Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions

but which everybody, as long as the world lasts, would have understood, felt, and admired. It was then near two o’clock in the morning. [Illustration: MISS. NIGHTINGALE AND THE DYING SOLDIER.] Approaching, I made inquiries of Miss Nightingale as to the complaint of her patient, when she replied in French, that the poor fellow was given up by the doctors, and was not likely to get through the night; “so I have been engaged noting down his last wishes, in order to forward them to his relatives.” The next morning, Miss Nightingale, Mr. Bracebridge, and myself had a long conversation respecting our plan of operations in the coming campaign. Having settled everything to our satisfaction, I once more went round the hospitals; and, upon reaching home, I heard that Mr. Robertson had arrived. He had been represented to me, by some person or other, as a very old and infirm man, wearing green spectacles. At the time I heard this, I was in the company of a very illustrious personage, who was visiting my kitchen, and he also listened to the serjeant giving this description, and very justly observed, that for such a fatiguing situation a young man was required. “Now,” he continued, pointing from the kitchen door to the building, “observe the tremendous distance it is from one end of the building to the other. A purveyor should go round once a-day, independent of the business of his office. I tell you what--I have found out this much myself, that the head, when properly screwed on, lasts much longer than the legs; and when both are required at the same time, there is an additional strain.” While we were discussing this important subject, in walked Mr. Milton, accompanied by an old gentleman, as described by the serjeant, and a third person. To my surprise, Mr. Robertson was not the reverend old man. He happened to be one of Mr. Robertson’s friends, instead of himself.[12] Instead of being an old man, I found him the very person wanted--about thirty years of age--full of vigour and intelligence. In a short time