receive the congratulations of their friends, while the battalion was marched back to the Academy. An hour later and there might have been seen twenty youths in the first flush of a new outfit of "cits" stepping into the carriages which had been provided to take them to the Tea House, half a dozen miles out, where they had a delightful farewell dinner. Returning thence about sundown, they entered the portals of their Alma Mater for the last time to make their final preparations for departing to enjoy the leave of absence that had been granted them. Truth compels me to state that the last thing done as a class was to "get ahead of Jolly," by causing the connecting door between nineteen and twenty-one to give way to the united weights of all, save the occupants of those two rooms. With which exhibition of boyish frolic they departed to seek "in fresh fields and pastures new" such fate as the fortune of war might have in store for them. It is twenty years since that day, but the recollection of that final parting, where was sung a song written for the occasion by the sister of one member of the class, is still as fresh as when those words were heard, "Cheer! cheer! cheer! boys, cheer! ALLAN D. BROWN, Commander U.S.N. EDITORIAL NOTES. REFORM IN THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.-The weekly service papers have recently contained a good deal of correspondence discussing the reorganization and reform of the Navy Department. In addition to this, several of the large dailies published in New York and Boston have contained a series of articles of a similar nature. On the surface this discussion seems to indicate an active interest in naval circles on this important question. The series of articles and letters referred to, however, have presented a most striking similarity of views and unanimity of opinions; so much so, indeed, that we are inclined to think that they all emanate from one head centre. There can be no real discussion of naval reform where only one side is presented; and there can be only one side presented so long as difference of opinion is not tolerated by the naval powers that be, as is the case at present. We believe that the country at large begins to realize that the nation has no greater need at present than a reform in its naval management and the building up of its navy. We do not mean to indicate by these remarks that there are not in the series of articles above mentioned many suggestions which, if adopted, would be for the benefit of the service; nor even that the most radical suggestions therein contained are not worthy of very serious consideration, particularly those looking to a concentration of power in the management of naval affairs in fewer hands. It is only fair that both should be freely represented in any discussion looking to radical changes in the organization of the department, which at present is certainly not the case. It looks to us as if there were a naval literary bureau in Washington engaged in the dissemination of these views. A literary bureau for this purpose, composed of officers of all branches of the service, would, we think, be an excellent idea, for through it an exchange of views could be readily made which would be productive of great benefit to the service. From a one-sided discussion no good can arise; and the present state of affairs threatens to revive the old animosities between line and staff. We take occasion to say at this time that THE UNITED SERVICE has no intention of espousing the cause of either, and makes these suggestions simply in the interests of the navy at large. ROTATION OF DUTY IN THE NAVAL SERVICE.-The order of Secretary of War Endicott, limiting the time for which officers can be absent from their regiments, or remain on special duty at a given point, has accomplished such good results that we suggest to the Secretary of the Navy that a similar order from him would be equally well received, and be quite as popular in the navy. It would be interesting to know the length of service in Washington of each naval officer now stationed there. THE STAFF OF THE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.-General Sheridan, it is reported, has presented, in a letter to the Secretary of War, a claim that his staff should be exempted from the operations of the recent order of the Secretary regulating the detail of officers on personal staff duty. It is sincerely to be hoped that the Secretary will see the propriety of admitting the claim, and modify his order accordingly. Apart from the questionable legal right of the Secretary of War to interfere with the personal staff details of the lieutenant-general commanding the army, his doing so is altogether uncalled for by the exigencies of the service, and his insistence on his right to do so will border very closely to discourteous treatment of General Sheridan, which we certainly do not think the Secretary of War intends. THE CRISIS IN THE EAST.-Under the head of "The Crisis in the East," the London Broad Arrow of Saturday, September 26, has a very able editorial on the question that is at present of most interest to military readers, viz., the threatened war in the Balkans. It regards the situation there as very serious, and declares bluntly that the "Balkan frontier has ceased to exist, and the most important feature in the treaty of Berlin has thereby been annulled," and makes the further statement, "There is sufficient reason to believe the infraction of the Treaty of Berlin has just taken place with Russian connivance. It declares that if the rebellion in East Roumelia is unchecked, it simply means the resuscitation of the Treaty of San Stefano, with Russia once more close to the crowning object of her ambition on the Bosphorus. The article closes with the hope that definite public opinion will speedily be formed upon which the government may confidently rely on dealing with the novel aspect of affairs created by the Roumelian revolt. Late cable dispatches indicate a growing serious crisis of affairs in Roumelia, and that active hostilities, involving a war with Turkey, may be expected at any moment. We invite the attention of our readers to the extract published in our “Service Literature," taken from the London Times, giving a summary of the military forces of Eastern Roumelia and Bulgaria, as of special interest at this time, and also to the article published in the body of the Magazine of "The Army of Russia." THE REMOVAL OF HELL GATE OBSTRUCTIONS.-It is universally conceded that General Newton has accomplished one of the most remarkable feats of engineering of the century in his successful removal of the obstructions to navigation at Hell Gate. As soon as the remnants of the obstruction are removed, ocean steamers can find a safe passage, and thereby save many miles en route to the northward. We beg to add our congratulations to General Newton on the successful accomplishment of the task for which he has labored so faithfully and laboriously. BOOK REVIEWS. ONE OF THE DUANES. A Novel. By ALICE KING HAMILTON. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. For the information of our readers who have not followed this interesting story as it has progressed through the pages of THE UNITED SERVICE Magazine, we may say that the "one of the Duanes" who is the central person of the narrative is Miss Bonny Duane, only daughter of Judge and Mrs. Duane, resident in New York. She has, up to the opening of the story, enjoyed an indulged and luxurious life, and is exceedingly beautiful, bright, accomplished, and fairly amiable. She is not the only child, however; a son, Guy Duane, has badly misbehaved himself, has mortified and humiliated his parents, and has disappeared from their knowledge. Partly for reasons of health and partly for those of economy, Bonny is transferred from New York to Fort Barrancas, near Pensacola, Florida, upon the invitation of Captain and Mrs. Revere, whom she had met at Newport, and who had urged her to make them a long visit at the Fort. On the way thither, through a natural and amusing mistake, but a mistake rather mortifying to her, she meets a gentleman, who afterwards turns out to be Lieutenant Jack Sidney, attached to Captain Revere's command. Lieutenant Sidney is the next most important character in the story. He is a graduate of West Point, and is as thorough a gentleman and soldier as we have met in a long time. By his honesty, truth, purity, bravery, and courtesy he wins our interest at the outset, and we are glad that he gets his "sugar-plum" at the end. In strong contrast to him is Captain Revere, who has been appointed from civil life, who is indolent, selfish, inefficient, with the irritability of a man who is only officially superior to subordinates, who understand their profession much better than he does. Mrs. Revere is showy, shallow, and, as the later development of the story shows, weak and selfish. The coming of the beautiful and aristocratic Northern girl is an important event in the restricted life of the garrison, and serves to introduce a number of representative characters, men and women, of a military post. The life at Fort Barrancas is exceedingly well portrayed, its interests, occupations, society, and amusements, and the gossip which usually develops an intensity inversely proportional to the sphere of its activity. Into this life Bonny is introduced, and for a time all goes well; but at last a shadow crosses her path. She becomes the object of a remorseless persecution by a private soldier, George Dane, belonging to the post, whom she is obliged to meet under apparently compromising circumstances, to whom she gives money and jewels, and writes notes which fall into unfriendly hands. At the same time she is obliged to protect from Dane a lovely little Spanish girl, Francisca Suarez, whom Sidney has saved from a burning building, whom Bonny has taken care of while suffering from the resulting injuries, and who has fallen in love with Dane, known to Bonny to be a married man. The evolution of the plot is very skillfully made to bring Bonny's good name into serious question among her friends, and gratify the malignant gossips of the |