Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-12-23
Hospital Days"

our dsLCALlOIl. @t GOnItSS IIAaL W Z dRAi
not "see it" at birds's eve view
Smiling politely, sighing inwardly. we
turned the fair, thick leaves, and at
the opening sentence reflected
The words wege simple enough.
"On q blue and gold dav in the edge
Of November. but the stuff that
good writing was made of was in them,
and the promise wrapped in their
pretty fancy far more than fulfilled
itself
This book has already attracted too
much attention not TO attract little
more.
The superintendent" lady whose
name, did she allow its publication,
would insure her "little story" readers
wherever the fame of the American
hospital system has gone-went down
brave, and determined, and young
(and pretty, We suspect,) TO take, in
answer to earnest summons the entire
possibility subject only TO the
surgeon IN charge-of a large and i'm
portant hospital not a continents
width from Washington.
LEd Z. Il NJ4lfi AAC IL iiClC SilC " VI n
ed till she worked the war out, and
this Is the record of her labors.
Then, dear lambs" said old Mrs.
B.. when she with her friends first
took possession. "Wha I was afraid
of was Capsl" "
Serve on sentimentality, CHEEKY in
her work, quick to see the funny side
of gloomy things, the perintendent
yet knows how TO make Us feel the
unspeakable pathos ofalmost unspeak
able scenes. But it Is impertinence to
comment on such a book when it can
speak for itself.
Listen to this : Captain-came
to Us direct from his imp mprisonment.-
He was young officer of refined edu-
cation and habits, and had suffered
many things" Of the enemy. Such lit
tie preparations as we could command
was made to do him honor y bath,
fresh linen. a delicate handkerchief,
cologne and toilet apparatus We're set
out in his little room. y modest
nosegay was folded in his napkin at
dinner. At table he scarcely ate or
spoke. He could not handle knife or
fork. He see ned ben m bed-body
and soul. He clumsily singled out a
flower to put in his coat. Some one
offered him pin to fasten it. He tried
In vain to pick it up, and stretching
out his poor shruuken hand and stiff
fened fingers, pleaded Excuse me it
is so very small
After awhile he looked about cloud
ily, and said you are like angels.
These-are the courts Of heaven
And this: (from a loyal Tennessee
an who made his way TO the army)
The first night we spent in the
woods l laid the fire before l went.
T laid her a good fire. At daylight we
got to the top Of the mountain.
| saw my little house. The smoke
was coming out of the chimney. |
sat down on a fat rock and looked
down into the valley. | wanted to
see if the FIRE burned. 0, well, with
long sighl it was my home; l sup
pose it was as sacred to me as another
mans home to him. I turned my
back on It. me and the others.
! made this ring IN Macon Jail. You
see we had almost nothing to work
with; and when we made anything we
put on it. Union, or Forever. or two
clasped hands, to mean tIue tiJ DEATH
or something like that. l wish you'd
take the ring"
Let those who have one Of these
rings with two clasped hands to mean
true till death keep 1t as sacred rel
ic. 1t is the PRISON sign. The fash
ion seem 20 travel under the ground
Everywhere the prison sign prevailed.
l have had it from Texas, Columbia,
Belle Isle, Andersonville 1t is char
acteristic as the palm branch of the
catacombs.
s, a noble man full of courage and
patience. had the carotid artery tied
after a gun-shot wound Of the Jaw and
throat. When asked. if there Is any
thing he wants, he writes on the slate,
Only to get well and go at EN-
again. "
After H's death and burial his
mother came to see him She was a
gentle, sweet faced old lady, with soft.
pale cheeks and lovely gray hair. @.
took her out TO the graveyard. neat
and quiet, where he lay. VIII you
plant something on his grave 2" she
asked, %, yes. said G. What wo'd
YOU like?' I would Ike a white rose,
dear c. promised Would you kiss
me, dear ? she said and @, put her
arms around her neck. and kissed her
soft. old cheek with tears"
Private friends sent US many good
things. Why send the
very oil pcrtT I heard some one re-
monstrate with her,-W., Of New
York-W Would'nt the next best doT
No was the answer; it's the best
that a man has that belongs TO God
and the armE-'
Write more" Tell me every
thing" What did he say Of me 2'
He must have some word about the
children" If l could only know his
thoughts as he W mt away from earth
There are many stories that the
sick are not well cared for IN many
! places. | am snre that had anyone