The chicken salad--and it was delicious--was made of tender veal, but
the celery in it was the genuine article, for we sent to Kansas City
for that and a few other things. The turkey galantine was perfect, and
the product of a resourceful brain from the North, and was composed
almost entirely of wild goose! There was no April fool about the
delicate Maryland biscuits, however, and other nice things that were
set forth. We fixed up cozily the back part of our hall with
comfortable chairs and cushions, and there punch was served during the
evening. Major Barker and Faye made the punch. The orchestra might
have been better, but the two violins and the accordion gave us music
that was inspiring, and gave us noise, too, and then Doos, who played
the accordion, kept us merry by the ever-pounding down of one
government-shod foot.

Everyone in the garrison came--even the chaplain was here during the
supper. The officers Were in full-dress uniform, and the only man in
plain evening dress was Mr. Dunn, the post trader, and in comparison
to the gay uniforms of the officers he did look so sleek, from his
shiny black hair down to the toes of his shiny black pumps! Mrs.
Barker and I received, of course, and she was very pretty in a pink
silk gown entirely covered with white net, that was caught up at many
places by artificial pink roses. The color was most becoming, and made
very pronounced the rich tint of her dark skin and her big black eyes.

Well, we danced before supper and we danced after supper, and when we
were beginning to feel just a wee bit tired, there suddenly appeared
in our midst a colored woman--a real old-time black mammy--in a dress
of faded, old-fashioned plaids, with kerchief, white apron, and a
red-and-yellow turban tied around her head. We were dancing at the