ned in the car that night, and
went on to Jacksonville." Swift, dark glances swept from one to another
among them. Instinctively they drew closer to each other, and over
knitted brows and firmly set teeth, a silence fell dark and ominous
like a pall, which the future alone can lift.

The bugle sounded dinner, and this ended our little camp-meeting, than
which few camp-meetings, we believe, ever came nearer to the heart of
Him who offered His life a ransom, and went about doing good.

The winds blew cold across the camp; the fires shot out long angry
tongues of flame and drifts of smoke to every passer-by. The norther was
upon us. Night came down, and all were glad of shelter and sleep. The
morning, quiet, crisp, and white with frost, revealed the blessing which
had fallen upon a stricken land.

Thanksgiving was there before its time. The hard rules relaxed. One day
more, and the quarantine was at an end. The north-bound train halted
below the camp, and all together, President and agent, tall doctor and
happy nurses, took places on it, the first for headquarters at
Washington, the last for New Orleans, and home for Thanksgiving morning,
full of the joys of a duty well done, rich in well-paid labor, in the
love of those they had befriended, and the approval of a whole people,
South and North, when once their work should be known to them.

To the last, they clung to their little home-made Red Crosses as if they
had been gold and diamonds; and when at length the tracks diverged and
the parting must be made, it was with few words, low and softly spoken,
but meaning much, with a finger touch upon the little cross, "When you
want us, we are there."

The supplies forwarded by us were estimated at ten thousand dollars. The
money received was $6,281.58. Out of this sum we paid our twenty nurses
three dollars a day, for seventy-nine days--their cost of living, and
their transportation when needed. We paid our doctor in charge twenty
dollars a day, the customary price, for the same period. We paid our
office rent, assistants, telegraphing, drayage for supplies sent on by
us (railroad transportation free), and all incidentals for a relief work
of over three months' duration. This ran our debit column over on the
other side over one thousand dollars. Our little part of the relief of
that misfortune was estimated at fifteen thousand dollars, and only
those relieved were more grateful than we.

IV

THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD