122 Sallie Russell 



1 There is one thing I wish you to do, Ashley,' 

 she said, between her sobs. ' Take Sallie with you. 

 I shall miss her, I know, and the army is a fearful 

 place for a creature such as she is ; but I shall feel 

 that you are safer if she is carrying you. Now, dear, 

 do n't refuse ; I have made up my mind to the sac- 

 rifice.' 



And so Helen's two best friends left her. They 

 were both inexperienced in the rough field of war, 

 but they both possessed the best blood in the state. 

 It was game blood the blood that enables its pos- 

 sessor to endure hardships uncomplainingly, to face 

 disaster and possible death unflinchingly. And thus 

 they entered together upon their new and untried life. 

 It is a terrible life, but it has its pleasant features. 

 Drills, parades, inspections, occasional scouting expe- 

 ditions, are all agreeable to young and vigorous blood. 

 But after that came days of hardship, nights of lone- 

 liness, hard marches, discouraging reverses, stubborn 

 battles, sickness and death around, and misery and 

 desolation on every hand. 



It was in one of the minor battles in which 

 Ashley was engaged that a flying ball struck Sallie 



