away. "What
wealth!" exclaimed the woman, who was frantically eager to feed her
flock. All that night Clara Barton and her workers carried buckets of
hot gruel up and down the long lines to the wounded and dying men.
Then up to the farm-house went the army nurse, where, in the dim light
of a lone flickering candle, she could dimly see the surgeon in
charge, sitting in apparent despair by the table, his head resting in
his hands. She tiptoed up to him and said, quietly, "You are tired,
doctor."

Looking up, he exclaimed: "Tired? Yes, I am tired! Tired of such
heartlessness and carelessness! And," he added, "think of the
condition of things. Here are at least one thousand wounded men;
terribly wounded, five hundred of whom cannot live till daylight
without attention. That two-inch of candle is all I have, or can get.
What can I do? How can I bear it?"

A smile played over Clara Barton's clear-cut face. Gently but firmly
she took him by the elbow and led him to the door, pointing toward the
barn, where dozens of lanterns gleamed like stars.

"What is it?" he exclaimed.

"The barn is lighted," she said, "and the house will be directly."

"Who did it?"

"I, doctor."

"Where did you get them?"

"Brought them with me."

"How many have you?"

"All you want, four boxes."

For a moment he stared at her as if to be sure he was not in a dream.
Then he turned away without a word, and never spoke of the matter
again, but his deference to Clara Barton from that time was the
greatest a man can pay a woman.

Not until all her stores were exhausted and she was sick with a fever
would Clara Barton leave the battle-field of Antietam; then, dragging
herself to the train, she went back to Washington to be taken care of
until she was better. When at last she was strong enough to work again
she went to see her friend Quartermaster-General Rucker, and told him
that if she had had five wagons she would have had enough supplies for
all the wounded at Antietam. With an expression of intense admiration
on his soldierly face as he watched the brave volunteer nurse, he
declared:

"You shall have enough next time!"

The promise was made good. Having recognized the value of her
efficient services, the Government assisted in every way, making it
possible for her to carry on her work on the battle-fields and in
military camps and hospitals in the best way.

Clara Barton!--Only the men who lay wounded or dying on the
battle-field k