few words to him every day and evening--he answers pleasantly--wants
nothing--(he told me soon after he came about his home affairs,
his mother had been an invalid, and he fear'd to let her know his
condition.) He died soon after she came.


MY PREPARATIONS FOR VISITS

In my visits to the hospitals I found it was in the simple matter of
personal presence, and emanating ordinary cheer and magnetism, that I
succeeded and help'd more than by medical nursing, or delicacies,
or gifts of money, or anything else. During the war I possess'd the
perfection of physical health. My habit, when practicable, was to
prepare for starting out on one of those daily or nightly tours
of from a couple to four or five hours, by fortifying myself with
previous rest, the bath, clean clothes, a good meal, and as cheerful
an appearance as possible.


AMBULANCE PROCESSIONS

_June 23, Sundown._--As I sit writing this paragraph I see a train of
about thirty huge four-horse wagons, used as ambulances, fill'd with
wounded, passing up Fourteenth street, on their way, probably, to
Columbian, Carver, and Mount Pleasant hospitals. This is the way the
men come in now, seldom in small numbers, but almost always in these
long, sad processions. Through the past winter, while our army lay
opposite Fredericksburg, the like strings of ambulances were of
frequent occurrence along Seventh street, passing slowly up from the
steamboat wharf, with loads from Aquia creek.