The Crisis, Volume 6

tairs, "I am going back to Bellegarde today. I really cannot p

an. At what time shall

held in check. Only a moment since Mrs. Colfax had beheld her niece. Now there had arisen in front of her a tall person of authority, before whom she deferred instinctively. I

t?" she gasped.

I suppose we should be thankful. More than seven hundred of the wounded are on their way here. They are bringing them

Clare

e is not

ed Mrs. Colfax. "Are

t what time shall I order the ca

of her niece's gown. "Oh, let me stay," she cr

ed down at he

here. I only beg of you one thing, that when you have anything to complain of, y

gain, "how can you be so cruel at such a

d herself. At evening she went to the station at Fourteenth Street with her father, and stood amongst the people, pressed back by the soldiers, until the trains came in. Alas, the heavy basket which the Colonel carried on his arm was

ith white wash and paint. The miserable men lay on the hard floor, still in the matted clothes they had worn in battle. Those were the first days of th

a busy over a gaunt Arkansan of Price's army, whose pitiful, fever-glazed eyes were following her every motion. His frontiersman's clothes, stained with blackened blood, hung limp over his wasted body. At Virginia's bidding the Colonel ran downstairs for a bucket of fre

nsulting with the surgeons; helping the few who knew how to work in placing mattresses under the worst cases; or again he might have been seen sea

peace was come upon his sunken face. Dismayed at the fearful sights about her, awed by the groans that rose on

le in this heated, horrible place would drive her mad. She was almos

tched and torn. A small Testament was clasped convulsively in the fingers of his right band. The left sleeve was empty. Virginia lingered, whelmed in pity, thrilled by a wonderful womanliness of he

ave a

, ma

a c

r came so

rn the week-befo

ently that Virginia could scarce hear, "and tell

little town in Minnesota. Then

wet in her own. Her worship was not given to many. Nobility, character, efficiency,-all were written on that face. Nobility spoke in the larg

n's life be saved if I

pulse. The eyes closed. For a while the doctor knel

smile as a good man gives after eighteen hours of amputating, of bandaging, of ad

we must first make him worth the taking. Another hour would have been too late." He gla

ouched Virginia's ar

dear," he said, "your a

ut me, Pa?" she asked. "Pe

surgeon, who knew the Carvel family, gave Virginia a look of astonishment. I

my dear," sh

ven he was surprised at the fortitude and skill Virginia showed from the very first, when she had deftly cut away the stiffened blue cloth, and helped to take off the rough

, but now the ordeal was come. She went down the stairs on her father's arm, and out into t

for this act. You have taught many of us to-da

aret Brice was the mother of him whose life had been so strangely blended with hers -whom she saw in her dreams. And yet now some of Stephen's traits seemed to come to her understanding, as by a rev

back into the room of torment, and watch by the sergeant's pallet. Virginia's eyes followed her up the st

ld be possible to get them to let us

if you like," said the Colonel

a who put the

for you. I'll see General Fremont this very afternoon. Virginia," he added, sobe

ssed he

did not see the smile on the face of the commanding general when Mr. Brinsmade at length got to him with her request. This was before the days when the wounded arrived by the thousands

with dignity, "is a gentleman. When

smade, unless I knew you, I should think that you were h

and all the ex-mayors mopped their brows in one of the general's anterooms of the big mansion, and wrangled with beardless youths in bright uniforms who were part of the chain. The General might have been a Richelieu, a Marlborough. His European notions of uniformed inaccessibility he carried out to the letter. He was a royal personage, seldom seen, who went abroad in the midst

les and worthless army blankets. Such things always have been, and always will be unavoidable when this great country of ours rises from the deep sleep of security into which her sons have lulled he

gave up all to relieve the suffering which the war was causing. Would that a novel-a great novel-might be written setting forth with truth its doings

st returned from drill at Verandah hall, met her at the door. She would not listen to his entreaties to rest,

e we were trying to save the life of a poor sergeant who had lost his ar

ned, mother

hind me, looking at me. Then Dr. Allerdyce came, and I asked him about the man, and he said there was a chance of saving him if we could only get help. Then some one spoke up,-such a sweet voice. It was that M

said

ter the operation was over, I followed her downstairs to where she was standing with her father in front of the building, waiting for their carriage. I felt that I must say something to her, for in all my life I have never seen a nobler thing done. When I saw her there, I scarcely knew what to say. Words seemed so inadequate. It was then three o'clock, and she had been working steadily in that place since morning. I am sure she could not have borne it much longer. Sheer courage carried her through i

, mother,"

f Herr Korner and Herr Hauptmann amid a group of their countrymen. Little Korner came forward to clasp his hands. The tears ran on his cheeks, and he could not speak for emotion. Judge Whipple, grim and silent, stood

ody Hill where brave Lyon fell, he had gladly given up his l

he still air was yet quivering with the notes of the bugle-call which is the soldiers requiem, a tall figure, gaunt and bent, stepped out from behind t

f them might be pictured as he trudged with Father Jahn from door to door through the Rhine country, or shouldering at sixteen a heavy musket in the Landwehr's ranks to drive the tyrant Napoleon from the beloved Fatherland Later, aged before his time, his wife dead of misery, decrepit and prison-worn in the service of a thankless country, his hopes lived again in Carl, the