Fall, fall, old leaf! But it isn't
so; death is on the battlefield looking for young men. Listen to his
stick--tap, tap, tap, tap, tap--"

Christianna rose, looked at the clock, which was about to strike noon,
left the room and returned with a glass of milk. "Mrs. Cleave said you
was to drink this--Yes, Miss Miriam, do!--There now! Don't you want to
lie down?"

"No, no!" said Miriam. "I don't want to do anything but sit here and
watch.--Look at that old, old woman with the basket on her arm! I know
what is in it--Things for her son; bread and a little meat and shirts
she has been making him--There's another helping her, as old as she is.
I mean to die young."

The people went by like figures on a frieze come to life. The room in
which the two girls sat was on the ground floor of a small,
old-fashioned house. Outside the window was a tiny balcony, with a
graceful ironwork railing, and heavy ropes and twists of wistaria shaded
this and the window. The old brick sidewalk was almost immediately
below. For the most part the people who passed went by silently, but
when there was talking the two behind the wistaria could hear. A nurse
girl with her charges came by. "What's a 'cisive battle, honey? Yo'd
better ask yo' pa that. Reckon it's where won't neither side let go. Why
won't they? Now you tell me an' then I'll tell you! All I knows is,
they're gwine have a turrible rumpus presently, an' yo' ma said tek you
to yo' gran'ma kaze she gwine out ter git jes' ez near the battle an'
yo' pa ez she kin git!" Nurse and children passed, and there came by an
elderly man, stout and amiable-looking. His face was pale, his eyes
troubled; he took off his straw hat, and wiped his forehead with a large
white handkerchief. Appearing from the opposite direction, a young man,
a case of surgeon's instruments in his hand, met him, and in passing
said good-day. The elder stopped him a moment, on the hot brick pavement
before the wistaria. "Well, doctor, they're all out Mechanicsville way!
I reckon we may expect to hear the cannon any moment now. I saw you at
Gilland's, didn't I, yesterday?"

"Yes, I am there--"

"Well, if by ill luck my boy is wounded and brought there, you'll look
out for him, eh? Youngest boy, you know--Blue eyes, brown hair. I'm on
the Ambulance Committee. We've got a string of wagons ready on the
Nine-Mile road. You look out for him if he's brought in--"

The surgeon promised and each went his way. Three women passed t