Everything that Dr. McAllister did was well and completely done. He
was kind-hearted, generous, ready to do or sacrifice anything for the
real good of his patients; but his rules once laid down became
immutable laws, not to be transgressed by any. His constant
supervision and enforcement of rules affected every department of the
hospital. In my own, I had only to report a dereliction of duty, and
the fate of the culprit was sealed. If a woman, I had orders to
discharge her; if a man, the next train bore him to his regiment or to
the office of the medical director, upon whose tender mercies no
wrong-doer could rely.
Consequently, I had only to go to my well-ordered kitchen to find
ready the food which it had been my first care to have prepared in
view of the (as I hoped) temporary absence of the cooks. The departing
men had all taken marching rations with them, but there was still
plenty of food on hand. A bakery was attached to the Buckner. We also
owned several cows. In the bakery was plenty of corn-bread and some
loaves of flour-bread, although flour was even then becoming scarce.
The cows, with full udders, stood lowing at the bars of the pen.
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