passages from an old volume of life-第7部分

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lls　my　kind　host；　and　partook　of　the　fare　there　furnished　me。　　He　withdrew　with　me　to　the　apartment　assigned　for　my　slumbers；　and　slept　sweetly　on　the　same　pillow　where　I　waked　and　tossed。　　Nay；　I　do　affirm　that　he　did；　unconsciously；　I　believe；　encroach　on　that　moiety　of　the　couch　which　I　had　flattered　myself　was　to　be　my　own　through　the　watches　of　the　night；　and　that　I　was　in　serious　doubt　at　one　time　whether　I　should　not　be　gradually；　but　irresistibly；　expelled　from　the　bed　which　I　had　supposed　destined　for　my　sole　possession。　　As　Ruth　clave　unto　Naomi；　so　my　friend　the　Philanthropist　clave　unto　me。　　〃Whither　thou　goest；　I　will　go；　and　where　thou　lodgest；　I　will　lodge。〃　　A　really　kind；　good　man；　full　of　zeal；　determined　to　help　somebody；　and　absorbed　in　his　one　thought；　he　doubted　nobody's　willingness　to　serve　him；　going；　as　he　was；　on　a　purely　benevolent　errand。　　When　he　reads　this；　as　I　hope　he　will；　let　him　be　assured　of　my　esteem　and　respect；　and　if　he　gained　any　accommodation　from　being　in　my　company；　let　me　tell　him　that　I　learned　a　lesson　from　his　active　benevolence。　　I　could；　however；　have　wished　to　hear　him　laugh　once　before　we　parted；　perhaps　forever。　　He　did　not；　to　the　best　of　my　recollection；　even　smile　during　the　whole　period　that　we　were　in　company。　　I　am　afraid　that　a　lightsome　disposition　and　a　relish　for　humor　are　not　so　common　in　those　whose　benevolence　takes　an　active　turn　as　in　people　of　sentiment；　who　are　always　ready　with　their　tears　and　abounding　in　passionate　expressions　of　sympathy。　　Working　philanthropy　is　a　practical　specialty；　requiring　not　a　mere　impulse；　but　a　talent；　with　its　peculiar　sagacity　for　finding　its　objects；　a　tact　for　selecting　its　agencies；　an　organizing　and　art　ranging　faculty；　a　steady　set　of　nerves；　and　a　constitution　such　as　Sallust　describes　in　Catiline；　patient　of　cold；　of　hunger；　and　of　watching。　　Philanthropists　are　commonly　grave；　occasionally　grim；　and　not　very　rarely　morose。　　Their　expansive　social　force　is　imprisoned　as　a　working　power；　to　show　itself　only　through　its　legitimate　pistons　and　cranks。　　The　tighter　the　boiler；　the　less　it　whistles　and　sings　at　its　work。　　When　Dr。　Waterhouse；　in　1780；　travelled　with　Howard；　on　his　tour　among　the　Dutch　prisons　and　hospitals；　he　found　his　temper　and　manners　very　different　from　what　would　have　been　expected。

My　benevolent　companion　having　already　made　a　preliminary　exploration　of　the　hospitals　of　the　place；　before　sharing　my　bed　with　him；　as　above　mentioned；　I　joined　him　in　a　second　tour　through　them。　　The　authorities　of　Middletown　are　evidently　leagued　with　the　surgeons　of　that　place；　for　such　a　break…neck　succession　of　pitfalls　and　chasms　I　have　never　seen　in　the　streets　of　a　civilized　town。　　It　was　getting　late　in　the　evening　when　we　began　our　rounds。　　The　principal　collections　of　the　wounded　were　in　the　churches。　　Boards　were　laid　over　the　tops　of　the　pews；　on　these　some　straw　was　spread；　and　on　this　the　wounded　lay；　with　little　or　no　covering　other　than　such　scanty　clothes　as　they　had　on。　　There　were　wounds　of　all　degrees　of　severity；　but　I　heard　no　groans　or　murmurs。　　Most　of　the　sufferers　were　hurt　in　the　limbs；　some　had　undergone　amputation；　and　all　had；　I　presume；　received　such　attention　as　was　required。　　Still；　it　was　but　a　rough　and　dreary　kind　of　comfort　that　the　extemporized　hospitals　suggested。　　I　could　not　help　thinking　the　patients　must　be　cold；　but　they　were　used　to　camp　life；　and　did　not　complain。　　The　men　who　watched　were　not　of　the　soft…handed　variety　of　the　race。　　One　of　them　was　smoking　his　pipe　as　he　went　from　bed　to　bed。　　I　saw　one　poor　fellow　who　had　been　shot　through　the　breast；　his　breathing　was　labored；　and　he　was　tossing；　anxious　and　restless。　　The　men　were　debating　about　the　opiate　he　was　to　take；　and　I　was　thankful　that　I　happened　there　at　the　right　moment　to　see　that　he　was　well　narcotized　for　the　night。　　Was　it　possible　that　my　Captain　could　be　lying　on　the　straw　in　one　of　these　places？　　Certainly　possible；　but　not　probable；　but　as　the　lantern　was　held　over　each　bed；　it　was　with　a　kind　of　thrill　that　I　looked　upon　the　features　it　illuminated。　　Many　times　as　I　went　from　hospital　to　hospital　in　my　wanderings；　I　started　as　some　faint　resemblance；…the　shade　of　a　young　man's　hair；　the　outline　of　his　half…turned　face；recalled　the　presence　I　was　in　search　of。　　The　face　would　turn　towards　me；　and　the　momentary　illusion　would　pass　away；　but　still　the　fancy　clung　to　me。　　There　was　no　figure　huddled　up　on　its　rude　couch；　none　stretched　at　the　roadside；　none　toiling　languidly　along　the　dusty　pike；　none　passing　in　car　or　in　ambulance；　that　I　did　not　scrutinize；　as　if　it　might　be　that　for　which　I　was　making　my　pilgrimage　to　the　battlefield。

〃There　are　two　wounded　Secesh；〃　　said　my　companion。　　I　walked　to　the　bedside　of　the　first；　who　was　an　officer；　a　lieutenant；　if　I　remember　right；　from　North　Carolina。　　He　was　of　good　family；　son　of　a　judge　in　one　of　the　higher　courts　of　his　State；　educated；　pleasant；　gentle；　intelligent。　　One　moment's　intercourse　with　such　an　enemy；　lying　helpless　and　wounded　among　strangers；　takes　away　all　personal　bitterness　towards　those　with　whom　we　or　our　children　have　been　but　a　few　hours　before　in　deadly　strife。　　The　basest　lie　which　the　murderous　contrivers　of　this　Rebellion　have　told　is　that　which　tries　to　make　out　a　difference　of　race　in　the　men　of　the　North　and　South。　It　would　be　worth　a　year　of　battles　to　abolish　this　delusion；　though　the　great　sponge　of　war　that　wiped　it　out　were　moistened　with　the　best　blood　of　the　land。　　My　Rebel　was　of　slight；　scholastic　habit；　and　spoke　as　one　accustomed　to　tread　carefully　among　the　parts　of　speech。　　It　made　my　heart　ache　to　see　him；　a　man　finished　in　the　humanities　and　Christian　culture；　whom　the　sin　of　his　forefathers　and　the　crime　of　his　rulers　had　set　in　barbarous　conflict　against　others　of　like　training　with　his　own；a　man　who；　but　for　the　curse　which　our　generation　is　called　on　to　expiate；　would　have　taken　his　part　in　the　beneficent　task　of　shaping　the　intelligence　and　lifting　the　moral　standard　of　a　peaceful　and　united　people。

On　Sunday　morning；　the　twenty…first；　having　engaged　James　Grayden　and　his　team；　I　set　out　with　the　Chaplain　and　the　Philanthropist　for　Keedysville。　　Our　track　lay　through　the　South　Mountain　Gap；　and　led　us　first　to　the　town　of　Boonsborough；　where；　it　will　be　remembered；　Colonel　Dwight　had　been　brought　after　the　battle。　　We　saw　the　positions　occupied　in　the　battle　of　South　Mountain；　and　many　traces　of　the　conflict。　　In　one　situation　a　group　of　young　trees　was　marked　with　shot；　hardly　one　having　escaped。　　As　we　walked　by　the　side　of　the　wagon；　the　Philanthropist　left　us　for　a　while　and　climbed　a　hill；　where；　along　the　line　of　a　fence；　he　found　traces　of　the　most　desperate　fighting。　　A　ride　of　some　three　hours　brought　us　to　Boonsborough；　where　I　roused　the　unfortunate　army　surgeon　who　had　charge　of　the　hospitals；　and　who　was　trying　to　get　a　little　sleep　after　his　fatigues　and　watchings。　　He　bore　this　cross　very　creditably；　and　helped　me　to　explore　all　places　where　my　soldier　might　be　lying　among　the　crowds　of　wounded。　　After　the　useless　search；　I　resumed　my　journey；　fortified　with　a　note　of　introduction　to　Dr。　Letterman；　also　with　a　bale　of　oakum　which　I　was　to　carry　to　that　gentleman；　this　substance　being　employed　as　a　substitute　for　lint。　　We　were　obliged　also　to　procure　a　pass　to　Keedysville　from　the　Provost　Marshal　of　Boonsborough。　　As　we　came　near　the　place；　we　learned　that　General　McClellan's　head　quarters　had　been　removed　from　this　village　some　miles　farther　to　the　front。

On　entering　the　small　settlement　of　Keedysville；　a　familiar　face　and　figure　blocked　the　way；　like　one　of　Bunyan's　giants。　　The　tall　form　and　benevolent　countenance；　set　off　by　long；　flowing　hair；　belonged　to　the　excellent　Mayor　Frank　B。　Fay　of　Chelsea；　who；　like　my　Philanthropist；　only　still　more　promptly；　had　come　to　succor　the　wounded　of　the　great　battle。　　It　was　wonderful　to　see　how　his　single　personality　pervaded　this　torpid　little　village；　he　seemed　to　be　the　centre　of　all　its　activities。　　All　my　questions　he　answered　clearly　and　decisively；　as　one　who　knew　everything　that　was　going　on　in　the　place。　　But　the　one　question　I　had　come　five　hundred　miles　to　ask；　Where　is　Captain　H。？he　could　not　answer。　　There　were　some　thousands　of　wounded　in　the　place；　he　told　me；　scattered　about　everywhere。　　It　would　be　a　long　job　to　hunt　up　my　Captain；　the　only　way　would　be　to　go　to　every　house　and　ask　for　him。　　Just　then　a　medical　officer　came　up。

〃Do　you　know　anything　of　Captain　H。　of　the　Massachusetts　Twentieth？〃

〃Oh　yes；　he　is　staying　in　that　house。　　I　saw　him　there；　doing　very　well。〃

A　chorus　of　hallelujahs　arose　in　my　soul；　but　I　kept　them　to　myself。　Now；　then；　for　our　twice…wounded　volunteer；　our　young　centurion　whose　double…barred　shoulder…straps　we　have　never　yet　looked　upon。　　Let　us　observe　the　proprieties；　however；　no　swelling　upward　of　the　mother；　no　hysterica　passio；　　we　do　not　like　scenes。　　A　calm　salutation；　then　swallow　and　hold　hard。　　That　is　about　the　programme。

A　cottage　of　squared　logs；　filled　in　with　plaster；　and　whitewashed。　A　little　yard　before　it；　with　a　gate　swinging。　　The　door　of　the　cottage　ajar；no　one　visible　as