9. The day has been clear. The mountains, decorated by the artistic fingers of Jack Frost, loom up in the sunshine like magnificent, highly-colored, and beautiful pictures.
The night is grand. The moon, a crescent, now rests for a moment on the highest peak of the Cheat, and by its light suggests, rather than reveals, the outline of hill, valley, cove and mountain.
The boys are wide awake and merry. The fair weather has put new spirit in them all, and possibly the presence of the paymaster has contributed somewhat to the good feeling which prevails.
Hark! This from the company quarters:
| "Her golden hair in ringlets fair; |
| Her eyes like diamonds shining; |
| Her slender waist, her carriage chaste, |
| Left me, poor soul, a pining. |
| But let the night be e'er so dark, |
| Or e'er so wet and rainy, |
| I will return safe back again |
| To the girl I left behind me." |
From another quarter, in the rich brogue of the Celt, we have:
| "Did you hear of the widow Malone, |
| Ohone! |
| Who lived in the town of Athlone, |
| Alone? |
| Oh! she melted the hearts |
| Of the swains in those parts; |
| So lovely the widow Malone, |
| Ohone! |
| So lovely the widow Malone." |
10. Mr. Strong, the chaplain, has a prayer meeting in the adjoining tent. His prayers and exhortations fill me with an almost irresistible inclination to close my eyes and shut out the vanities, cares, and vexations of the world. Parson Strong is dull, but he is very industrious, and on secular days devotes his physical and mental powers to the work of tanning three sheepskins and a calf's hide. On every fair day he has the skins strung on a pole before his tent to get the sun. He combs the wool to get it clean, and takes especial delight in rubbing the hides to make them soft and pliable. I told the parson the other day that I could not have the utmost confidence in a shepherd who took so much pleasure in tanning hides.
While Parson Strong and a devoted few are singing the songs of Zion, the boys are having cotillion parties in other parts of the camp. On the parade ground of one company Willis is officiating as musician, and the gentlemen go through "honors to partners" and "circle all" with apparently as much pleasure as if their partners had pink cheeks, white slippers, and dresses looped up with rosettes.
There comes from the Chaplain's tent a sweet and solemn refrain: