Year: 1862




Disease in league with bullet, cannon ball
aud bursting shell, began 10 crowed the hos
piials Of st. Lonis with sick and wounded
men, thus bringing into the very heart of
city, peaceful aud prosperous few months
before, the ghsstly fruit Of treason. Among
the earliest TO enroll herself in the common
sisterhood OF charity was Mrs. c.. AL
most on the very day that the first wound
ell men arrived, she presented herself at one
of the hospitals, and claimed woman's pri
/ viege OF miuistering 10 pain. Her care was
less fer the sick than for the wounded, and
less for strong men than for youlh--tender
boys, who had felt the kindling fires of pat
riotism, aud gone forth in arms to meet the
foes Of freedom and law. Towards these
she displayed all the interest and compass
sionate care Of mother, minsiering 10 the
mind and heart as well as to the suffering
body. 1t was remarkable how completely
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
Itwenty-two. One of them had lost an arm





fragment Of a shell and the other had re-
ceived three bullets in his body. They were
laid on three beds, standing side by side,
and the first woman's face that locked down
in pity upon their palr suffering faces was
that OF Mrs. c.. The first sound, so fu
of home and love-so soft and sweet 10 heir
n ears, and like the voice of mother, was the
4 voice OF Mrs. c.. Do we wonder that
as their eyes looked up TO hers, they grew
blinded by tearss


Mrs c. did not leave them when the
surgeon came. The sight of his instru-
ments pressed the blood back upon her
heart, and she grew faint; but the eyes off
tair-lIaired STRIPPING, whose hurt gaze turned
from the knife and probe, and reached up
wards towards her, Ike clinging hands, held
her to the post of duty, and compassion gave
new life to her heart, so that all it's pulses
were strong again. The surgeons best as
sislant. through all the painful work that had
in mercy been done upon the bodies of these
young men, was Mrs. G---; and their
best strength came from her tender eyes
and material voice. She was an angel to
them, and thankful love filed their hearts
aud shone from their faces in the calm, and
ease, aud rest thai followed the torture and
not only filled their hearts and shone from
their faces, but awakened by lis ardor the
puresi aud troest Of all love Ia her heart
mothers love.


She did leave them through the feverish
night that followed, and only returned to her
home III the gray morning, tliat broke upon
her selt-lmposed vigils. Nature demanded
rest. Mrs. C was more exhausted
than she had yet been. II was not so much
: tie night watch that left her weak aud with
ljarred nerves feeling had been awakened
into Too strong life, and burned with too
consuming an intensity. Ii was lale IN The
afternoon when Mrs. c. returned to the
hospital. Her wish was to the three young
men with whom she had passed the night.
They received her with grateful eyes and
welcoming smiles. Something about them
touched her more deeply than she had been
touched by anything which she lad seen
during her walks OF mercy amid sick and
wounded and dying men. Sitting down,
she talked FIRST with one and then with an
other, about themselves and their ht mes
One had mother in tar away New Eng
land, and his lashes lay wet on his checks
! as he spoke OF her.


She loved her country, and has given
three sons for its Defense he said and in
pride of such mother his heart beat quick
er, and sent the flushing blood to his pale
face. i will not tell her how badly | am
hurt he continued, she shall only know OF
that when am well again. But she shall
: know of your Kindness, dear lady. My
first letter will tell her of that


Happy mother, to have brave and loyal
sons in a time like this answered Mrs. G
49, her voice losing its firm tones, and
sinking to sad expression.


Have you no son 10 give to your eoun-
Try 2 asked the fair-haird stripping, whose
head had rested few hours before against
her bosom, while the knife and probe was
making him sick with agony.


i will call you my son. was replied after
brief silence. Mrs. G-'s voice was
in lower key, but calm and steady. She
seemed to have encountered strong wave
of feeling, that made all the timbers in her
vessel OF life shudder; but the stroke had
proved harmless, and she was herself again.
And you are my sons also,' she added, al
most proudly, as she looked upon tie otil-
ers. Worthy sons. will give you moth
er's care 7


There entered at this moment two men,
carrying a litter, on winch a man was ly-
ing. A surgeon and nurse were in aten-
dance. The large room was full of beds,
and on one of these the man, who moaned
in low, 2aintive voice, was plaeed. Mrs.
C. dld not stir from where she sat by
the young soldier. Scenes like this were
of almost daily occurrence, and did not dis
turb the order OF duties OF the institution.


"A wounded REBEL said the nurse, who
had come in with the litter. She had
crossed the room back again. She did not
know what thrill OF pain her Lrief SEN
ience had awakened.


A wounded rebel The very bullet that
shattered the bone and rent tie sensitive
flesh of the loyal youth over whose couch
she sat might have been sent ON its mission
by his hands Yet was be nov brought
In, carefully TO be ministered to in suffering
! and saved perhaps from Death. This was
the very thought thai flashed through the
mind OF Mrs. C, as the thrlil OF pain
winch the announcement occasioned went
trembling away into stiffness.


The moans Of the wounded man soon
died awav He had first been taken tn the