h^o 



CHAPTER XXI. 



Returning to the war — In Cologne — The Knights of St, jOiin— i>ai-on 

 Edward Oppenheim — In Jouy-aux-Arches — Voluntary nurses — Re- 

 forms — Gifts from Cologne — My store -rooms — Prince Alfred — Miss 

 Runkel — Shells — Surrender Metz — Theft — Bad conscience — A rude 

 doctor — A princely box on the ear. 



Prince Alfred, my poor husband's elder brother, was, as I 

 said before, a knight of Malta. The especial duty allotted to 

 him had been to accompany the sisters of mercy and vokmtary 

 nurses to the different places were their services were required. 

 On my resolution to return to the field he made himself free 

 from that duty, in order to be near me and take me under his 

 protection. Having had until then no occasion for his horses 

 he had left them at home, but now he wanted me to bring some 

 with me. 



I went next to Cologne, where I procured the necessary 

 tickets of legitimation and permits for the free conveyance of 

 my carriage, horses, and whole party. Having attended to 

 this, I left Anholt with a carriage, two fine coach-horses and 

 my brother-in-law's English favourite mare, Miss Runkel, Mr. 

 Frank, Prince Alfred's English coachman, and my orderly, 

 August. The latter was a soldier detailed to my service in 

 Saarbruck, who remained with me during the whole campaign. 

 He was by trade a tailor, from Koenigsberg in Prussia, and as 

 he was not very strong the army could spare him. 



I remained two days in Cologne, where I visited the hospi- 

 tals, which were under the excellent direction of privy coun- 

 cillor Dr. Fisher, and admired greatly all the sanitary and other 

 arrangements superintended by the Oberpresident von Ber- 

 nuth, who was the chairman of the central committee in Co- 



