Mercy, who were
bound upon a similar errand of kindness and peril to her own.

At first, upon learning whither she was going, and what her object
was, these pious ladies were thoroughly astonished; but when they
found by interrogation that she was really in earnest, their friendly
admiration became equal to their previous astonishment.

"Your services will be most welcome, Miss Arnold, I assure you," said
the eldest of the Sisters. "This is the third time I have been
summoned to nurse in yellow fever, and I know that there are never
one-half the number of nurses necessary."

A little short of the stricken city they were all stopped, and it
required the positive statement of the Sisters of Mercy that their
youthful, lovely companion was really going into the place for the
purpose of nursing the sick.

"Miss," asked an elderly gentleman, "were you ever acclimated here?
Because if you were not, we cannot let you pass, for you would only
get the fever yourself, and become a care instead of a help to us. Not
only that, but you would surely be a corpse inside of twenty-four
hours."

Agnes explained to the firm but kind gentleman, her New Orleans
experience, and he relaxed and said:

"In that case, Miss Arnold, I sincerely welcome you, and in the name
of the sick and dying people here, pray God that you may be spared to
help them. Pass through, and heaven bless your brave and noble heart!"

Reader, if you are a man, possibly you have been in the army, and then
possibly you have been in a column, to which has been assigned the
task of storming a well-served battery of pieces. If so, you may
remember the feelings that were within your heart as you left the last
friendly cover of woods, and double-quicked across the open space up
hill, and saw the artillery-men waiting till you got close up before
pulling the primer lanyards, so as to make sure work of you all.

To Agnes Arnold going into Shreveport, the emotions must have been
very much like yours in front of that battery. Yet there was no
fluttering of her pulse.

"Where shall I go first?" asked this splendid heroine of the gentleman
in charge of the district in which she chanced to find herself.

"Not far; right across the street there into that grocery store at the
corner. We haven't been able to send any one there. Just been able to
look in now and then and give them all their doses. Please give me
your name, and don't leave there till I come, and I'll look after