I seemed to be helpless.

Jack was busy with things outside.

He had three large army chests, which were brought in and placed before me.

"Now," he said, "all our things must go into those chests"-- and I supposed they must.
I was pitifully ignorant of the details of moving, and I stood despairingly gazing into the depths of those boxes, when the jolly and stout wife of Major von Hermann passed my window.

She glanced in, comprehended the situation, and entered, saying, "You do not understand how to pack?
Let me help you: give me a cushion to kneel upon--now bring everything that is to be packed, and I can soon show you how to do it." With her kind assistance the chests were packed, and I found that we had a great deal of surplus stuff which had to be put into rough cases, or rolled into packages and covered with burlap.