My  first  thought,  when  morning  broke,
was  to  ride  over  to  Reygern,  to  learn  the
fate  of  my  wounded  friends.  On  my  way
thither,  I  fell  in  with  several  officers,
bound  on  a  similar  errand,  for  already  the
convent  had  become  the  great  hospital,  to
which   the    sufferers    were   brought    from


every  part  of  the  camp.  As  we  went
along,  1  was  much  struck  by  the  depres-
sion of  spirit  so  remarkable  everywhere  ;
the  battle  over,  all  the  martial  enthusiasm
seemed  to  have  evaporated.  Many  gram-
bled  at  the  tiresome  prospect  of  a  winter
in  country  quarters,  or  cantoned  in  the
field  ;  some  regretted  the  briefness  of  the
campaign  ;  while  others  again  complained,
(hat  to  return  to  France  after  so  little  of
active  service  would  only  expose  them  to
ridicule  from  their  companions,  who  had
seen  Italy  and  Egypt.
"  Spare  your  sorrows  on  that  score,  my
young  friends,"  said  a  colonel,  who  listened
patiently  to  the  complaints  around  him.
