e canes over the cart, cover them with the cloth, and fit an upper
shelf of small compartments, each lined with cotton-wool to serve as
beds for wounded insects, lest they should hurt one another or jostle
out. The lower part was left free for any larger creatures which Nelly
might find. Among her toys she had a tiny cask which only needed a peg
to be water-tight; this was filled and fitted in before, because, as
the small sufferers needed no seats, there was no place for it behind,
and, as Nelly was both horse and driver, it was more convenient in
front. On each side of it stood a box of stores. In one were minute
rollers, as bandages are called, a few bottles not yet filled, and a
wee doll's jar of cold-cream, because Nelly could not feel that her
outfit was complete without a medicine-chest. The other box was full of
crumbs, bits of sugar, bird-seed, and grains of wheat and corn, lest
any famished stranger should die for want of food before she got it
home. Then mamma painted "U.S. San. Com." in bright letters on the
cover, and Nelly received her charitable plaything with a long sigh of
satisfaction.

"Nine o'clock already. Bless me, what a short evening this has been,"
exclaimed Will, as Nelly came to give him her good-night kiss.

"And such a happy one," she answered.

"Thank you very, very much, dear Will. I only wish my little amb'lance
was big enough for you to go in,--I'd so like to give you the first
ride."

"Nothing I should like better, if it were possible, though I've a
prejudice against ambulances in general. But as I cannot ride, I'll
try and hop out to your hospital to-morrow, and see how you get
on,"--which was a great deal for Captain Will to say, because he had
been too listless to leave his sofa for several days.

That promise sent Nelly happily away to bed, only stopping to pop her
head out of the window to see if it was likely to be a fair day
to-morrow, and to tell Tony about the new plan as he passed below.

"Where shall you go to look for your first load of sick folks, miss?"
he asked.

"All round the garden first, then through the grove, and home across
the brook. Do you think I can find any patients so?" said Nelly.

"I know you will. Good night, miss," and Tony walked away with a merry
look on his face, that Nelly would not have understood if she had seen
it.

Up rose the sun bright and early, and up rose Nurse Nelly almost as
early and as bright. Breakfast was taken in a