thful nurses I could not have done it; they have stood firm through
everything; not a word of complaint from, nor of, one of them, in all
these trying months, and I thank you, our President, for this
opportunity to testify to their merits in your presence." The full cups
overflowed, and as we took each brown calloused hand in ours, and felt
the warm tears dropping over them, we realized how far from calloused
were the hearts behind them. The silence that followed was a season of
prayer.

Then came opportunity for some conversation, questions, and
explanations. "We wish to introduce to our President our chief nurse,
whom Colonel Southmayd placed in charge of us when we left the car, and
directed us to obey him; he is younger than any of us, Ed. Holyland." A
slight young man with clear, olive complexion, and dark-browed earnest
eyes that looked you straight in the face, came forward; his apparent
youthfulness gave rise to the first remark:

"How old are you, Mr. Holyland?"

"Twenty-nine, madam."

"And you have taken charge of these nurses?"

"I have done what I could for their comfort; I think that was what the
colonel desired; he knew they would need only care and advice, they
would do their best of themselves. During the few days that Colonel
Southmayd remained in Jacksonville," he continued, "he was able to send
us some such comforts as we needed for the sick, and some nourishing
food for ourselves; but this was only a few days, you know, and after
that we got on as well as we could without. I know that after he left
the nurses gave to the sick, the children, the old and the helpless,
what they needed for their own strength."

"But you did not tell us this, Mr. Holyland."

"No, we were dazed and frightened by the things we heard. We felt that
your organization was having enough to bear. We knew we must look to
you for our pay, and we thought, under the circumstances, that would be
your share. But permit me, please, to call your attention to Mr. Wilson
(a stout colored man advanced), who took charge of a little hospital of
six cases, and carried them all through, day and night, without an
hour's relief from any person, and never lost a single case."

"And permit me," chimed in the clear-toned Irish voice of Lizzie Louis,
"to tell of Mr. Holyland himself, who found a neglected Italian family a
mile or more outside of the town. He went and nursed them alone, and
when the young son, a lad of thirteen or fourteen y