offer up a prayer to God for the repose of the souls of those beneath the sod.  The tears which fell on the grave on such visits, and watered the last resting place of the loved ones were the holiest that ever flowed from the eyes of man—­they were the homage of a bereaved husband to the memory of a pure and spotless wife, and an angel daughter.  Alfred is still alive, and has passed unharmed through many a hard fought battle.  Those who know not the tale of his family’s sufferings and unhappy fate, think him moody and unfriendly, but those who are acquainted with the trials of the soldiers wife, regard his reserved and silent manners with respect, for though the same sorrows may not darken the sunshine of their lives, their instinct penetrates the recess of the soldiers heart, and the sight of its shattered and wrecked remains often cause a sigh of sorrow, and a tear of commiseration.  Let us trust that a merciful God in His divine wisdom, may alleviate the poignant grief of the soldier, and restore him to that happiness he once possessed.

And now kind reader, we bid you a last farewell; but ere the pages of this book are closed, let us speak a word to you, for those unfortunates who abandon their homes on the approach of the enemy to seek refuge in the Confederate lines.  Many—­alas! too many of its citizens consider the term “refugee” synonymous with that of “beggar.”  In this idea we err.  It is true they are in many instances, reduced to penury, but in their poverty are as different from the mendicant as the good are from the bad.  Many of these refugees have lost their homes, their wealth—­their everything to retain their patriotism and honor.  Some of them adorned the most polished circles in their midst, and many held an enviable position in the State of their nativity or residence.  For their country, for our country, for your country, the brave abandoned all they possessed, preferring to live in want among the people of the South, than to revel in luxuries in the midst of our enemies.  Seek these exiles.  Look upon them as suffering Confederates, and extend the hand of friendship and assistance to all who are in need.  Let the soldier know that his wife and children are provided for by you.  It will cheer him while in camp, it will inspire him in battle, and if he falls by the hand of the enemy, the knowledge that those he loves will be cared for, will lighten the pangs of Death, and he will die, happy in the thought of falling for his country.  Oh! kind reader, turn your ear to the moaning of the soldier’s wife—­the cries of his children, and let your heart throb with kindness and sympathy for their sufferings.  Relieve their wants, alleviate their pains, and earn for yourself a brighter reward than gold or influence can purchase—­the eternal gratitude of the defenders of our liberties.

Farewell! if a single tear of sorrow, steals unhidden down your cheek at the perusal of this sad tale—­if in your heart a single chord of pity is touched at its recital—­we shall have been fully rewarded for the time and labor expended by us.  And if at some future day you hear of some soldier’s family suffering; sympathise with their afflictions and cheerfully aid in ameliorating their condition, by giving a single thought of “THE TRIALS OF THE SOLDIER’S WIFE.”