means a sinecure, for when the papers have nothing else to find fault
with they pick at West Point."

"I should think the social life here would be very pleasant."

"It is, in many respects. Army ties beget a sort of comradeship which
extends to the officers' wives. Frequent removal from one part of the
country to another prevents anything like vegetating. The ladies, I am
told, do not become overmuch engrossed in housekeeping, and acquire
something of a soldier's knack of doing without many things which would
naturally occupy their time and thought if they looked forward to a
settled life. Thus they have more time for reading and society. Those
that I have met have certainly been very bright and companionable, and
many who in girlhood were accustomed to city luxury can tell some strange
stories of their frontier life. There is one army custom which often
bears pretty hard. Can you imagine yourself an officer's wife?"

"I'll try, if it will be of help to you."

"Then suppose you were nicely settled in one of those houses, your
furniture arranged, carpets down, etc. Some morning you learn that an
officer outranking your husband has been ordered here on duty. His first
step may be to take possession of your house. Quarters are assigned in
accordance with rank, and you would be compelled to gather up your
household goods and take them to some smaller dwelling. Then your
husband--how droll the word sounds!--could compel some other officer,
whom he outranked, to move. It would seem that the thing might go on
indefinitely, and the coming of a new officer produce a regular 1st of
May state of affairs."