haling the perfume of
a thousand flowers. To-night, as the south wind swept by in fitful
gusts, it seemed to bear to my ears the sound of sorrow and mourning
from homes and shrines where hope lay dead amid the ruined idols cast
down and broken by that stern iconoclast--_War_.

As I sat thus, buried in thought, a distant sound broke the silence,
sending a thrill of terror to my heart. It was the tramp of many
horses rapidly approaching. "Alas! alas I the enemy had come upon us
from the rear. Our brave defenders were surrounded and their retreat
cut off."

I knew not what to expect, but anxiety for my patients banished fear.
Seizing a light-wood torch, I ran up the road, hoping to interview the
officers at the head of the column and to intercede for my sick,
perhaps to prevent intrusion into the wards. To my almost wild
delight, the torch-light revealed the dear old gray uniforms. It was a
portion of Wheeler's Cavalry sent to reinforce Roddy, whose meagre
forces, aided by the volunteers from Newman, had held the Federals in
check until now, but were anxiously expecting this reinforcement.

The men had ridden far and fast. They now came to a halt in front of
the hospital, but had not time to dismount, hungry and thirsty though
they were. The regimental servants, however, came in search of water
with dozens of canteens hung around them, rattling in such a manner as
to show that they were quite empty. For the next half-hour, I believe,
I had almost the strength of Samson. Rushing to the bakery, I loaded
baskets with bread and handed them up to the soldier-boys to be passed
along until emptied. I then poured all the milk I had into a large
bucket, added a dipper, and, threading in and out among the horses,
ladled out dipperfuls until it was all gone. I then distributed about
four buckets of water in the same way. My excitement was so great that
not a sensation of fear or of fatigue assailed me. Horses to the right
of me, horses to the left of me, horses in front of me, snorted and
pawed; but God gave strength and courage: I was not afraid.

A comparatively small number had been supplied, when a courier from
Roddy's command rode up to hasten the reinforcements. At once the
whole column was put in motion. As the last rider disappeared, and the
tramping of the horses died away in the distance, a sense of weariness
and exhaustion so overpowered me that I could have slept where I
stood. So thorough was my confidence in the bra