The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-29
These Are My Sons.

ment hospitals in St Louis, lady whose ten,
der care of the sick and wounded soldiers at.
tracted observation. She was known as the
wife of a citizen, and as an educated woman,
who moved in refined society. Before the
war commenced, she was among the most
cheerful and companionable in a large circle
of friends. All the elements of life were in
harmony. But, very soon after the mad as
sault OF corrupt men upon their government.
Mrs G-'s whole demeanor changed
Friends wondered, and asked for the cause.
But she was silent. She went no more into
society, but held herself away from public OBJ
misunderstanding herself up, for most of
the time, in her own house.
Conjecture was of course busy, and many
theories to cover the case were advanced and
admtted-some near the truth, perhaps, but
nearly all remote therefrom. The change in
her manner and state Of mind was complete /;
the warm, bright sunshine had passed and
she was under the shadow of heavy clouds.
All this was the more remarkable, in view Of
the fact that Mrs C. was known as a wo-
man of cheerful, reactive disposition of clear,
common-sense thought, and of large self-con-
trolling power. Whatever trouble might
come, her friends had faith in her ability to
meet it with the calmness and dignity of a
superior mind. Was i, possible tha. a pub
lie calamity had been felt in her individual
! life SO keenly9
Whatever the cause, Mrs C did not
rise above it. She was present no more in
the circles to which she had always lent
charm. Occasionally an old acquaintance
would see her on the street, but with man
ner so changed and subdued that she was
scarcely recognized. The Sabbath always
found her in church, sitting with bowed head
an absorbed ard fervent worshipper; and as
she moved down the aisle, after service had
closed, and out from the portico amid the
crowd, instructive delicacy in the minds of
large number of old friends let her pass with
out intrusion.
Thus it was with Mrs C., when disease.
in league with bullet, cannon-bal, and burst
ing shell, began to crowd the hospitals of St
Louis with sick and wounded men, thus bring
ing into the very heart of city, peaceful and
prosperous few months before, the ghas;lv
fruit OF treason. Among the first TO enrol
herself in the Common sisterhood of charity
was Mrs C.. Almost on the very day
that the first wounded man arrived, she pre-
sented herself at one of the hospitals, and
claimed woman's privilege of minstering
to pain. Her care was less for the sick than
for the wounded, and less for strong men than
ior youth-tender boys, VINO mad felt the kin
ding fires OF patriotism, ane gone forth in
arms to meet the foes of freedom and law
Towards these she displayed all the interest
and compassionate care of a mother, minis
terlng to the mind ard heart as well as to the
suffering body. 1t was remarkable how COM
pletely her life came down into this work and
how soon duty was absorbed by love.
Among those who were brought in from
one of the many battle fields of Missouri,
were three young men, the oldest not over
twenty-five. One of them had lost an arm ::
one had his right knee shattered by the irag-
ments of she'll; and the other had received
three bullets III his body. They were laid Oh
three beds, standing side by side, and the
first womar's face that looked down in pity
upon the pale, suffering faces, was that Of
Mrs G.. The first sound so full of home
and love-so soft and sweet to their ears land
like the voice OF a mother, was the voice of
Mrs e.. DO we wonder that they grew
blind by tears?
Mrs C did not leave them when the
! surgeon came. The sight of his instruments
pressed the blood back upon her heart, and
she grew faint; but the eyes of the fair-hair-
ed stripping, whose hurt gaze turned from the
knife and probe, and reached upwards to-
wards her like clinging hands, held her to the
post of duty, and compassion gave new life
to her heart,so that all his pulses were strong
agaiu. Tie surgeons best assistant, through
all the painful wolk that had in mercy to be
done upon the bodies of these Young men,
was Mrs C.; and their best strength
came from her tender and maternal voice.
She was an angel to them, and thankful love
filed their hearts and shone from their faces
in the calm, and ease, and rest that followed
the torture; and not only filled their hearts
and shone from their faces, but awakened by
its ardor the purest and truest of all loves in
her heart-a mothers love.
She did not leave them through the fever
ish night that followed and only returned to
her home in the gray morning, that broke up,
on her self-imposed vigils. Nature demand.
ed rest. Mrs C. was more exhausted
than she had before been. 1t was not Sc
much the night watch that left her weak and
with Jared nerves; feeling had been ava
kened into strong life, ard burned with toe
consuming an intensity. 1t was late in the
afternoon when Mrs C. returned to the
hospital Her first visit was to the thrc:
young men with whom she had passed tht
night. They received her with grateful eye'
and welcoming smiles. Something atou
, them touched her more deeply than she hao
heen tanched hu anrthinn rhinh che haf