sacrifice, the interest in this girl so far removed from their
usual world, their girlish desire to gain her liking, and the
womanly tact which was needed to win her from her rough shyness,
all these had their influence on their young maidenhood, an
influence which lasted far on through their lives.

And by degrees their interest widened. At first they had shrunk
from the suffering around them, dreading and almost fearing to
look on its outward signs. But as they became more accustomed to
the place and its associations, they no longer hurried along the
corridors, with their eyes fixed on the ground; but glanced in,
now and again, through some open door, to see the long lines of
little beds and the white-capped nurses moving quietly about the
room, or sewing cosily by the sunny window. Winter was not half
over before the girls used to turn aside, now to spend a few
moments among the forlorn midgets in the children's ward, then to
pass slowly along through the accident ward, giving a pleasant
word or two in exchange for the smiles that never failed to greet
their coming. Each one of them had her own particular circle of
friends whom she gravely discussed with the doctor, learning much
of the history and needs of these fellow-beings, for whom, until
lately, they had thought and cared so little. Molly and Jessie
devoted themselves to the little girls, Polly lavished all her
attentions on three or four small boys, while the others preferred
the older patients. But all this was only incidental, and the
girls considered Bridget as their especial property, the younger
ones regarding her as a superior sort of toy, to take the place of
the dolls which they had cast aside.

However, Katharine, who was older and more mature than the others,