s bed immediately, meanwhile
hastening down-stairs to prepare for him a hot drink. Upon my return,
my patient was in bed, closely covered up,--head and all. As soon as I
turned down the bedclothes from his face, I was startled by a furious
er-r-r-r bow-wow, wow, wow, which also attracted the attention of
every one in the large ward. Of course it was impossible longer to
conceal the fact that the new patient had brought with him a dog, so
he showed me--nestling under his arm--a young Newfoundland puppy,
looking like nothing so much as a fluffy black ball. His bright eyes
gleamed fiercely and he continued to bark in a shrill tone, which
could not be allowed to continue, as it excited and disturbed the
sick. I am a lover of dogs, and now offered to take charge of this
little waif. His master was unwilling to part with him, but there was
no alternative, so I carried him off down-stairs, where, installed in
comfortable quarters and petted by everybody, the ungrateful little
dog seemed to forget the sick master who had cherished him so fondly,
and, far from grieving or moping at the separation, grew every day
more frolicsome. From the soldier I learned the history of his dog. He
said,--

"Shortly before I was sent to the hospital our regiment captured a
Federal camp. Among the plunder I found that little fellow curled up
in a camp-bed that some Yankee had just got out of, and as warm as
toast. He seemed to take to me right off. I reckon the Yankee had a
name for him, but I call him 'Beauregard.' The poor fellow has had a
hard time since I got him, for rations in the valley are poor and
scant, but _I've_ done with less so _he_ could have a bite, and I tell
you he has kept me warm a many a night."

However, when the soldier was ready to return to camp, Beauregard had
grown quite too large to be carried in his master's bosom. So he was
given to my little son, and remained to claim our care and to become
an object of interest to all inmates of the hospital. It became so
much a matter of course for me to take the dog with me on my morning
rounds through the wards that whenever he was left behind, my patients
never failed to miss him, and to inquire, "Where's the general
to-day?" He was very intelligent, easily learning to trot quietly
along down the rows of beds. If he ever grew too frisky, I had only to
stop short, pointing to the entrance, when down would drop his tail,
and he was off like a shot to the yard. There he awaited