I feel as if I had been in a thousand battles, and two or three months
of the year are left. It's fine to lie here by the water, and breathe
pure air instead of dust."

"I've heard that every man eats a peck of dirt in the course of his
life," said Happy Tom, "but I know that I've already beat the measure
a dozen times over. Why, I took in a bushel at least at the Second
Manassas, but I still live, and here I am, surveying this peaceful
domestic scene. Arthur is mending his best uniform, Harry stretched on
the leaves is resting and dreaming dreams, George is wondering how he
will get a new pair of shoes for the season, and the army is doing its
autumn washing."

Harry glanced up and down the stream, and he smiled at the homely sight.
Thousands of soldiers were washing their ragged clothes in the little
river and the equally ragged clothes of many others were drying on the
banks or on the bushes. The sun-browned lads who skylarked along the
shores or in the water, playing pranks on one another, bore little
resemblance to those who had charged so fiercely and so often into the
mouths of the cannon at Antietam.

Harry marvelled at them and at himself. It seemed scarcely possible
that human nature could rush to such violent extremes within so short
a space. But youth conquered all. There was very little gloom in
this great army which disported itself in the water or in the shade.
Thousands of wounded, still pale, but with returning strength, lay on
the October leaves and looked forward to the day when they could join
their comrades in either games or war.

Harry himself had suffered for a while from a great exhaustion. He