guests at Elmgrove.

Mrs. Ross and her mother, and Miss Stanhope, remained for a fortnight
after the wedding. All were made to feel themselves quite at home in both
houses; the two families were much like one, and usually spent their
evenings together, in delightful social intercourse; Harold in their midst
on his couch, or reclining in an easy chair, an interested listener to the
talk and occasionally joining in it.

One evening when they were thus gathered about him, Mrs. Carrington,
looking compassionately upon the pale, patient face, remarked, "You suffer
a great deal, Captain Allison?"

"Yes, a good deal," he answered cheerfully, "but not more than I can
easily endure, remembering that it is 'whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth.'"

"You take a very Christian view of it; but do your sufferings arouse no
bitterness of feeling towards the South?"

"Oh, no!" he answered, earnestly, "why should they? The people of the
South were not responsible for what was done at Andersonville; perhaps the
Confederate government was so only in a measure; and Wirtz was a
foreigner. Besides, there was a great deal endured by rebel prisoners in
some of our Northern prisons. Father," turning to the elder Mr. Allison,
"please tell Mrs. Carrington about your visit to Elmira."

The others had been chatting among themselves, but all paused to listen as
Mr. Allison began his narrative.

"We learned that a young relative of my wife was confined there, and ill.
I went at once to see what could be done for him, and finding the prison
in charge of a gentleman who was under much obligation to me, gained
admittance without much difficulty. It was a wretched place, and the
prisoners were but poorly fed; which was far more inexcusable here than at
the South, where food was scarce in their own army and among the people."

"I know that to have been the case," said Mrs. Carrington. "The farmers
were not allowed to make use of their grain for their own families, till a
certain proportion had been taken for the army; and there were families
among us who did not taste meat for a year."

"Yes; the war has been hard for us, but far harder upon them. I found our
young friend in a very weak state. I succeeded in getting permission to
remove him to more comfortable quarters, and did so; but he lived scarcely
two days after."

"How very sad," remarked Elsie, with emotion. "Oh, what a terrible thing
is war!"

"Especially civil war," said the elder Mrs