labors,
until the final closing of the Hospital in June, 1865.

Here also ended her army services, with the occasion for them. She had
rendered them joyfully, and she resigned them with regret and sadness at
parting with those who had so long been her charge, and whom she would
probably see no more forever. But in all joy or sadness, in all her
life, she will not cease to remember with delight and gratitude how she
was enabled to minister to the suffering, and thus perform a woman's
part in the great struggle which redeemed our country from slavery, and
made us truly a free people.

Few have done better service, for few have been so peculiarly adapted to
their work. In all she gratefully acknowledges the aid and sustaining
sympathy of her friends in New Milford, Pa., and elsewhere, to which she
was so greatly indebted for the ability to minister with comforts to the
sufferers under her charge.

As these lines are written some letters from a soldier who was long
under her kind care in Washington, lie upon the writer's table with
their appreciative mention of this excellent woman; which coming from
one who knew and experienced her goodness, may well be regarded as the
highest testimony of it. Here is one brief extract therefrom.

"As for Miss Mitchell herself--she has a cheerful courage, faith and
patience which take hold of the duties of this place with a will that
grasps the few amenities and pleasures found here, and works them all up
into sunshine; and looks over and beyond the fatiguing work, and
unavoidable brutalities of the present. Do we not call this happiness?
Happiness is not to be pitied--nor is she!"

In another place he speaks of her unswerving, calm devotion--her entire
self-abnegation, as beyond all he has seen of the like traits elsewhere.
And still there were many devoted women--perhaps many Ellen Mitchells!
Again he compares the hospital work of Miss Mitchell and her
fellow-laborers with that of the sisters of charity, in whose care he
had previously been--the one human, alert, sympathizing--not loving sin,
nor sinful men, but laboring for them, sacrificing for them, pardoning
them as Christ does--the other working with machine-like accuracy, but
with as little apparent emotion, showing none in fact beyond a prudish
shrinking from these sufferers from the outer world, of which they know
nothing but have only heard of its wickedness. The contrast is powerful,
and shows Miss Mitchell and her friend