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trouble they are aching with is； after all； only a dream；if they will rub their eyes briskly enough and shake themselves； they will awake out of it； and find all their supposed grief is unreal。 This attempt to cajole ourselves out of an ugly fact always reminds us of those unhappy flies who have been indulging in the dangerous sweets of the paper prepared for their especial use。
Watch one of them。 He does not feel quite well；at least； he suspects himself of indisposition。 Nothing serious；let us just rub our fore…feet together； as the enormous creature who provides for us rubs his hands； and all will be right。 He rubs them with that peculiar twisting movement of his； and pauses for the effect。 No！ all is not quite right yet。 Ah！ it is our head that is not set on just as it ought to be。 Let us settle that where it should be； and then we shall certainly be in good trim again。 So he pulls his head about as an old lady adjusts her cap； and passes his fore…paw over it like a kitten washing herself。 Poor fellow！ It is not a fancy； but a fact； that he has to deal with。 If he could read the letters at the head of the sheet； he would see they were Fly…Paper。 So with us； when； in our waking misery； we try to think we dream！ Perhaps very young persons may not understand this； as we grow older； our waking and dreaming life run more and more into each other。
Another symptom of our excited condition is seen in the breaking up of old habits。 The newspaper is as imperious as a Russian Ukase； it will be had； and it will be read。 To this all else must give place。 If we must go out at unusual hours to get it； we shall go； in spite of after…dinner nap or evening somnolence。 If it finds us in company； it will not stand on ceremony； but cuts short the compliment and the story by the divine right of its telegraphic dispatches。
War is a very old story； but it is a new one to this generation of Americans。 Our own nearest relation in the ascending line remembers the Revolution well。 How should she forget it？ Did she not lose her doll； which was left behind； when she was carried out of Boston； about that time growing uncomfortable by reason of cannon…balls dropping in from the neighboring heights at all hours；in token of which see the tower of Brattle Street Church at this very day？ War in her memory means '76。 As for the brush of 1812； 〃we did not think much about that〃； and everybody knows that the Mexican business did not concern us much； except in its political relations。 No！ war is a new thing to all of us who are not in the last quarter of their century。 We are learning many strange matters from our fresh experience。 And besides； there are new conditions of existence which make war as it is with us very different from war as it has been。
The first and obvious difference consists in the fact that the whole nation is now penetrated by the ramifications of a network of iron nerves which flash sensation and volition backward and forward to and from towns and provinces as if they were organs and limbs of a single living body。 The second is the vast system of iron muscles which； as it were； move the limbs of the mighty organism one upon another。 What was the railroad…force which put the Sixth Regiment in Baltimore on the 19th of April but a contraction and extension of the arm of Massachusetts with a clenched fist full of bayonets at the end of it？
This perpetual intercommunication； joined to the power of instantaneous action； keeps us always alive with excitement。 It is not a breathless courier who comes back with the report from an army we have lost sight of for a month； nor a single bulletin which tells us all we are to know for a week of some great engagement； but almost hourly paragraphs； laden with truth or falsehood as the case may be； making us restless always for the last fact or rumor they are telling。 And so of the movements of our armies。 To…night the stout lumbermen of Maine are encamped under their own fragrant pines。 In a score or two of hours they are among the tobacco…fields and the slave…pens of Virginia。 The war passion burned like scattered coals of fire in the households of Revolutionary times； now it rushes all through the land like a flame over the prairie。 And this instant diffusion of every fact and feeling produces another singular effect in the equalizing and steadying of public opinion。 We may not be able to see a month ahead of us； but as to what has passed a week afterwards it is as thoroughly talked out and judged as it would have been in a whole season before our national nervous system was organized。
〃As the wild tempest wakes the slumbering sea； Thou only teachest all that man can be！〃
We indulged in the above apostrophe to War in a Phi Beta Kappa poem of long ago； which we liked better before we read Mr。 Cutler's beautiful prolonged lyric delivered at the recent anniversary of that Society。
Oftentimes； in paroxysms of peace and good…will towards all mankind； we have felt twinges of conscience about the passage；especially when one of our orators showed us that a ship of war costs as much to build and keep as a college； and that every port…hole we could stop would give us a new professor。 Now we begin to think that there was some meaning in our poor couplet。 War has taught us； as nothing else could； what we can be and are。 It has exalted our manhood and our womanhood； and driven us all back upon our substantial human qualities； for a long time more or less kept out of sight by the spirit of commerce； the love of art； science； or literature； or other qualities not belonging to all of us as men and women。
It is at this very moment doing more to melt away the petty social distinctions which keep generous souls apart from each other； than the preaching of the Beloved Disciple himself would do。 We are finding out that not only 〃patriotism is eloquence；〃 but that heroism is gentility。 All ranks are wonderfully equalized under the fire of a masked battery。 The plain artisan or the rough fireman； who faces the lead and iron like a man； is the truest representative we can show of the heroes of Crecy and Agincourt。 And if one of our fine gentlemen puts off his straw…colored kids and stands by the other； shoulder to shoulder； or leads him on to the attack； he is as honorable in our eyes and in theirs as if he were ill…dressed and his hands were soiled with labor。
Even our poor 〃Brahmins；〃whom a critic in ground…glass spectacles （the same who grasps his statistics by the blade and strikes at his supposed antagonist with the handle） oddly confounds with the； 〃bloated aristocracy；〃 whereas they are very commonly pallid； undervitalized； shy； sensitive creatures； whose only birthright is an aptitude for learning；even these poor New England Brahmins of ours； subvirates of an organizable base as they often are； count as full men； if their courage is big enough for the uniform which hangs so loosely about their slender figures。
A young man was drowned not very long ago in the river running under our windows。 A few days afterwards a field piece was dragged to the water's edge； and fired many times over the river。 We asked a bystander； who looked like a fisherman；