Дни грёз

           Norelationswouldbelikelytocomeinterferingwithyouwhenthusblissfullyoccupied.AndyetIdidnotwish—justyet—tohavedonewithrelationsentirely.Theyshouldbemadetofeeltheirpositionfirst,toseethemselvesastheyreallywere,andtowish—whenitwastoolate—thattheyhadbehavedmoreproperly.

           Ofallprofessions,thearmyseemedtolenditselfthemostthoroughlytothescheme.Youenlisted,youfollowedthedrum,youmarched,fought,andportedarms,understrangeskies,throughunrecordedyears.Atlast,atlonglast,youropportunitywouldcome,whenthehorrorsofwarwereflickeringthroughthequietcountry-sidewhereyouwerecradledandbred,butwherethememoryofyouhadlongbeendim.Folkwouldruntogether,clamorous,palsiedwithfear;andamongtheterror-strickengroupswouldfigurecertainaunts.“Whathopeisleftus?”theywouldaskthemselves,“saveintheclemencyoftheGeneral,themysterious,invincibleGeneral,ofwhommentellsuchromantictales?”Andthearmywouldmarchin,andthegunswouldrattleandleapalongthevillagestreet,and,lastofall,you—you,theGeneral,thefabledhero—youwouldenter,onyourcoal-blackcharger,yourpalesetfaceseamedbyaninterestingsabre-cut.Andthen—buteveryboyhasrehearsedthisfamiliarpieceascoreoftimes.Youaremagnanimous,infine—thatgoeswithoutsaying;youhaveacoal-blackhorse,andasabre-cut,andyoucanaffordtobeverymagnanimous.Butallthesameyougivethemagoodtalking-to.