e the
children dependent on these murderesses, and the hoary heads that once
planned and prayed for the welfare of their slayers, to perish of cold
and hunger?

It was Annie's hour for resuming work, and it was well for her, though
she went but languidly into the spotlessly white and clean ward, among
its rows of beds with the flower-stand, illuminated texts and
oleographs, which generous supporters of the hospital sent to brighten
its cold bareness and soften and cheer what was harsh and subdued in its
atmosphere. Annie was not even greatly affected by the greeting of one
of her patients, an elderly man recovering from an operation, and still
slightly off his head when the fever rose on him. She went to him with a
cooling, soothing application, and he told her incoherently to come
again and give him his dinner and his tea. He liked a young lass or
lady, be she which she liked, with red cheeks and shining eyes to wait
upon him. It minded him of a bit wench of a daughter of his he had lost
when she was twelve years--the age of the little wench in the Bible, for
parson had preached about her the Sunday after his lass's funeral. It
broke her mother's heart for all that, and he buried her too within
three months. Then the place got lonesome, and he took what was not good
for him, till he had come to this; though whether it were the House or
just an hospital he was lying in he could not clearly say.

Then there happened what Annie was wont to describe as a miracle of
mercy to bring her to a better mind. A young boy whose leg had been
crushed by a waggon was carried into the operating theatre for an
immediate operation. It was the lecture hour, and a great professor of
surgery with his class of students, together with several of the other
doctors connected with St. Ebbe's, was in attendance. But it was also
customary, especially where a female patient or a patient so young as
the boy in question was concerned, for a nurse, generally the sister of
the ward, to be present to hold the sufferer's hand if it were wished,
or when it was possible to support the poor head against her breast. It
so chanced that the sister was out, and other available nurses were
engaged, so in circumstances which would admit of no delay Annie was for
the first time called to the front and summoned to undertake the
responsibility of the situation. Already she had lost sight of herself,
and was standing looking so calm, firm, and prepared for every
em