At the same time, she was astonished at the avidity with which she was assimilating these hitherto unsuspected mysteries.

Sometimes with a funny assumption of assurance, she would even believe she had mistaken her vocation.
"Who knows but what I was born to be a famous doctor ?" she would exclaim.
Her great fear was that she might lose her self-control when the time came to put her newly acquired knowledge into practice.

To see herself before the foul odors of decomposing flesh, to contemplate the flow of blood--a horrible thing for her who had always felt an invincible repugnance toward all the unpleasant conditions of ordinary life! But these hesitations were short, and she was suddenly animated by a dashing energy.

These were times of sacrifice.

Were not the men snatched every day from the comforts of sensuous existence to endure the rude life of a soldier?
.