HEROISM IN THE HOSPITAL.

BY C. EDWARDS LESTER.

The surgeon said: "He can hardly live." I felt d strange interest in this young man; I knew his history well. The youngest son among several brothers, when his country's troubles began, he said to them: "Let me go; for you are all married; if I fall, no matter." He went. He had followed the standard of the Republic into every battle-field, till, after the flight from the Bull Run of July, 1861, worn out, but not wounded, he was borne to this hospital in Washington. This was his life as a soldier. There was another and deeper life than that. The great loadstone that led him away was the magnet of his nation. Another loadstone held his heart at home; it was the magnet of love. The surgeon was long in coming; but when he did come, his sharp and experienced eye, as he approached the cot, opened with surprise. "He is still alive. I am not sure but he may come up yet. If he revives, there is one chance left for him, if it be but one in a thousand. You stay and watch, and I will come back in half an hour." In former visits to him he had made me his confidant. He seemed to be haunted by the idea that he would, after all, return to his home on the banks of the Mohawk, and once more see those he loved. The surgeon came by again. "That boy has wonderful vitality." Whether it was purely my fancy, my hope, or a fact, I did not know, but twilight seemed to pass over his face. "Yes, yes, I—I—wait a moment. Oh, I shall not die." He opened his eyes calmly, and then a glow which I shall never forget suffused his cheek, and lifting his emaciated hands for the first time in several weeks, he exclaimed, in a natural voice: "How floats the old flag now, boys?" I now feared his excitement would carry him beyond his strength. I could not keep him from talking.

He grew impatient the more I tried to soothe and restrain him.

"Won't you let me talk a little? I must know something more, or it seems to me I shall go crazy. Please put your ear down to me. I won't speak loud-I won't get excited." I did as he requested.

"Have you got any letters for me?"

"Yes, but they are at my office. You shall have them to-morrow. They are all well at home."

"And Bella ?"

"Yes."

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Oh, God be praised."

After a few moments of repose, he again opened his eyes wide.

"I have been gone so long from the army! It seemed as though I never could get back when I got home. I got away; and I wandered and wandered. Oh, how tired I was! Where is McDowell? Is General Scott dead? They said so. Did they carry off Old Abe? How did he get back? Did the rebels get into Washington that night? How long have I been sick? What place is this? Oh, my head! my head!"

I was frightened. The tender chord of memory had given away. . . And so that anxious night wore away. In the morning he awoke bright and clear; and from that hour he began to get well. Bella's letters, received during his extreme illness, could now be read. They were among the noblest ever written by woman.

"Our heart-prayers for you have been answered. We now wait only for your return. When we parted, it was not with repining: you had gone to the altar of your country in solemn and complete dedication. I too was prepared for the sacrifice. I expected it, although I knew how crushingly the blow would fall. But if you had not loved your country better than Bella, it would have broken her heart. I hope now in a few weeks you will be again by my side. When your health is once more restored, I will promise in advance, as you desire, not to

try to keep you from joining your regiment; and if the stars have written that Walter shall not be my husband, God has decreed that I shall die a widow never married."

He did return to the Mohawk valley. He married Bella. He returned to the war; and on the eve of the great day of Antietam he heard that his son was born,-and the hero-father died by the side of Hooker.

THE MYSTERIOUS FOE.

"TRAMP! tramp! tramp!-tramp! tramp! tramp!" Company was returning from a scouting expedition. The road they were pursuing led directly to the camp, the illuminated tents of which they could see gleaming out distinctly in the moonlight about a mile ahead.

Captain prided himself upon the orderly manner in which he always led his command into camp; so as they approached the promised haven of rest and repose for the night, the men, who had hitherto been marching on the "route step," were ordered to form into four ranks, and to "right shoulder shift arms."

Soon the steady, regular tramp of a hundred feet striking the earth simultaneously, announced that each man was in his place, and "keeping step" to perfection, while the voice of the captain was heard chiming in harmony with the sound. "Now-you've-got-it-d—n-it-keep-it. Left

left-left! Now-you've-got-it-d-n-it-keep—it ! Left

"Whi-z-z-z-z-z-zip."

"Halt! What in the d-1 was that? A bullet?

The men stood still, turning their eyes in every direction.

Behind them, and upon their left extended a tract of open country, which was illuminated by the beams of a full moon; but as far as they could seethey could see a long distance-not even the outline of a human figure could be discovered, while on looking to the right, they saw nothing but a wide stream of water, beyond which stood a few tall pines and several oaks, scattered promiscuously together.

gun.

"D'ye see anything, Tom?"

"Nothing; do you, Jack?"

"No: guess it was only a bird going past."

"If it had been a bullet we'd have heard the report of the

"I think I saw the bird's wing as it flew by," exclaimed a fifth. "Forward march!" ordered the captain.

"Tramp! tramp! tramp! tramp! tramp! tramp!" "Now-you've-got-it--d-n it-keep-it. Left-left— left! Shoulder arms! Now-you've-got-it-"

"Buz-z-z-z-zween-woo-o-o-o-rip!"

"Halt! That's a bullet!"

Again the men stood still, looking about them with the same result as before.

"I think it came from the right," said the captain. "Front?" he continued, drawing his sword.

The company obeyed.

"Fix bayonets!"

This was done.

"Shoulder arms! Forward march!" And led by their officer, away went the company in the direction of a group of trees on the right.

They hunted the little grove thoroughly, even looking up into the branches of the trees. But it was labor thrown away. No enemy was in sight.

"This is strange," said the captain, "the noise was certainly that of a bullet."

"But what surprises me is that we didn't hear the report of the gun," remarked one of the men.

An Irishman belonging to the company was seen to cross himself.

"Whist! it's the devil's own bullet, shure!" said he.

"Fall in, men! fall in!" ordered the captain, "this must be reported to the colonel. It's a strange business!"

The ranks were soon formed, and the men again upon the road moving toward the camp. They had not gone more than ten ́ yards, however, when "whiz-z-zip!" came another of the mysterious bullets. This time one of the men clapped his hand to his leg just above the knee, and fell in the road, writhing with pain.

Three of his comrades were detailed to carry him to the camp, while the rest of the party instituted another search for the foe. The result of their efforts, however, was the same as before. No enemy was to be found, and though they strained their eyes over the open country beyond, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of some retreating figure, not even a shadow or outline of the kind was to be seen.

Astonishment was depicted upon every face, while a few of the men who were superstitiously inclined, turned pale, and shook their heads ominously.

Leaving a guard of six men under the charge of a corporal, to watch the grove, the captain formed the rest of his company, and again marched toward the camp, this time without interruption. The news of the singular affair having already been circulated through the regiment by the three men who had been deputed to take charge of their wounded comrade, the Zouaves had turned out to a man to witness the arrival of the party, and no sooner did the "heroes" make their appearance and break rank, than they were plied with questions on all sides. The captain lost no time in making his report to the colonel, and a few moments afterwards, the latter mounted his horse and rode to the grove. But his efforts to solve the mystery were rewarded with no better success than that which had attended the exertions of his inferior. He returned to camp half an hour afterward, with a puzzled countenance, and