which I was born, been in the ascendant during that month,
and cast its malign influences even into my "'umble" larder; for the
rats had their dessert off my cheese, the bugs set up housekeeping in
my cracker bag, and the apples like all worldly riches, took to
themselves wings and flew away; whither no man could tell, though
certain black imps might have thrown light upon the matter, had not the
plaintiff in the case been loth to add another to the many trials of
long-suffering. Africa. After this failure I resigned myself to fate,
and, remembering that bread was called the staff of life, leaned pretty
exclusively upon it; but it proved a broken reed, and I came to the
ground after a few weeks of prison fare, varied by an occasional potato
or surreptitious sip of milk.

Very soon after leaving the care of my ward, I discovered that I had no
appetite, and cut the bread and butter interests almost entirely,
trying the exercise and sun cure instead. Flattering myself that I had
plenty of time, and could see all that was to be seen, so far as a lone
lorn female could venture in a city, one-half of whose male population
seemed to be taking the other half to the guard-house,--every morning I
took a brisk run in one direction or another; for the January days were
as mild as Spring. A rollicking north wind and occasional snow storm
would have been more to my taste, for the one would have braced and
refreshed tired body and soul, the other have purified the air, and
spread a clean coverlid over the bed, wherein the capital of these
United States appeared to be dozing pretty soundly just then.

One of these trips was to the Armory Hospital, the neatness, comfort,
and convenience of which makes it an honor to its presiding genius, and
arouses all the covetous propensities of such nurses as came from other
hospitals to visit it.

The long, clean, warm, and airy wards, built barrack-fashion, with the
nurse's room at the end, were fully appreciated by Nurse Periwinkle,
whose ward and private bower were cold, dirty, inconvenient, up stairs
and down stairs, and in every body's chamber. At the Armory, in ward K,
I found a cheery, bright-eyed, white-aproned little lady, reading at
her post near the stove; matting under her feet; a draft of fresh air
flowing in above her head; a table full of trays, glasses, and such
matters, on one side, a large, well-stocked medicine chest on the
other; and all her duty seemed to be going about now