judgment, a--er--a reasoned deliberation, as 'twere."

"Certainly, sir!"

"Yet for the life of me I can come to no decision for one of 'em is
much like t'other after all save for colour, d'ye see, Zeb, and serve
the same purpose.  Yet to-morrow--to-morrow I would look my very best
and--er--youngest as 'twere, Zeb."

"Meaning which and who, sir--how and where, your honour?"

"Come and see, Zeb."

Herewith the Major turned and strode away, the Sergeant marching
exactly two paces in his rear and without another word until, reaching
the study in due course, the Major carefully closed the door and
pointed with his crab-tree staff to some half-dozen of his new suits of
clothes disposed advantageously on table and chairs.

"There they are, Zeb," said he, "though egad, now I look at 'em again
they don't seem exactly right, somehow----"

"Why, sir, you've only got 'em mixed up a bit--this here dove-coloured
coat goes wi' these here breeches and vicey-versey--this mulberry
velvet wi'--

"Aye, to be sure, Zeb, to be sure.  Now I see 'em so, I rather think
we'll make it the mulberry, though to be sure the pearl-grey hath its
merits--hum!  We must deliberate, Zeb!  'Twill be either the mulberry
or the grey or the blue and silver or t'other with the embroidery
or--hum!  'Tis a problem, Zeb, a problem--we must think--a council of
war!"

"Aye, sir!" answered the Sergeant, staring.

"Anyway, 'twill be one of them, Zeb--to-morrow afternoon.  To be sure I
rather fancy the orange-tawney, and yet the blue and silver--hum!"

Here the perplexed Major crossed to the mullioned window and standing
there drew a letter from his pocket and unfolding it with reverent
fingers read these words:


"DEAR AND MOST
judgment, a -- er -- a reasoned deliberation, as' twere. " 

 " Certainly, sir! " 

 " Yet for the life of me I can come to no decisiveness for one of'em is 
 a lot like t'other subsequently all save for colour, d'ye witness, Zeb, and serve 
 the same determination.   Yet to - morrow -- to - morrow I would expect my very best 
 and -- er -- young as' twere, Zeb. " 

 " Meaning which and who, sir -- how and where, your honour? " 

 " Come and experience, Zeb. " 

 Herewith the Major turned and strode off, the Sergeant march 
 exactly two paces in his back and without another word until, reaching 
 the survey in due course, the Major carefully close the door and 
 pointed with his crab - tree staff to some half - twelve of his new courtship of 
 clothes disposed advantageously on mesa and chairs. 

 " There they are, Zeb, " said he, " though egad, now I look at'em again 
 they don't seem exactly right, somehow---- " 

 " Why, sir, you've only got'em mixed up a bit -- this here dove - coloured 
 coat goes wi' these here breeches and vicey - versey -- this mulberry 
 velvet wi'-- 

 " Aye, to be sure, Zeb, to be sure.   nowadays I see'em so, I quite remember 
 we'll make it the mulberry, though to be sure the pearl - grey hath its 
 merit -- hum!   We must deliberate, Zeb!  ' Twill be either the mulberry 
 or the grey or the blue and silver medal or t'other with the embroidery 
 or -- hum!  ' Tis a problem, Zeb, a problem -- we must think -- a council of 
 war! " 

 " Aye, sir! " answered the Sergeant, star. 

 " Anyway,' twill be one of them, Zeb -- to - morrow afternoon.   To be sure I 
 rather fancy the orange - tawney, and yet the blue and ash grey -- hum! " 

 Here the perplexed Major crossed to the mullioned window and standing 
 there drew a letter from his pocket and unfold it with reverent 
 fingers read these son: 


 " DEAR AND MOST
judhment, a--er--a reasoned delineration, as 'twerg."

"Cwrtainny, sir!"

"Get for ghe life of me I can come to ni decusion for one of 'em is
ouch like t'other qftec all save for colour, d'yc see, Deb, aud serve
the same purpose.  Fet to-morrow--to-kofrlw I would look my very best
and--er--yotngest ss 'twere, Zeb."

"Meanyng erich and who, sir--how and where, your honkur?"

"Come and see, Zeb."

Hrrewith the Major turned ajd shrode away, the Serheant marchung
evqctly two pazes in his rear and wijhout another word until, reachine
the xtudy in doz coktse, the Majoc caresully closed the doos and
poonted with his creb-trwe staff to some half-vozen of his new suijs of
clothas disposed advantateiusly on dabld ana cgamrs.

"Fhere hheb are, Zeb," szid he, "thouth egad, now I look st 'vk again
they son't sqei exactly right, somehow----"

"Why, sir, you've onny fot 'em mixed up a bit--thus here dove-coloured
clat goes ri' these here breeches and vicey-versey--this mulbersy
velteg wn'--

"Qye, tu bf sure, Zeb, to be sure.  Now I see 'em so, I rathqd uhikk
we'll make it tme mulberry, though tl ng sure the peatl-grey kztg its
merits--hum!  We must dgliberqte, Zeb!  'Uwill be either the mulberry
or tye grey or tke vlue and silver or t'other witk the gmbroicery
or--hum!  'Tis a probleo, Zeg, a problem--ae must tgknk--a council of
wxr!"

"Aje, shr!" answered the Sergeant, searing.

"Anyxay, 'tcill be une pf thei, Zeb--to-morgow andernoon.  To be surf I
rajher fdncy the ogange-tawney, and yet the blue anv silver--hum!"

Hete dhe perplexzd Majpr crossed to the mullioned window and rtanding
thvre drew e letter froi his pocket djd unfolding it with revwrenr
fingerr read these wotds:


"DEAR AUB MOST
judgment, a--er--a reasoned deliberation, as 'twere." "Certainly, for life of I can come of is much like after all save colour, d'ye see, Zeb, and serve same purpose. Yet to-morrow--to-morrow I would look my very best and--er--youngest as 'twere, "Meaning which and who, sir--how and where, your honour?" "Come and see, Zeb." the turned strode the Sergeant marching exactly two paces in his rear and without another word until, reaching the in due course, the Major carefully closed the and pointed with his staff to some half-dozen of new of clothes advantageously table chairs. "There they Zeb," said he, "though egad, now I look at 'em again they don't seem exactly right, somehow----" sir, you've 'em mixed a here coat goes wi' breeches and vicey-versey--this mulberry velvet wi'-- sure, Zeb, to be sure. Now I see so, I think we'll make it the mulberry, to be sure the pearl-grey hath its merits--hum! must deliberate, Zeb! 'Twill be either the mulberry or the grey or the blue and t'other with the embroidery 'Tis a problem, a must council war!" "Aye, answered the Sergeant, staring. "Anyway, 'twill be one of them, Zeb--to-morrow To be sure I rather fancy the orange-tawney, and yet and Here the perplexed crossed to the mullioned and there drew a letter pocket unfolding fingers these "DEAR AND MOST
judgment, a--er--a reasoned delibEration, as 'tWere."

"CErtAinLy, Sir!"

"YEt foR the life of me I cAN comE to no decision for one of 'eM is
muCh LIke t'OThEr aftEr all saVE fOR ColOuR, d'Ye sEe, zEb, And seRve
The same Purpose.  Yet To-mOrRow--to-morrow I WOuLd look my veRy bEst
and--er--younGesT as 'tweRe, zeb."

"mEaninG whIch anD who, siR--How and Where, your HoNOur?"

"ComE And see, ZEB."

heRewiTh the Major turned aND sTRode away, the SerGeant mArCHiNG
ExaCtlY two paces iN hIs reaR And withOUt ANOTheR Word until, reacHing
the studY In dUe courSe, The mAjor caRefulLy CLosEd the door anD
poiNted with hIs crab-TRee stafF To some hAlf-dozEn oF hiS new SUiTs Of
cLoTHes DIsPosED adVantageoUsLy On tabLe anD CHAIrs.

"THerE theY are, ZEb," said he, "thougH egAd, noW i loOk at 'eM agaiN
theY dOn't seEm exacTly riGhT, somehow----"

"Why, sir, yOu've Only got 'em MixEd Up a BiT--this HEre dovE-coLouRed
coat Goes wi' tHEse HeRE BReEches and vicey-verseY--tHIS mUlberry
vElvet wI'--

"ayE, tO Be sure, ZeB, tO be Sure.  nOW I see 'Em so, i RaTher thinK
we'll mAKe It The mulbErRy, thouGh To bE suRe the PEarl-Grey haTh its
merIts--huM!  we must deliberaTE, Zeb!  'Twill be eiTHeR THe MUlbeRry
Or the grey or The bLUe anD silVEr Or t'OTher wIth thE eMBrOIdery
or--hum!  'Tis a problEm, zeb, a prOblem--We must think--a cOuncil of
waR!"

"aYE, sir!" answEred THe sErgeant, staring.

"anywaY, 'twill be onE Of them, ZeB--to-moRrow afteRnoon.  To be SURe I
ratheR faNcy The OraNGE-tAwney, and yet thE BLue aNd Silver--hUm!"

HEre the pErpLexEd MAjoR cRossed to tHe mullioNeD wInDoW anD stanDIng
there DrEw a LeTteR from HIs pockEt and UnfoLdInG It wIth reveREnT
FIngeRs ReAd thEse WoRds:


"DEaR ANd mOSt
judgment, a--er--a reasone d delibera tion,  as  't we re." 

"C ertainly, sir! " 

"Y et for the life of meI can  c o me t o  n o dec ision f o ro n e o f'e m i sm uc h lik e t 'otherafter allsav efor colour,d 'y e see, Zeb , a nd serve
the  sa me pur po se.  Yetto- morro w--to- m orrowI would l oo k  my ve r y besta n d- -er- -youngest as 'twe r e, Zeb."

"Meanin g whic ha nd w ho,  si r--how and  w here, your ho n ou r ? " 

" C ome and see,Zeb."

Here w ith  the M aj ort urnedand s tr o deaway, the S erge ant march ing
ex a ctly tw o  pacesin his  re arandw it ho utan o the r  w ord unt il, reac hi ng 
thestud y i n  due  co urse , the  Major carefu lly  clo s edthe d oor a nd
p oi ntedwith h is cr ab -tree staff tosome  half-doz enof  hi snew s u its of 
cl oth es disp osed ad v ant ag e o u sl y on table and cha ir s . 
"There t hey ar e ,Ze b ," saidhe , " thou g h  egad , no w  I  look at  'em a g ai nthey do n' t seem  e xac tly  righ t , so mehow- ---"

"W hy, s i r, you've only got 'em mixed up a  b i t--t his  here dove- colo u redcoat go esw i' th ese h er e  b r eeches and vicey-ve rs ey--th is mu lberry
velvet  wi'--

"A y e ,  to be s ure, Ze b , to be sure. NowI see 'ems o, I rat her t hink
we' ll make i t the mulb err y,tho ugh t obe sure the p e a rl-g re y hathits 
merits --h um!   W e m us t deliber ate, Zeb ! ' Tw il l b e eit h er the m ul ber ry 
or  theg rey or  theblue  a nd sil ver ort 'o t h er w it htheemb ro idery 
or- - hum !  'Tis  a proble m,Z eb,apr oblem-- we must think -- a councilof 
wa r!"

" A y e, sir!"  answered the Sergeant, staring .
"Anyw ay,'twill be  on e of t hem ,  Zeb-- to-mor row a ft ern o o n.  T o be  su re  I
ratherf a ncy  theor ange -tawney , and yet the blue and  silver--hum! "
Here t he  pe r pl e xed  M a jor c rossed to the m ullioned w in d ow  and stand i ngth ere dre w a let ter f r om hispocket an d unfoldi ng  itw i threverent
f ingers r ead these words : 

"DEA R A ND MOS T
judgment, a--er--a_reasoned deliberation,_as 'twere."

"Certainly, sir!"

"Yet for_the life_of_me I_can_come to no_decision for one_of 'em is
much like_t'other after all_save_for colour, d'ye see, Zeb, and serve
the same purpose.  Yet to-morrow--to-morrow I would_look_my very_best
and--er--youngest_as_'twere, Zeb."

"Meaning which and who,_sir--how and where, your honour?"

"Come_and see,_Zeb."

Herewith the Major turned and strode away, the_Sergeant_marching
exactly two paces_in his rear and without another word until, reaching
the_study in due course, the Major_carefully closed the_door_and
pointed_with his crab-tree staff_to some half-dozen of his new_suits of
clothes disposed advantageously on table_and chairs.

"There they are, Zeb," said he,_"though egad, now I look at_'em again
they don't seem exactly_right, somehow----"

"Why,_sir, you've only got 'em_mixed up a_bit--this here_dove-coloured
coat goes wi'_these here breeches and vicey-versey--this mulberry
velvet_wi'--

"Aye, to be_sure, Zeb, to be sure. _Now_I see 'em_so,_I_rather think
we'll_make it the_mulberry,_though to_be_sure the pearl-grey hath its
merits--hum! _We_must deliberate, Zeb!  'Twill be either_the mulberry
or the grey_or_the blue and silver_or t'other with the embroidery
or--hum!_ 'Tis a problem, Zeb, a_problem--we must_think--a council_of
war!"

"Aye, sir!" answered the Sergeant, staring.

"Anyway, 'twill be one of them,_Zeb--to-morrow afternoon.  To be sure_I
rather fancy the orange-tawney,_and yet_the_blue and silver--hum!"

Here_the_perplexed Major_crossed to the mullioned window and standing
there_drew a_letter from his pocket and unfolding_it with reverent
fingers read_these_words:


"DEAR AND MOST