312 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



sion was very interesting, and showed the immense impor 

 tance of this institution, and of the sister institution the 

 Christian Commission < to the suffering soldiers, and to 

 the army. So great is the insufficiency of the public pro 

 vision for sick and wounded men, that the army evidently 

 could not have kept the field but for these institutions, and 

 especially the Sanitary. 



The air was so heated by a large audience, in addition to 

 the fires and lights, that when we withdrew, (Mrs. Skinner 

 being with me,) a wintry wind struck me, and the next 

 evening I became a sufferer. Pain seized my chest exter 

 nally, and became, at the time of retiring, so severe that we 

 used friction, and in the night the pain was transferred to 

 the arms, from the shoulder to the elbows, and became 

 worse than ever. In the morning, after a sleepless night, 

 the pain became seated between the shoulders, and in the 

 back of the head. In the course of the day the pain sub 

 sided, but left me unwell ; the stomach refused to retain 

 food ; some fever supervened, and I became decidedly an 

 invalid. So I remained through the week, and was confined 

 to the house. I am gaining a little from day to day, with 

 a little appetite, and some power of retaining food. I am 

 not able to attend public worship at present, but am thank 

 ful that I am able to employ my time usefully at home. I 

 am warned, by this occurrence, that my health, although 

 usually so good, may be in an instant subverted, and that 

 the call for departure may be sudden, as has happened to 

 Mr. Elton of Waterbury, and others, during the last week. 

 I leave time and manner with my Creator, relying entirely 

 upon Christ Jesus, my ever-blessed Saviour, to rescue me 

 from the power and condemnation of sin. 



November 21st, Monday. I have been able to resume 

 my pen, and am gradually recovering my usual state of 

 feeling. But the shock has been rather severe, and to an 

 old man serious. As the cause is apparent, I must avoid in 

 future the exposure to a cold night air, which brought on 



