"The finest fellows in the world," said the young man. "An occasional dead-beat among them, of course, but it's amazing how high an average of character they strike, considering that they came out of four years of war--war's demoralizing, you know!--with only their shirts to their backs, and often those were only borrowed. You'll find some mighty solid business men in the ranks out there, and then on down to the humblest occupations. Look! See that little one-legged man with the beard that everybody's cheering! That's Corporal Henkel of Petersburg, commended I don't know how many times for bravery, and they would have given him the town for a keepsake when it was all over, if he had wanted it. Well, Henkel's a cobbler--been one since '65--and let me tell you he's a blamed good one, and if you're ever in Petersburg and want any half-soling done, let me tell you--Yea-a-a! See that trim-looking one with the little mustache--saluting now? He tried to save Stonewall Jackson's life on the 2d of May, 1863,--threw himself in front of him and got badly potted. He's a D.D. now. Yea-a-a-a!" A victoria containing two lovely young girls, sponsor and maid of honor for South Carolina, dressed just alike, with parasols and enormous hats, rolled by. The girls smiled kindly at the young man, and he went through a very proper salute. "Watch the people!" he dashed on eagerly. "Wonderful how they love these old soldiers, isn't it?--they'd give 'em anything! And what a fine thing that is for them!--for the people, not the soldiers, I mean. I tell you we all give too much time to practical things--business--making money--taking things away from each other. It's a fine thing to have a day now and then which appeals to just the other side of us--a regular sentimental spree. Do you see what I mean? Maybe I'm talking like an ass.... But when you talk about Americans, Mr. Queed--let me tell you that there isn't a State in the country that is raising better Americans than we are raising right here in this city. We're as solid for the Union as Boston. But that isn't saying that we have forgotten all about the biggest happening in our history--the thing that threw over our civilization, wiped out our property, and turned our State into a graveyard. If we forgot that, we wouldn't be Americans, because we wouldn't be men." He went on fragmentarily, ever and anon interrupting himself to give individual ovations to his heroes and his gods:--