toration.
Tom had discovered the catastrophe when he waked up in the hospital, for
his last thought at night, and his first in the morning, had been the
beautiful Lilian Ashford. He was sad when he first beheld the wreck; but
when he thought what a glorious assurance this would be of his conduct on
the field, he was pleased with the idea; and while in his heart he thanked
the rebel marksman for not putting the bullet any nearer to the vital
organ beneath the envelope, he was not ungrateful for the splendid
testimonial he had given him of his position during the battle.

"Of course she'll give you another. Won't she be proud of that picture
when she gets it back?"

"If I had been a coward, I couldn't have run away with those socks on my
feet."

Tom remained with the regiment several hours, and then, in obedience to
the surgeon's orders, returned to the hospital, where he wrote a letter to
his father, containing a short account of the battle, and another to
Lilian Ashford, setting forth the accident which had happened to the
picture, and begging her to send him another.

I am afraid in this last letter Tom indulged in some moonshiny nonsense;
but we are willing to excuse him for saying that the thought of the
beautiful original of the photograph and the beautiful author of his socks
had inspired him with courage on the battle field, and enabled him
faithfully to perform his duty, to the honor and glory of the flag beneath
whose starry folds he had fought, bled, and conquered, and so forth. It
would not be unnatural in a young man of eighteen to express as much as
this, and, we are not sure that he said any more.

The next day Tom was down with a slow fever, induced by fatigue and
over-exertion. He lay upon his cot for a fortnight, before he was able to
go out again; but he was frequently visited by Hapgood and other friends
in the regiment. About the middle of the month, the brigade moved on, and
Tom was sad at the thought of lying idle, while the glorious work of the
army was waiting for true and tried men.

Tom received "honorable mention" in the report of the colonel, and his
recommendation, supported by that of the general of the division, brought
to the hospital his commission as second lieutenant.

"Here's medicine for you," said the chaplain, as he handed the patient a
ponderous envelope.

"What is it, sir?"

"I don't know, but it has an official look."

The sergeant opened it, and read the commission,