thought that the boy's father was sending him to West Point only to destroy this vocation and that he himself was performing a meritorious action for the boy's sake in dismissing the means which would deprive him of his vocation.

Many of the readers of this book may here stop and wonderingly exclaim at Julius' desire of entering the profession of arms and think it strange indeed for such a pious and Christian boy. Yet it is not wonderful that they should, when even those who surrounded him in Georgetown's classic and holy precincts should think likewise, astonished indeed that one so quiet and reserved and imbued with such sincere and practical piety, so thoroughly unselfish in every respect and possessing such refined ideas, should select for his career the hardy, rough and too frequently dissipated life of a soldier. They would have imagined, like the good Brother, that the youthful Julius, a second Aloysius in his modest and Catholic deportment, would rather have selected the peaceful and holy life of a religious, far removed from the rude, clamorous and ever changing world. Such persons would judge not unwisely and yet even their logical judgment could be at fault. For God can take the most holy and refined souls and place them in a life of moral turmoil and danger, and instead of being contaminated by their surroundings, they will only shine out with the greater splendor and come forth gloriously triumphant, nay even convert to good deeds and to a pious life those amidst whom they have been and from whom only harm and wickedness was to be expected. Take for example the great St. Louis and so many other saintly souls who led a martial life without ever receiving any marks of spiritual harm, and who even shed a lustre by their virtues on that life of iron and steel. A soldier's life is indeed a dangerous one! In time of war by the numerous and ever varying dangers that lurk in his path, and in time of peace by the constant and fatal temptations of the flesh that a life of inglorious ease is apt to engender.

And indeed West Point, like all other great Colleges where Religion is not taught, might well be considered in the eyes of the prudent or timid as a dangerous place for a young boy to enter; especially for one reared as Julius had been, under the

fostering and watchful care of his pious and Catholic mother, and with such strong religious principles as were implanted in his youthful breast. For how few Catholics were there who entered that Academy and of that small number how very few were there who kept up the practice of their holy Religion, when to do so was to subject themselves to numberless difficulties as well as expose themselves to the cold sneer and cruel ridicule of their thoughtless and oft-times heartless fellow Cadets.

CHAPTER IV.

His life at West Point-accident while home on furlough and manly fortitude-appointed A. A. Professor of French-severe illness just before graduation-graduation and assignment to the 4th Artillery-curious thing about his Class-remarks of Professors Kendrick and Bartlett and Classmates Generals Don Carlos Buell, F. F. Flint and Z. B. Tower-a manuscript of Julius-departure to spend his graduating furlough with his relatives and family-horse named after him.

JULIUS left Georgetown in May 1837 for West Point with the best wishes of his boyish companions, and of his Prefects and Professors for his future life. Though they all wished him success, many felt a pang of regret at parting from this talented and winning boy, whom all had learned to love so much as well as respect and admire. Indeed, he left behind him a memory never to be forgotten, one indelibly impressed on the hearts of those who now bade him adieu.

As I have shown, through the correspondence of his father on the subject, he received his appointment as Cadet from the Hon. J. R. Poinsett, Secretary of War, upon the recommendation of the Hon. Lewis Cass and Mr. Bayard, Member of Congress from Delaware and father of the present Secretary of State, and was credited as appointed from Delaware, not charged to any of its Congressional Districts.

When Julius arrived at the Military Academy it was first necessary for him to pass the preliminary examination which he did and with great success. Then on the 1st of July he was sworn in with the other successful embryo soldiers before the Adjutant of the Academy, and thereupon entered upon his. academic duties. He was now only sixteen years old and the third youngest in his Class, which was an extremely large one for that time, numbering very nearly one hundred members.

He entered West Point in one sense in an extremely favorable manner, and yet in another in just the reverse. For with his great talents he bade fair to attain a distinguished rank among

his Classmates, and yet being the only Catholic in his Class he rendered himself liable to the unfeeling and cruel remarks of this same Class as also, what was still more to be dreaded, to the sneers, taunts, and ridicule of the upper Classes who are all powerful and domineering and who have it in their power to make the life of the "Plebes," (as the 4th or lowest Class is called), almost unbearable, by means of that terrible system of "Hazing" which from time immemorial they have chosen to exercise as their right. Julius' position on his entrance, for this very reason of being a Catholic, was even more trying than that of any of his fellow Plebes. Those who have graduated at the Military Academy are fully sensible of the trials they had to endure during their first year's course as 4th Classmen, of the many abuses they received from the hands of the upper Classmen and the humiliations they were subjected to from them, too numerous and painful here to mention. How instead of the kind and hospitable treatment one would naturally expect strangers to receive, who have just left home with all its comforts and loved ones, they have met from the hands of these upper Classmen a course of treatment one would be ashamed to show the veriest cur and told to consider themselves as even below the standard of the vilest and lowest of the brute creation. In fact, the unfeeling manner, in which the life of the poor Plebe has been tormented by the upper Classes, has frequently excited the wrath of the Nation.

Ridicule and Sarcasm are fearful weapons to use, and in the hands of the unscrupulous and hard-hearted, how many a painful dart have they not driven into the feeling hearts of those against whom they have been mercilessly hurled! Many a brave man has been able to bear almost stoically all kinds of suffering, mental as well as physical, and yet, when it came to being laughed or sneered at, his courage has given away, and he has become an abject tool in the hands of his cruel

tormentors.

What then must have been the feelings of the refined, gentlemanly and pious Julius on his entrance and during his first year's sojourn. And yet how true was he to his God and to himself, how well did he give evidence of his beautiful character

and disposition, when by his ever gentlemanly and Christian deportment, his quiet and unostentatious performance of his religious duties, he compelled all these young men, of all four Classes, not only to respect and love him dearly but also to respect that holy Religion, of which he was such a bright example and lived up to so truly! It is to be borne in mind that Catholicity was not then so well known in this Country. It had a hard and bitter persecution to meet with. In the opinion of the Protestants it ranked with Pagan superstitions and its adherents were looked upon as worshippers of images, as slaves to their priests.

There was nothing of the mean sycophant or braggadocio about Julius. He was at all times; not now alone, but during the whole course of his life, ready to defend the weak or timid as well as stand bravely up in the defense of his Duty and his God. He had the true sense of the chivalrous knight, ever ready and ever willing to serve first his God and next his lawful superiors in a manly and honorable manner. During his course at West Point as well as afterwards in the Army, he was always deeply conscientious and pious, and never for a single moment hesitated to perform the duties which his Religion taught him nor fail to comply with the rightful commands. which his lawful superiors, in their capacity as such, gave him. His was not a nature to disobey, save when he felt his conscience would not sanction obedience. Then no power on earth could have induced him to obey; for as he was too good and brave to do a mean or dishonorable action, he was also too grand and noble to follow the unjust or dishonorable behests of another. His was the true chivalry, "without fear and without reproach."

Though possessed of and so thoroughly imbued with religious and lofty manly principles, and being too of rather a reserved nature, still he loved innocent play, and was always foremost in all games of foot-ball and other sports, yet never allowing the enthusiasm of youth to carry him beyond the bounds of propriety and good feeling. He would never bicker or quarrel with his companions as is unfortunately the case with most boys. If he ever felt himself to be in the wrong he would most cheerfully