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urse of independent study he was proposing to himself。 I was most happy to smooth the way for him； and he came repeatedly after this to see me and express his satisfaction in the opportunities for study he enjoyed at Cambridge。 He was a dark； still； slender person； always with a trance…like remoteness； a mystic dreaminess of manner； such as I never saw in any other youth。 Whether he heard with difficulty； or whether his mind reacted slowly on an alien thought； I could not say； but his answer would often be behind time； and then a vague； sweet smile； or a few words spoken under his breath； as if he had been trained in sick men's chambers。 For such a young man； seemingly destined for the inner life of contemplation； to be a soldier seemed almost unnatural。 Yet he spoke to me of his intention to offer himself to his country； and his blood must now be reckoned among the precious sacrifices which will make her soil sacred forever。 Had he lived； I doubt not that he would have redeemed the rare promise of his earlier years。 He has done better； for he has died that unborn generations may attain the hopes held out to our nation and to mankind。
So； then； I had been within ten miles of the place where my wounded soldier was lying； and then calmly turned my back upon him to come once more round by a journey of three or four hundred miles to the same region I had left！ No mysterious attraction warned me that the heart warm with the same blood as mine was throbbing so near my own。 I thought of that lovely； tender passage where Gabriel glides unconsciously by Evangeline upon the great river。 Ah； me！ if that railroad crash had been a few hours earlier； we two should never have met again； after coming so close to each other！
The source of my repeated disappointments was soon made clear enough。 The Captain had gone to Hagerstown； intending to take the cars at once for Philadelphia； as his three friends actually did； and as I took it for granted he certainly would。 But as he walked languidly along； some ladies saw him across the street； and seeing； were moved with pity； and pitying； spoke such soft words that he was tempted to accept their invitation and rest awhile beneath their hospitable roof。 The mansion was old； as the dwellings of gentlefolks should be； the ladies were some of them young； and all were full of kindness； there were gentle cares； and unasked luxuries； and pleasant talk； and music…sprinklings from the piano； with a sweet voice to keep them company；and all this after the swamps of the Chickahominy； the mud and flies of Harrison's Landing； the dragging marches； the desperate battles； the fretting wound； the jolting ambulance； the log…house； and the rickety milkcart！ Thanks； uncounted thanks to the angelic ladies whose charming attentions detained him from Saturday to Thursday； to his great advantage and my infinite bewilderment！ As for his wound； how could it do otherwise than well under such hands？ The bullet had gone smoothly through； dodging everything but a few nervous branches； which would come right in time and leave him as well as ever。
At ten that evening we were in Philadelphia； the Captain at the house of the friends so often referred to； and I the guest of Charley； my kind companion。 The Quaker element gives an irresistible attraction to these benignant Philadelphia households。 Many things reminded me that I was no longer in the land of the Pilgrims。 On the table were Kool Slaa and Schmeer Kase； but the good grandmother who dispensed with such quiet； simple grace these and more familiar delicacies was literally ignorant of Baked Beans； and asked if it was the Lima bean which was employed in that marvellous dish of animalized leguminous farina！
Charley was pleased with my comparing the face of the small Ethiop known to his household as 〃Tines〃 to a huckleberry with features。 He also approved my parallel between a certain German blonde young maiden whom we passed in the street and the 〃Morris White〃 peach。 But he was so good…humored at times； that； if one scratched a lucifer； he accepted it as an illumination。
A day in Philadelphia left a very agreeable impression of the outside of that great city； which has endeared itself so much of late to all the country by its most noble and generous care of our soldiers。 Measured by its sovereign hotel； the Continental； it would stand at the head of our economic civilization。 It provides for the comforts and conveniences； and many of the elegances of life； more satisfactorily than any American city； perhaps than any other city anywhere。 Many of its characteristics are accounted for to some extent by its geographical position。 It is the great neutral centre of the Continent； where the fiery enthusiasms of the South and the keen fanaticisms of the North meet at their outer limits； and result in a compound which neither turns litmus red nor turmeric brown。 It lives largely on its traditions； of which； leaving out Franklin and Independence Hall； the most imposing must be considered its famous water…works。 In my younger days I visited Fairmount； and it was with a pious reverence that I renewed my pilgrimage to that perennial fountain。 Its watery ventricles were throbbing with the same systole and diastole as when； the blood of twenty years bounding in my own heart； I looked upon their giant mechanism。 But in the place of 〃Pratt's Garden〃 was an open park； and the old house where Robert Morris held his court in a former generation was changing to a public restaurant。 A suspension bridge cobwebbed itself across the Schuylkill where that audacious arch used to leap the river at a single bound；an arch of greater span； as they loved to tell us； than was ever before constructed。 The Upper Ferry Bridge was to the Schuylkill what the Colossus was to the harbor of Rhodes。 It had an air of dash about it which went far towards redeeming the dead level of respectable average which flattens the physiognomy of the rectangular city。 Philadelphia will never be herself again until another Robert Mills and another Lewis Wernwag have shaped her a new palladium。 She must leap the Schuylkill again； or old men will sadly shake their heads； like the Jews at the sight of the second temple； remembering the glories of that which it replaced。
There are times when Ethiopian minstrelsy can amuse； if it does not charm； a weary soul； and such a vacant hour there was on this same Friday evening。 The 〃opera…house〃 was spacious and admirably ventilated。 As I was listening to the merriment of the sooty buffoons； I happened to cast my eyes up to the ceiling； and through an open semicircular window a bright solitary star looked me calmly in the eyes。 It was a strange intrusion of the vast eternities beckoning from the infinite spaces。 I called the attention of one of my neighbors to it； but 〃Bones〃 was irresistibly droll； and Arcturus； or Aldebaran； or whatever the blazing luminary may have been； with all his revolving worlds； sailed uncared…for down the firmament。
On Saturday morning we took up our line of march for New York。 Mr。 Felton； President of the Philadelphia； Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad； had already called upon me； with a benevolent and sagacious look on his