A diary by a Mr. Jones, said to have been
a clerk in the War Department at Richmond during the civil war, has been pub- lished at Philadelphia, and seems to be thought genuine in New York. Jones appears to have been inconsequent in his entries, but on the whole the diary dwells with affecting earnestness on biz deficiency in shirts and food. A new shirt, he said, on Novem- ber 6th, 1864, would cost 30 dols. (Cl. sterling), cotton being -5 dols. (1/.) the yard. On the 21st February, 1864, he confides to his diary,—" I know my ribs stick out, being covered by skin only for the want of sufficient food." On March 18th,—" My daughter's cat is staggering to-day for the want of animal food. -Sometimea I fancy I stagger myself." But the eat lived four months after this. On July 31st it is written, "My daughter's large pet cat died last night under the cherry tree, and was buried this morn- ing under a rosebush. I sympathize with Fanni [sic] in the grief natural on such an occasion, but really the death of the eat in such times as these is a great relief to me, as he was maintained at the cost of not less than 200 dols. [401.] per annum." The cat died of a surfeit, after all A piece of meat seen to fall in the street was appropriated by a too affectionate mistress to the wasting eat, and was too much for it. Another cat unintention- ally brought the family a fowl, which it had plundered from some neighbouring kitchen, and began to consume it on the premises. The chicken, in spite of the cat's having had the first turn, was cheerfully assimilated by the grateful Joneses.
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