but I shall never know.

The next scrubbee was a nice looking lad, with a curly brown
mane, and a budding trace of gingerbread over the lip, which he
called his beard, and defended stoutly, when the barber jocosely
suggested its immolation. He lay on a bed, with one leg gone,
and the right arm so shattered that it must evidently follow: yet
the little Sergeant was as merry as if his afflictions were not
worth lamenting over; and when a drop or two of salt water
mingled with my suds at the sight of this strong young body, so
marred and maimed, the boy looked up, with a brave smile, though
there was a little quiver of the lips, as he said,

"Now don't you fret yourself about me, miss; I'm first rate here,
for it's nuts to lie still on this bed, after knocking about in
those confounded ambulances, that shake what there is left of a
fellow to jelly. I never was in one of these places before, and
think this cleaning up a jolly thing for us, though I'm afraid it
isn't for you ladies."

"Is this your first battle, Sergeant?"

"No, miss; I've been in six scrimmages, and never got a scratch
till this last one; but it's done the business pretty thoroughly
for me, I should say. Lord! what a scramble there'll be for arms
and legs, when we old boys come out of our graves, on the
Judgment Day: wonder if we shall get our own again? If we do, my
leg will have to tramp from Fredericksburg, my arm from here, I
suppose, and meet my body, wherever it may be."