larly where her husband is
far from her fighting for his country?"

"You do not know the people of New Orleans," replied Alfred. "No
matter how kindly a favor may be bestowed on them, it is still
considered charity, and though dire necessity may induce them to
accept aid if proffered, the knowledge that they were eating the bread
of charity, would embitter each mouthful."

"Pooh, pooh," said his friend, "all these fine notions would do very
well before the war, but at the present time the least we think of
them the better."

"It is all very well for you to speak that way," answered Alfred, "for
you have no wife and children to cause uneasiness, but I cannot be
otherwise than anxious to know what has become of her, that I receive
no letters, while other prisoners have had theirs regularly by mail."

"An unfortunate fact, which you may depend has been caused by no other
reason than the neglect of the Yankee officers to forward your
letters," said Harry, then continuing: "Come, cheer up, and throw
aside your dullness. Another battle like that of Shiloh, will give the
South as many Yankee prisoners as they have of us, and then ho! for
home and the "Sunny South!" As soon as we return, I will take you to
Jackson, and then you can write your wife to come out, and she can
live with my mother, if you are not too proud to accept my
hospitality."

"Thank you," he replied, "but I must first wait until we are
exchanged, and God knows when that will be."

"Why, man, I tell you there is no doubt of our whipping the Yanks and
capturing a lot of them in the next battle; then adieu to Camp
Douglas, and hurrah for the Confederacy once more!" replied Harry,
taking his companion by the arm, and dragging him to their tent where
dinner had been placed in readiness for them.

CHAPTER NINTH.

ROOM TO RENT.

We must now return to my heroine, who, with her two children, we left
slowly travelling toward Jackson, Mississippi. On arriving at
Ponchatula, she took the cars on the New Orleans, Jackson and Great
Northern Railroad, and in a few hours was in Jackson. On arriving
there she proceeded to the Bowman House, and purchasing a newspaper
eagerly scanned the columns to find an advertisement of rooms to rent,
knowing full well that, with her limited means, she would never be
able to remain at the hotel, or live at a boarding house.

After looking for some time, without finding the desired
advertisement, her eye at last lit upon