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Pages from an Old Volume of Life; a collection of essays, 1857-1881 by Oliver Wendell Holmes
page 30 of 156 (19%)
where it had been held. The vulture of story, the crow of Talavera, the
"twa corbies" of the ghastly ballad, are all from Nature, doubtless; but
no black wing was spread over these animal ruins, and no call to the
banquet pierced through the heavy-laden and sickening air.

Full in the middle of the road, caring little for whom or what they met,
came long strings of army wagons, returning empty from the front after
supplies. James Grayden stated it as his conviction that they had a
little rather run into a fellow than not. I liked the looks of these
equipages and their drivers; they meant business. Drawn by mules mostly,
six, I think, to a wagon, powdered well with dust, wagon, beast, and
driver, they came jogging along the road, turning neither to right nor
left,--some driven by bearded, solemn white men, some by careless,
saucy-looking negroes, of a blackness like that of anthracite or
obsidian. There seemed to be nothing about them, dead or alive, that was
not serviceable. Sometimes a mule would give out on the road; then he
was left where he lay, until by and by he would think better of it, and
get up, when the first public wagon that came along would hitch him on,
and restore him to the sphere of duty.

It was evening when we got to Middletown. The gentle lady who had graced
our homely conveyance with her company here left us. She found her
husband, the gallant Colonel, in very comfortable quarters, well cared
for, very weak from the effects of the fearful operation he had been
compelled to undergo, but showing calm courage to endure as he had shown
manly energy to act. It was a meeting full of heroism and tenderness, of
which I heard more than there is need to tell. Health to the brave
soldier, and peace to the household over which so fair a spirit presides!

Dr. Thompson, the very active and intelligent surgical director of the
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