Year: 1863

Il am sorry, my dear madam, to deny
your request; but our orders cannot be
departed from" was the answer of the
gray-haired officer who sat before the
camp,table and addressed young girl
who stood just within the tent.


"And can it be possible that men who
profess to have sympathy, can issue such
orders?''


Certainly, young lady. Why not?
The soldier has every attendance, and the
presence of an ametcur nurse could not
fail to irritate him, thereby retarding his
recovery"


"Colonel, this is no. argument, but
sonbistrv | have asked permission to
PASS that may seek one whom your own
surgeons report as m0rtally wounde11..
DO YOU intend that he shat, die without a
friend by his side who can carry his last
message 10 his far-off home, and to the
old mother who will prize it beyond all
other words that will be spoken to her in
this life?,'


The old man leaned his head upon his
hand to conceal the tears that were trick
ling down his cheek, but in a moment he

reused himself


"The case is very hard" he said slow
lily; but the good soldier wants only his
comrades about him when life is going
out Some one among them will bear
his dying message. You must not urge me
young lady; am soldier and caunot
depart from my orders | have no dis
cretion."


The girl turned away with white face
and clenchcd bands and walked silently
out from the camp. Many cap was
touched respectfully to her as she passed,
for her elrand was known to the soldiers,
and however much they have acknowl-
iedged the necessity of the harsh order
that shut her away from the wounded
man whom she sought, there was many
a one among them that would have lack
ed the frmuess of the old colonel, when
he denied the passionately worded plea
of the bue-cyed girl who had just gone
away.


The smoke eff the terrible struggle at


Murfrcesboro had not yet cleared away,
and though week had passed away since
the day of the battle, order had not yet


been brought from the terrible chaos
The dead were buried, but the living were
scarcely yet the recipient of the care nee
essary to keep those who were struggling
between death and life on the right side.
The hospitals we're crowded, and the sur
geon's knife, that testing steel to the


bravery of the soldier, was busy in eve
, ry ward.


As invariably occurs Immediately af-


ter battle, crowds of civilians. bent on
every imaginable errand, Aocked to the
: camp. Relatives seeking the dead and the
! living; news-mongers, and paper cores
: pondents, anxious to pick up anything


of incident to feed the hungry appetite Of
the public; peddlers and camp-fol.
! lowers; thieves. and gamblers, all in one
Heterogeneous mass, sought entrance with.
! in the federal lines 1t was this influx


that brought the or'lcr under which Ell
J. eanor Price had been denied the privil
( Iege of seeking in the hospitals Lieut.


Frank Gordon, her playmate in childhood


her upAinching champion in school
/, days, and affianced husband in man
n \ hood.
! IN the long roughly constructed shed


improvised for a hospital. with dying mel
/, on every side, with horror aud disorder
= SO that it could not be shut away from
the sight, lay the figure of man, yount
g and with well cut features, but guant ant
haggard Above the husk mattress upoI


which he was stretched, hung the Goa
; that had Just been removed from his body
J. and upon the shoulder the well worn AM
Q weather-beaten straps that showed lis own
q er of the rank of first Lieutenant IL
: had been divested Of no clothing excep
Q the coat, and the gray shirt was open up
= on the breast revealing the fact that hi
5 wounds. whatever their nature. wer
there. No blanket covered his limbs, ant


Al ....L AZ, oIoa.d l;po and dimfup