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.

Ah--God--" She sighed, looking down at her clasped hands, "if youth but knew--if youth but knew!" He lay silent, the interminable rattle of picket firing in his ears, his face turned toward the window.

Through it he could see green grass, a magnolia in bloom, and a long flawless spray of Cherokee roses pendant from the gallery.
Celia sighed, waited for him to speak, sighed again, and picked up the Baltimore newspaper to resume her reading if he desired.
Searching the columns listlessly, she scanned the headings, glanced over the letter press in silence, then turned the crumpled page.
Presently she frowned.
"Listen to this, Philip; they say that there is yellow fever among the Yankee troops in Louisiana.