litary
Committee.

"That brought the hearing round to the 11th, the limit of my
possible stay in the city. When a quorum had assembled General
Cutcheon stated the case, and I was about to begin, when a member
objected. He was sure that the bill belonged with the Committee
on War Claims. A second member expressed himself as decidedly. A
short discussion took place, the vote was put, it was against me
and I was dismissed.

"I turned away, having never had in my life a greater sense of
disappointment. Had I not known that the objection was so purely
technical I could have borne the situation better; but to lose
the opportunity for this, return home with my mission
unaccomplished, see Miss Carroll herself, and tell her that the
effort had been nipped in the bud, it seemed impossible to submit
to it.

"Mr. Wise of Virginia, the gentleman who had first objected, now
appeared to have a second thought.

"'Since the lady has come so far, and in behalf of another
person, it seems to me we hardly ought to dismiss her so
summarily.'

"I hastened to say that the bill had had a similar fate before,
had passed and repassed from Military and War Claims Committees
until action was wholly prevented.

"Mr. Wise thereupon asked for a reconsideration of the motion.
The final result was that a unanimous vote allowed me to present
my appeal.

"After this generous action I found the presentation of the case
a pleasure rather than a duty. It was rather a conversation with
liberal-minded gentlemen. When they learned that President
Lincoln, his Secretaries, and Senators and Representatives whose
names are famous vouched for Miss Carroll's work, the integrity
of her claim more surely revealed itself to them.

"The case was ordered to Mr. Wise for special consideration,
which he cordially promised to give.

"As I left the committee-room I could not help congratulating
myself over the ill-omened beginning, since it had resulted
toward a relation of the work far more complete than had
otherwise been the case.

"That day I saw the aged invalid for the first time. She is a
most remarkable woman still. I heard from her own lips the story
I knew so well, but rendered more thrilling than ever as thus
repeated; and I had the happiness