thodist Church, I invited her to accompany me; she did so; and if
success and amelioration of suffering attended the effort, it was in no
small degree owing to her indefatigable labors. Within an hour from the
time one hundred and twenty had been placed in the building, she had
seen that good beef soup and coffee was administered to each, and during
the period I was there, no delicacy or nutriment attainable was wanting
to the men.

"Were any dying, she sat by to soothe their last moments, to receive the
dying message to friends at home, and when it was over to convey by
letter the sad intelligence. Let me rise ever so early, she had already
preceded me at work, and during the many long hours of the day, she
never seemed to weary or flag; in the evening, when all in her own
hospital had been fully cared for, she would go about the town with
delicacies to administer to officers who were so situated they could not
procure them. At night she sought a garret (and it was literally one)
for her rest.

"One can but feebly portray the ministrations of such a person. She
belonged to no association--had no compensation. She commanded respect,
for she was lady-like and well educated; so quiet and undemonstrative,
that her presence was hardly noticed, except by the smiling faces of the
wounded as she passed. While she supervised the cooking of the meats and
soups and coffee, all nice things were made and distributed by herself.
How the men watched for the dessert of farina and condensed milk, and
those more severely wounded for the draughts of milk punch!

"Often would she make visits to the offices of the Sanitary and
Christian Commissions, and when delicacies arrived, her men were among
the first to taste them. Oranges, lemons, pickles, soft bread and
butter, and even apple-sauce, were one or the other daily distributed.
Such unwearied attention is the more appreciated, when one remembers the
number of females who subsequently arrived, and the desultory and fitful
labor performed. Passing from one hospital to another, and bestowing
general sympathy, with small works, is not what wounded men want. It was
very soon perceptible how the men in that hospital appreciated the solid
worth of the one and the tinsel of the other.

"This imperfect recognition is but a slight testimonial to the lady-like
deportment and the untiring labors in behalf of sick and wounded
soldiers of Miss Hancock."

[Illustration: MRS. MARY MORRIS HUS