This agreement was made with the first that asked for
an exchange. Several others came, and, when informed
of the previous agreement, of course went their way.
A day or two after this a number of cadets were
discussing the choice of horses, etc., and reverted to
the exchange which I had made. One of them suggested
that if an exchange of a choice higher than fourteen
were suggested to me, I might accept it.
What an idea, he must have had of my character to
suppose me base enough to disregard an agreement I
had already made!
However, all in the crowd were not as base as he was,
and one of them was man enough to say:
"Oh no! that would be imposing upon Mr. Flipper's
good nature." He went on to show how ungentlemanly
and unbecoming in a "cadet and gentleman" such an
act would be. The idea was abandoned, or at least
was never broached to me, and if it had been I would
never have entertained it. Such an act on the part
of the cadet could have arisen only from a high sense
of manly honor or from a feeling of kindness.
There are multitudes of little acts of kindness
similar to these, and even different ones. I need
not--indeed as I do not remember them all I cannot
--mention them all. They all show, however, that
the cadets are not avowedly inclined to ill-treat
me, but rather to assist me to make my life under
the circumstances as pleasant as can be. And there
may be outside influences, such as relatives or
friends, which bias their own better judgments and
keep them from fully and openly recognizing me.
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