THE GOLDEN MOTTOES.
Faith's cry breaking upon the midnight stillness was heard throughout
the camp. The wounded in the hospital started up in their beds. The
attendants ran toward Agatha and Grace supposing that the cry came from
one of them. The two Nurses stood holding each other fast, trembling
violently, their eyes fixed upon the door. Bruce ran from the
headquarters tent, sword in hand, followed by Blythe, Rodney and Pipe.
There was no need to sound the alarm, for the Brownies were running from
all parts of the camp to headquarters.
"What is it? A night attack?" Nobody knew. "What was it--that terrible
cry?" Nobody knew that. The sentinels had seen nothing. Then came
MacWhirlie riding into the camp at full speed on one of the Goldentailed
matches, which Madam Breeze had presented him.
Some one exclaimed: "Hah! this explains it! The picket line has been
attacked by the Pixies. The Lieutenant has come for help."
No! He too had heard the cry, and had come to learn the cause. All was
quiet along the plain.
Leaving the perplexed throng outside, let us re-enter the hospital.
Agatha and Grace had recovered from their fright. The excitement caused
by the alarm, the sudden and violent action of the soldiers in starting
up upon their couches, even leaping from them, had reopened many wounds
so that they were bleeding freely. Some of the worst cases had fallen
back fainting. All was confusion within the place. The helpers were
hurrying hither and thither. From the outside the Brownies were running
in and out with the pointless questions usual in times of panic.
Agatha's heart was touched at the sight. The voice of pity within her at
once mustered her disordered faculties.
"Grace, Grace," she cried, "this will never do! Hasten to the marquee
and bid Faith and Sophia come to the aid of these poor fellows. Quick!
and bring all the lint that you can find. Guards!" she continued,
calling to the sentinels at the doors, "keep out the people. We must
have quiet here. Howard," addressing the head helper, "look to your
aids! Brothers," she spoke to all attendants now, "remember your Golden
Mottoes!"
[Illustration: FIG. 47.--"Silk Ravelled from Cocoons of Spiders."]
She pointed as she spoke to the eastern side of the tent, sweeping her
hand along the line of wall. Silk banners hung thereon, upon every one
of which a Golden Motto was embroidered, together with various emblems,
designs and tracery. Rich effects were produced by using the many hued
scales on the wings of butterflies, the brilliant shells and elytra of
beetles, and minute feathers of humming birds, which were embossed upon
the cloth with silk raveled from cocoons of moths and spiders.[AB] The
banners were the gift of the Sanitary Corps whose cunning fingers had
made them. Let us follow the rapid motion of Agatha's hand and read
these Golden Mottoes.
The design of Banner One is, on a blue shield, a carrier pigeon in full
flight, with a message tied by a ribbon about its neck. In the
surrounding border are grouped and interwoven arrows and other emblems
of speed and promptness. The motto is:
QUICKLY DONE IS TWICE DONE.
[Illustration: FIG. 48.--A Spider's Cocoon Nest.]
The design of Banner Two is, on a blue shield, a silver pyramid, the
North Star shining above it. In the border are wrought figures of a
frontiersman with his rifle in hand standing among rocks and great
oaks; a pilot at his wheel; an Indian shooting rapids in his bark canoe;
a whaleman at the bow of his boat with harpoon poised. The legend is:
COOL HEAD GIVES HELPFUL HANDS.
The design of Banner Three is, on a red shield, a full orbed golden sun
with the old fashioned cheerful human face wrought upon it, and bright
rays shooting out in all directions. In the border are anchors, flowers,
song birds, sporting Brownies, winsome figures and emblems. The motto
is:
CHEERFULNESS IS BOTH BALM AND BROTH.
[Illustration: FIG. 49.--The Brownies' Banners and Golden Mottoes.]
Banner Four, although not the most beautiful in point of imagery, is the
most costly, the most carefully wrought and the most striking of all. On
a purple shield two points, one above the other, one in chief and one in
base are represented by golden stars, and these are united by a
straight line. The motto is:
OUR LIFE LINE A RIGHT LINE.
The border consists of various mathematical instruments, a rule, square,
dividers, sailor's compass, etc., and running all around the banner
through these are the sentences "Straightway From Knowledge to Duty,"
"Duty First, Duty Last."
It has taken some time to note these decorations, but only a moment was
consumed by the glance that Agatha and her aids cast upon them. That
glance and the voice of their fair leader acted like a charm. The words
had scarcely been uttered before the helpers were scattered through the
tents and at the couches of the suffering. Agatha herself kneeled beside
a wounded soldier, rearranged the bandages, and poured in fresh balm.
She had cast more than one impatient look toward the side door that led
into the Sanitary tent, wondering why Grace had not already come back
with Faith and Sophia.
The rear door of the hospital, near which Agatha was kneeling, was
pushed violently forward and Grace entered. She was capless, her hair
streamed over her shoulders, her whole appearance showed anguish and
agitation.
"They are gone!" she cried. Agatha rose hastily and threw herself into
her arms.
"Gone? who? Faith? Sophia? Gone!--where? Speak, girl, what do you mean?"
"Oh, I cannot tell. Something dreadful has happened. They were not in
the room when I went in. I supposed they had gone out to learn what was
the trouble, and ran into the crowd to seek them. Nobody knew. Your
father and uncle, and Pipe, and all the rest were there, but no
Faith--no Sophia. They knew nothing of them. They are searching for them
now. They fear that the Pixies have carried them off. Oh, Agatha! what
shall we do?"
Ah, Agatha, do you remember the Golden Mottoes now! Will she remember,
think you? Her frame shook with emotion; her hands were cold; beads of
moisture gathered on her pale forehead. She spoke in a dreamy way, as
though talking to herself: "Carried off by the Pixies? Gone? Cousin
Faith gone? Sophia gone?"
Then she started as from a trance. There was a tremor in her voice, but
she spoke quietly, as one who had struggled with her own heart and got
the victory.
"Grace, God help them! But our duty lies here. There is no time now for
grief. There is no call on us to take part in the work and peril of
delivering our sister Nurses. Others will do it better than we. Our duty
is plain. And is just before us. Mine is here. Grace, dear, yours is
there!"
She pointed first to the couch at which she had been kneeling, then to
one across the aisle, and quietly turning from her companion, knelt down
again by the wounded Brownie, and took up the dropped thread of her
labor of love. When she lifted her eyes Grace was at her post. Noble
conquerors! These are the victories of those who be better than they who
take a city.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote AB: Appendix, Note A.]