"I paid my own money for it, doctor."

"Who said you might have it?"'

"Dr. Spears."

"Very well, then;" and passed on.

Here my disgust filled up to the brim. I cared but little for his
attempt to browbeat me; but when he treated a helpless soldier like
this I could hardly keep my indignation from boiling over. The first
words spoken to me after entering the hospital were:

"Do you want to go into the kitchen?"

"I would like to pass through your kitchen," was my reply.

"Very unfavorable time, madam--very unfavorable; about dinner-time."

Very favorable, thought I, and went in. I could see at a glance that
the large caldron of potatoes was boiled half an hour too long. Their
bread looked well, and I suppose it was good. As we passed out, taking
memoranda and pencil, I said:

"You have a very large hospital. How many will it accommodate?"

"Fifteen hundred, madam. Very few, very few at present, only four
hundred and eighty-four."

"How many nurses have you?"