretty good" by antique critics of (what they called) "military," who years ago had been members of the Avengers, the Blues, the Leopards, or other long forgotten companies. Compliments were freely offered, cheers proposed, and the "Captain" declared a trump. The veteran said we reminded him of his old captain in the war of '12; the minister took us warmly by the hand and administered praises sweet to the ear but tedious; the small boys that looked on slung their caps and turned an indefinite number of somersaults in the stony street :-in short K- was all agog at the brilliant manoeuvres of its company. The meeting broke up with a resolution embodying patriotic sentiments and appointing a meeting next night at R——; meanwhile to scour for recruits. Flushed with success, we returned home to inform our friends that a day or two more would see us off for the border. Meanwhile the news had become more threatening, and men more loudly called for. Philadelphia had sent several thousand in as many hours. N-n had sent two companies. Why should not K- send one?

During the next day we recruited vigourously, both personally and by deputies, and things were going on swimmingly. Night came dark and lowering, bringing with it the hour of meeting. R was distant five miles, a rough road, and a storm threatening. We would far rather have staid at home, but important interests might depend on our presence. So we saddled Topsy-our favorite mare-and to speak metaphorically, plunged into the darkness. Topsy, though a very sensible horse, has a lively imagination, and on this occasion readily converted every stump or stone or post into something to be avoided. So many little misapprehensions of this sort did she fall into, that, more than once when we had lapsed into careless security, she all but dismounted us. Now a bush, outlined against the sky, would send her sidewise a dozen feet at a bound; now a white post would stop her in the midst of a swinging trot; now again a dead leaf falling behind would start her off like a rocket. The sky above was all leaden, and the earth below all black. Topsy herself-she is as black as her name. sake, could be felt only, not seen. But we safely reached our destination, where we found that only a few patriots had made their appearance- Perhaps the night had kept them away. At least we said so, and after some convivialities, another meeting was appointed, the time of departure fixed, the Govenor telegraphed, and each man advised to make his final arrangements. "When the company is once sure to go,

it will fill up in an hour." That was the logic put forth, and we thought to try it, hoping to get the company away, though now it numbered only thirty-five.

Before the final meeting, news came from a former company of the neighborhood, that had been badly cut up in battle. This, we fear, damped the ardor of some of the brave volunteers, and lead to the total disruption of the company that was to come. During the day we talked to many of the men, advised them to purchase blankets, and have rations prepared for three days, for "to-morrow we start." We also announced a telegram from the Governor, saying to us, 66 come on at once," and delicately hinted at the expediency of electing officers that night. The general desire we found to be, to choose officers after arriving at Harrisburg, an arrangement which we, earnestly and for the good of the company, deprecated. Indeed we went so far as to say that we should "object altogether to going on these terms. Men ought to know from the first whom they will have to serve.” We were detained from that meeting-from the early part of it,-little imagining what was to happen. These zealous patriots and border-de