of her enterprise.
Now brother Will was a brave young officer, who had fought stoutly and
done his duty like a man. But when lying weak and wounded at home, the
cheerful courage which had led him safely through many dangers seemed
to have deserted him, and he was often gloomy, sad, or fretful, because
he longed to be at his post again, and time passed very slowly. This
troubled his mother, and made Nelly wonder why he found lying in a
pleasant room so much harder than fighting battles or making weary
marches. Anything that interested and amused him was very welcome, and
when Nelly, climbing on the arm of his sofa, told her plans, mishaps,
and successes, he laughed out more heartily than he had done for many a
day, and his thin face began to twinkle with fun as it used to do so
long ago. That pleased Nelly, and she chatted like any affectionate
little magpie, till Will was really interested; for when one is ill,
small things amuse.

"Do you expect your patients to come to you, Nelly?" he asked.

"No, I shall go and look for them. I often see poor things suffering in
the garden, and the wood, and always feel as if they ought to be taken
care of, as people are."

"You won't like to carry insane bugs, lame toads, and convulsive
kittens in your hands, and they would not stay on a stretcher if you
had one. You should have an ambulance and be a branch of the Sanitary
Commission," said Will.

Nelly had often heard the words, but did not quite understand what they
meant. So Will told her of that great never-failing charity, to which
thousands owe their lives; and the child listened with lips apart, eyes
often full, and so much love and admiration in her heart that she could
find no words in which to tell it. When her brother paused, she said
earnestly: "Yes, I will be a Sanitary. This little cart of mine shall
be my amb'lance, and I'll never let my water-barrels go empty, never
drive too fast, or be rough with my poor passengers, like some of the
men you tell about. Does this look like an ambulance, Will?"

"Not a bit, but it shall, if you and mamma like to help me. I want
four long bits of cane, a square of white cloth, some pieces of thin
wood, and the gum-pot," said Will, sitting up to examine the little
cart, feeling like a boy again as he took out his knife and began to
whittle. Upstairs and downstairs ran Nelly till all necessary materials
were collected, and almost breathlessly she watched her brother arch
th