O'er the house of mercy with plain, white walls, Where they carried the wounded and dying, Unharmed by our cannon, unfearing our balls; O'er that house of mercy with plain, white walls, The Red Cross flag was flying. As the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven For a world of warring and sighing We hailed it; and cheered, for the promise given By the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven-- The Red Cross banner flying. For we know that wherever the battle was waged, With its wounded and dead and dying-- Where the wrath of pagan or Christian raged-- Like the mercy of God, where the battle was waged, The Red Cross flag was flying. * * * * * Let the angry legions meet in the fight, With the noise of captains crying; Yet the arm of Christ outstretched in its might, Where the angry legions meet in the fight, Keeps the Red Cross banner flying. And it surely will come that war will cease, With its madness and pain in crying, Lo! the blood-red Cross is the prophet of peace-- Of the blessed time when war will cease-- And the Red Cross flag is flying. JOHN T. NAPIER, in the Moravian. THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. In the subsequent chapters is traced the history of the operations of the American National Red Cross during the past year, including the distribution of relief among the "Reconcentrados" in Cuba, and the auxiliary field and hospital service in the Spanish-American war. Being called away to Cuba in the midst of the preparations for war relief, with much of the preliminary work unfinished, it seemed proper to leave at home, for a time, a personal representative familiar with the obligations of the National Red Cross, to relieve the overburdened committee in New York of some of the details which fell more particularly within my own province, and to which I had planned to give personal attention. Accordingly, Mr. D.L. Cobb, of my staff, was detached for this service. Being familiar with the work which was done in my absence, and in which he has faithfully and efficiently served with an interest second only to my own, I have asked him to tell the story of the relations of the National Committee with the Government, the formation of the committees and the auxiliary societies, through whose guidance and administrations all the great work of relief in the Camps and elsewhere was carried on. This he has done in the following chapter, under the title, "Home Camps and American Waters." HOME CAMPS AND AMERICAN WATERS. D.L. COBB.