Page:The Story of Aunt Becky's Army-Life .djvu/147

Rh him, which culminated into almost absolute hatred, when one morning I saw him absolutely kick a convalescing soldier in the mess-room, accusing him of taking a piece of bread which he said lay on a plate on the table, which accusation was emphatically denied.

I felt in my anger as though I wished God would strike him dead, and end his miserable existence. To put on the authority and air of a major-general, and then to descend into such depths of meanness, and knowing his real position before taking charge here, was sickening indeed.

At the head of a drum-and-fife band, this man, without moral sense, was set over those of immense superiority, with kindly hearts, and it was quite a trial to me to see him retain his position when I would have made him the lowest drudge over the washing of pots and kettles, in the vilest depths of the cook-house, and hardly think him good enough to do that work either.

Many thanks to those with him, I suffered but little from his meanness, and few luxuries were withheld from the sick, for goodness of heart triumphed over the brief authority of the conceited fellow, and we went our several ways without conflict. My enlarged proportions at times, as I went demurely from the kitchen laden with the good things, made a little flutter at my heart, but I braved the storm, and weathered the voyage to my wards in safety, each and every time.

Thus men of low calibre, and full of wretched