Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-08-15

in the Chicago Commission rooms:
A DAY AT THE ROOMS OF THE SANITARY
COMMISSION.
It is early morning-not nine O'clock
for the children are hocking in happy
droves to school, making the sweet sum-
mer air resonant with their joyous treble
and musical laugh, as with clustering
golden heads and interlacing white arms,
they recount their varied experiences
since the parting of the night before, and
rapturously expatiate on the delights Of
coming excursion, or promised picnic
With good-by kiss, we launch our own
little folks, bonneted and saequed, and
ballssted with books like the rest into the
stream of childhood that is setting in,
strong and full, towards the sobool-rOon
and then catch the street car, that leaves
us at the rooms Of the " Sanitary Commits
sion"
But early as is our arrival, drsy is al
ready ahead Of us, unloading its big box
es, and little boxes, barrels and hrkins,
baskets and bundles at the door of the
Commission. The sidewalk is barricaded
with the multiform packages, which
John, the porter, with his inseparsble
truck, is endeavoring to stow away in the
Receiving Room" Here hammers,
hatchets, wedges and chisels are in requi-
sition, compelling the crsmmed boxes to
disgorge their heterogeneous contents,
which are rapidly assorted, stamped, re-
packed, re-boxed, and re-shipped, their
stay in the room rarely exceeding 3 few
hours.
We enter the office. Ladies are in wait
ing who desire information. The Aid So
ciety in another town, Of which they are
officers, has raised at a 4th Of July Festi-
val some six hundred dollars, and they
wish to know how it shall be disposed Of,
so as to afford the greatest amount Of re-
lief to the sick and wounded Of our army.
They are also instructed to investigate the
means and method Of the Commission, so
as to carry conviction to 8 few obstinate
skepties, who persist in doubling II the
Sanitary Commission, after all, be the best
means of communication with the hospi-
tails. Patiently and courteously, the his
tory, method, means, aims and success Of
the Commission are lucidly explained for
the hundredth time in month, and all
needed advice and instruction impaired
and the enlightened women leave.
An express messenger enters. He brings
q package Of money, obtains his fee, gets
receipted for the package and without a
word departs. Next comes budget Of
letters-the mornings mail. One an
nounces the shipment Of boxes Of hospital
stores, which will arrive to-day-another
scolds roundly because q letter sent one
week ago has not been ansWered-Which
HAS been answered, as the copying book
indisputably attests, but has been misoar-
ried-s third has q bugaboo, mythical sto-
ry to relate Of surgeons and nurses in
distant hospital, with large development
Of slimentiveness who care little for their
patients, being mainly occupied in ftseek-
ing what they can devour Of the hospi-
tai delicacies-s fourth pleads earnestly
and eloquently that the writer may be sent
as a nurse to the sad, cheerless, fsr-awsy
fifth is the agoniEed letter Of
8 mother and widow, blistered with tears,
begging piteOusly that the Commission
will search out and send 10 her, tidings Of
her only son, fr af 's7@
81 Scarce more than boy with unshaven face,
Who marched away with a star on his breast
and has not been heard from since the bat
tie Of Grand Gulf-s sixth seeks informs
tion concerning the organization of an Aid
Society in q remote town, which has just
sHsked to its duty-a seventh is letter
from nine-y old little girls, who have
earned FIVE dollars, and wish it spent for
the "poor, sick soldiers God bless the
dear children Ian eighth begs that one of
the ladies Of the Commission will visit the
society in her town, and re-kindle the
tagging zeal Of the tired workers, who for
get that our brave men stop not in their
marches, and postpone not their battles
and their victories, because Of the heat or
of one Of our heroic nurses, who was sent
by the Commission a few months aeo to
Tennessee, blue-eyed, broad -browed,
serious-faced, comely girl, with heart loyal
as steel, and soul on fire with patriotic
yearning to do something for her country,
and who has now given her life--and SO
On through a package Of twenty, thirty,
and sometimes forty letters. Nov com
nences the task Of replying to these null
-itudinous epistles-s work which is in
errupted every five minutes by some new
,omer.
A venerable, white-haired man enters.
he has been here before, and we imme- |
lately recognize him. "HaTe you heard |
rom my son, in Van Buren Hospital, at
diliken's Bend 2" "Not yet, sir; you |
Inow it is only nine days since wrote to |
inquire Tor HIM. will telegraph, if Won
re not able to wait for a letter" GNo
natter and the old mans lip quivers,
us figure trembles visibly, his eyes fill
Vith tears, he chOkes, and can say no
1ore. We understand it all-our heart
YARNS towards him, for our father thou
and miles away, is like him, white-haired
nd feeble-We rise, and offer our hand.
he old mans hand closes convulsiTely
pom it, he leans his head against the iron
illar near our desk, and his tears drip
on the hand be holds. !
" He has only gone little before you
-e venture to say; nit is but short dis
Ince from you to him now"
ayes" adds the hesrt-broken father.
and he gave his life for good cause, a
Euse worthy Of il, ifhe had been thou
md times dearer to me than he was"
And your boys mother-hoW does she
Ear this grief
He shakes his head, and again the tears
riP-drip-drip-on the hand he has still
.tained.
"shell see him before I do; this will
III herp
What shall assusgs the sorrow Of these
ged parents, bereft Of the son Of their old
&c by the cruel war which slavery has in
'ked Z Sympathy, tears, comfort are prof
red the sching heart and after little,
e sorrowing father turns again to his ]
isolate home
A childish figure drags itself into the I
om, shufhes heavily along, sinks into
lair, and offers letter. What ails the
tile fellow, whose face is so bright and '
'autiful, and yet so tinged with sadness?
e open the letter and read. He is a mes
ge-boy from Admiral Porter's gunboat,
hn is sent hnma with The Adrniro Iln nit | :