The offenses for which the students bleed and die are all petty, fanciful, and even provoked. Sometimes corps members are simply compelled by their different societies to go out and seek a fight and try their mettle. Ill feeling or enmity, I have noticed, has not of necessity anything to do with student dueling.
*****
November 20.--Had this from General Sherman:
“Washington, D. C., Nov. 9, 1875.
“Dear Byers:--I am indebted to you two letters, the last one enclosing the comments on the Prussian Army as developed in the Autumn maneuvers in Silesia. There is no doubt Prussia, otherwise the German Empire, is determined to keep up the physique, organization and instruction to meet any possible conflict, thus necessitating much loss of labor, and constant trouble in furnishing arms and food. We cannot attempt to follow her example, though of course we can learn much from their experience. General Meigs was present on the occasion of these maneuvers and will on his return make an official report which will be in book form, easy of preservation.
“Republican successes here this fall make the officials feel better, but the fact that the House of Representatives is Democratic will cause much confusion and heartburning this Winter, and until the nominations are made next Summer.
“My best love to Mrs. Byers.
“Yours truly,
W. T. Sherman.”
[CHAPTER XIII]
1876
STORM IN THE ALPS--MR. BENJAMIN--KATE SHERWOOD BONNER--ICEBERGS--A SCOTCH POET--HORATIO KING’S LITERARY EVENINGS--COL. FORNEY--MR. ROBERT--A NEW YORK MILLIONAIRE’S HOME--A CHRISTMAS NIGHT HURRICANE AT SEA--THE TILDEN-HAYES FIGHT--CIVIL WAR FEARED IN WASHINGTON--DENNISON, THE INVENTOR--A STRANGE MURDER--THE WRECK OF THE SCHILLER AND LOSS OF MISS DIMMICK.
September 1.--Spent a day or so of each week this summer up at the Alpine hamlet, Obstalden, where we could look down a thousand feet into a blue lake, or up five thousand to the tops of snow peaks. Tried to read Milton up there on the green grass above the lake; stopped when half way through. I got it into my head that it was only a poetical paraphrase of the Bible. That is what Goethe thought once of doing, turning parts of the Holy Book into verse; but as the Bible is already done well, why not let it alone? Where is there anything in Goethe, or Milton either, to compare with the magnificent language of the Scriptures, and no human being would dare to change the thought. Curious, Byron, too, thought of putting Job into verse. Is not the book of Job already the grandest poem of the world? When among the Alps, I never cared to read anybody’s description of them; language is too weak, unless the language were Lord Byron’s.