"Then what do you want to go in here for? It is no place for a lady to
step her foot over the threshold of a hospital."

"I perceive you and I differ widely in that; but if you doubt my
fitness to visit your patients, you can examine my papers from the
governor of my State and a member of Congress and others."

"If you have no son here, I don't see that you have any business
here."

"Every soldier is some mother's son, and I wish to visit them, and
here are my papers; you can read them if you wish."

Throwing out his hand angrily, he said:

"Go along, then; go along."

I went, but he took good care to bear me company.

As we entered each ward, every soldier who was able to bear his weight
sprang to his feet, and stood by his cot during our stay in the ward.
I saw at once that it was in pursuance of an order. I had made it a
point to shake hands with every soldier that was awake and conscious,
but the surgeon hurried through without giving an opportunity to speak
to a half-dozen in the whole hospital. One poor skeleton of a man sat
bolstered on his cot, eating his dinner, and had on his plate a
spoonful of cooked onion.

"Where did you get that onion?" cried the surgeon.