Our
three brothers may be sick or wounded at this minute; what I do for
this man, God will send some one to do for them, and with that belief I
do it....

June 11th.

Last evening mother and Miriam went to the Arsenal to see if they would
be allowed to do anything for the prisoners. General Williams received
them, and fascinated Miriam by his manner, as usual. Poor Miriam is
always being fascinated, according to her own account. He sent for
little Nathan Castle and Willie Garig, and left them alone in the room
with them, showing his confidence and delicacy by walking away. The
poor young men were very grateful to be remembered; one had his eyes
too full of tears to speak. Mr. Garig told Miriam that when the story
of her refusing the escort was told in camp, the woods rang with shouts
of "Three cheers for Miss Morgan!" They said they were treated very
well, and had no want, except clean clothes, and to let their mothers
know they were well and content.

I have been hard at work mending three or four suits of the boys'
clothing for those poor young men. Some needed thread and needle very
much, but it was the best we could do. So I packed them all up--not
forgetting a row of pins--and sent Tiche off with the bundle, perched
real Congo fashion on her many-colored head-handkerchief, which was
tied in the most superb Creole style in honor of the occasion.

June 16th, Monday.

My poor old diary comes to a very abrupt end, to my great distress. The
hardest thing in the world is to break off journalizing when you are
once accustomed to it, and mine has proved such a resource to me in
these dark days of trouble that I feel as though I were saying good-bye
to an old and tried friend. Thanks to my liberal supply of pens, ink,
and paper, how many inexpressibly dreary days I have filled up to my
own satisfaction, if not to that of others! How many disagreeable
affairs it has caused me to pass over without another thought, how many
times it has proved a relief to me where my tongue was forced to remain
quiet! Without the blessed materials, I would have fallen victim to
despair and "the Blues" long since; but they have kept my eyes fixed on
"Better days a-coming" while slightly alluding to present woes; kept me
from making a fool of myself many a day; acted as lightning rod to my
mental thunder, and have made me happy gene