Page:The Story of Aunt Becky's Army-Life .djvu/206

166 I found some of the officers who were here wounded last summer, and had calls from two of them; so the day has passed quickly away, and I am ready for sleep.

1em Again like a summer day. How I enjoy the mere pleasure of living and breathing on such days of sunshine, when the brightness is over all, and through all, and in all!

But life is ebbing out with one poor fellow to-day. Oh! so young to die ! but he is calm and manlike under his suffering. All remains quiet at the front. I dread the bursting forth of the great volcano which will soon upheave the ground around Petersburg, and then to us will come wounds, death, heart-aches, and after all, and beyond all agony, perhaps, peace.

1em The rain pours down in floods, and it is lonely in my dark tent, but I got one ray of light in the shape of a letter from Mrs. Youngs, my dearest friend in Maryland, and it cheered my heart wonderfully to hear from her. I have a dog in my tent to keep the mice away, and I think he will have hard work to do his duty. I shall have to tie him up to-night to keep him.

1em After a rainy night the morning has dawned beautifully. The dog in his endeavors to catch the mice, and the mice in their efforts to get beyond his