LETTER XVI.
Benton Barracks Hospital,
April 30.
Dear Mother,—I have just finished my evening
round, and am going to try to keep awake long enough
to talk with you a while.
This afternoon we had a very interesting scene. One
of the buildings is a circular one, to be used as a hospital
when we fill up quite; in the mean time, the
Doctor has given permission that it should be used
as a chapel. This afternoon we had a meeting in it,
Dr. Eliot presiding. The beds were placed in close
rows and used as seats; a pulpit, lent us for the
present, on one side, a harmonium by the side of that.
I went over with the Doctor, after making my report
of the wards to him. I should like to have had you
see the interior; the pulpit, with Dr. Eliot's beautiful
gray head above it; in front, row upon row of
Sabbath-school children, who came out to sing to the
soldiers, some ladies who came from the city, and all
the rest filled with soldiers, crowded; their weatherbeaten,
worn faces, that had watched for the enemy
month after month, in the battle-field and on the lonely
picket, now turned towards him who preached the
Word of the Lord, giving words of help and comfort to
those who were in need of such strength and cheer.
He spoke to them of the war; he said it was a Christian
war, for we were fighting for the Lord's cause, his
freedom and right. He took for his text, "He who
loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy
of me." The children began by singing a beautiful
hymn, beginning " Am I a soldier of the Cross!"
Then there was a prayer, then another hymn, then
Doctor Eliot's address. I wish you could have seen
the soldiers when the little children were singing:
they are most of them fathers, their little ones far
away. After Dr. Eliot, the children sang " Marching
along."
After the benediction, I had to make my afternoon
tour of the wards; seeing that men were cared for,
that nurses did their duty. I hope I shall not fail in
mine; I feel as if I had to watch myself more than
anybody else. After supper, seeing an old woman
who wanted to see me; in the evening out to the
wards to see that the night-nurses do their duty, that
the men are comfortable. I have to remind the nurses
of things continually and do things myself. I found
one of my men, who I think is dying of consumption,
sad and weak. I sat down by him, and read to him
the 103d Psalm; he seemed to feel it very much, and
looked up so gratefully for the good words. What
should we do without them? There is another man in
the same ward, sinking the same way. I was reading
to him this morning.
Friday morning. I have a few minutes before dinner
for you and me. I was out this morning among
the wards, visited them all before breakfast; my breakfast
was late, I admit. After breakfast out again; one
thing and another to attend to, direct or do. In one
ward, where there was no female nurse, I found a poor
feverish patient, the cloth on his head all warm, the
heedless men nurses not thinking of it; I got ice-water,
bathed his face and then his hands. As I
worked over him, I looked up at him, and he was
watching me with such a look. I left him more comfortable,
with a cool, wet compress on his head and
quiet in his face. And so we work on, here a little
and there a little. The Doctor is very kind in his intercourse
with me,—explaining things in my work,
advising me how to do, and how to act with others,
and to them. He has a great deal of tact himself. It
is a great help to me to have such a person to act with
and guide me. My position is an arduous one.
I wish you could see the caps you sent on, on the
wearers' heads; one tried on three, and at last pitched
upon the least pretty, but he thought it becoming.
One of the men got a cap of black velvet trimmed with
red; he came to me in great dismay, to say that the
men told him it was Secesh, and would I give him
something blue to pin on; so I have made him a blue
knot, and shall take it to him this afternoon. There
goes the bugle! so I suppose we shall have dinner
soon.
Afternoon. A new nurse came just now, a widow,
who seeks consolation in nursing. I suppose she
thinks fifty men will console her for one. I hope they
will. I have assigned her a pleasant ward. Have you
any good advice to give me? Let me have it if you
have. We have just had a delicious shower, it cooled
the air so refreshingly. A thunder-storm is as good as
an ice-cream on a hot day. I want my German Ollendorff
and Key. I need them here.
