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heads,— some dying, all suffering keenly, while waiting their turn to beattended to. To he there empty-handed and impotent nearly broke ourhearts. We passed from one to the other, making such slight additions totheir comfort as were possible, while looking in every upturned face in dreadto find the object of our search. This sorrow, I may add, was spared, theyouth arriving at home later with a slight flesh-wound. The condition ofthings at this and other improvised hospitals was improved next day by theofferings from many churches of pew-cushions, which, sewn together, servedas comfortable beds; and for the remainder of the war their owners thankedGod upon bare benches for every “ misery missed ” that was “ mercy gained.”To supply food for the hospitals the contents of larders all over town wereemptied into baskets; while cellars long sealed and cobwebbed, belonging tothe old Virginia gentry who knew good Port and Madeira, were opened bythe Ithuriel’s spear of universal sympathy. There was not much going to bedthat night, either; and I remember spending the greater part of it leaningfrom my window to seek the cool night air, while wondering as to the fateof those near to me. There was a summons to my mother about midnight.Two soldiers came to tell her of the wounding of one close of kin; but shewas already on duty elsewhere, tireless and watchful as ever. Up to thattime the younger girls had been regarded as superfluities in hospital service;but on Monday two of us found a couple of rooms where fifteen wounded menlay upon pallets around the floor, and, on offering our services to the surgeonsin charge, were proud to have them accepted and to be installed as responsiblenurses, under direction of an older and more experienced woman. The con-stant activity our work entailed was a relief from the strained excitement oflife after the battle of Seven Pines. When the first flurry of distress was