The End.
There is one subject connected with hospitals on which a few words should be said—the distasteful one that a woman must lose a certain amount of delicacy and reticence in filling any office in them. How can this be? There is no unpleasant exposure under proper arrangements, and if even there be, the circumstanceswhich surround a wounded man, far from friends and home, suffering in a holy cause and dependent upon a woman for help, care and sympathy, hallow and clear the atmosphere in which she labors. That woman must indeed be hard and gross, who lets one material thought lessen her efficiency. In the midst of suffering and death, hoping with those almost beyond hope in this world; praying by the bedside of the lonely and heart-stricken; closing the eyes of boys hardly old enough to realize man’s sorrows, much less suffer by man’s fierce hate, a womanmustsoar beyond the conventional modesty considered correct under different circumstances.
If the ordeal does not chasten and purify her nature, if the contemplation of suffering and endurance does not make her wiser and better, and if the daily fire through which she passes does not draw from her nature the sweet fragrance of benevolence, charity, and love,—then, indeed a hospital has been no fit place for her!
FOOTNOTE:[1]Richard Hammond Key, grandson of Francis Barton Key, author of “Star Spangled Banner.”
FOOTNOTE:
[1]Richard Hammond Key, grandson of Francis Barton Key, author of “Star Spangled Banner.”
[1]Richard Hammond Key, grandson of Francis Barton Key, author of “Star Spangled Banner.”
Transcriber’s Note (continued)Obvious punctuation errors have been corrected.Other errors have been corrected as follows:Page 75 – “unconsious” changed to “unconscious” (I sat by the boy, unconscious himself that any)Page 105 – “Petersburgh” changed to “Petersburg” (blowing up of the mine at Petersburg)Page 118 – “to go their” changed to “to go to their” (if allowed to go to their families)Page 129 – “Missisippi” changed to “Mississippi” (down in Mississippi)Page 139 – “Fredericksburgh” changed to “Fredericksburg” (at the Fredericksburg station)Page 166 – “started” changed to “startled” (informed his startled flock)Page 167 – “made” changed to “make” (That Grant would make an effort)Page 174 – “neighbers” changed to “neighbors” (less wealthy neighbors)Obsolete spelling that was common for its time has been retained. Variations in hyphenation have been regularised if a generally agreed usage was observed but left unchanged otherwise.Page headers that appear in the book are included in this transcribed text as sidenotes.The single footnote has been re-indexed using a number and moved to the end of the book.Back to top
Transcriber’s Note (continued)
Obvious punctuation errors have been corrected.
Other errors have been corrected as follows:
Page 75 – “unconsious” changed to “unconscious” (I sat by the boy, unconscious himself that any)
Page 105 – “Petersburgh” changed to “Petersburg” (blowing up of the mine at Petersburg)
Page 118 – “to go their” changed to “to go to their” (if allowed to go to their families)
Page 129 – “Missisippi” changed to “Mississippi” (down in Mississippi)
Page 139 – “Fredericksburgh” changed to “Fredericksburg” (at the Fredericksburg station)
Page 166 – “started” changed to “startled” (informed his startled flock)
Page 167 – “made” changed to “make” (That Grant would make an effort)
Page 174 – “neighbers” changed to “neighbors” (less wealthy neighbors)
Obsolete spelling that was common for its time has been retained. Variations in hyphenation have been regularised if a generally agreed usage was observed but left unchanged otherwise.
Page headers that appear in the book are included in this transcribed text as sidenotes.
The single footnote has been re-indexed using a number and moved to the end of the book.
Back to top